Batman: War Games is a 2020 superhero movie and is the first film in the "Caped Crusader" Film Series and the first movie in the DCML Universe (DC Movie Legends).
It stars Ryan Gosling as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Micheal Shannon as Roman Sionis/Black Mask.
This movie unlike previous Batman Films, is NOT an origin story. The origins are told in a series of flashbacks though.
It is directed by Spyder
Cast[]
Ryan Gosling- Bruce Wayne/Batman
Micheal Shannon- Roman Sionis/Black Mask
Adam West- Alfred Pennyworth
Plot[]
The movie starts off in Gotham City on a rainy day, a shadow can be seen running across the rooftops on top of a dark alley. In the alley there are some gang members transporting a crate into a truck. One of the thugs remarks
"The boss won't be happy if you two mess something up." The second thug assures them that everything is going fine, then the third thug isn't so sure, saying
"What if that bat-guy shows up, what if he's really a monster like they say"
Just as the first thug rolls his eyes and opens his mouth to say something a shadow falls over the alley and they look up seeing Batman (Ryan Gosling) crashing down on them. Just as the shadow falls upon them the title starts to roll.
BATMAN: WAR GAMES
______________[]
17 years earlier
A young Bruce Wayne is seen at his parent's funeral, just as the caskets are being lowered into the ground lightning strikes and Bruce recalls the events before.
Bruce and his parents are sitting in his mansion and across from them there is another family sitting there. They are chatting happily, and there is a young Roman Sionis sitting across from him. Roman sits depressed and angry at his parents, while Bruce is confused at Roman's mood. Bruce shrugs at him and pulls out his notepad, where he begins sketching drawings of superheroes. His mother tells him to put it away and socialize with Roman. Roman doesn't want to and leaves. Bruce continues sketching as we see him start to sketch out a mask...
Bruce leaves too and walks into the courtyard, where he sees Roman running away. He tries to follow him but Bruce steps on some unstable planks and falls into a well. Thousands of bats surround him as Bruce screams in terror.
Bruce then recalls Alfred (Jeremy Irons) finding him in the well a few minutes later and prying him out of the well. Then he recalls his father suggesting they go see a movie to cheer Bruce up.
As they are leaving the movie Bruce has visions of bats, and suddenly doesn't feel like walking all the way to the manor. His father says they "will take the shortcut then", they walk through a dark alley. A thug walks up and demands his father hand over his wallet. Thomas refuses and the thug opens fire, killing his father. The mother then screams and the thug shoots her too. Bruce is then left in the alley with the dead bodies of his parents.
Bruce recalls the court telling Alfred that he is the only legal guardian for Bruce. Bruce is then seen standing at the funeral again. He goes to Wayne Tower and looks out the window gazing out at Gotham. He clenches his fist.
Present Day
Bruce (Now an adult and wearing his batman costume) gazes out the window again. Alfred asks him
"Is there really any point in what you're doing, Master Bruce?" Alfred questions
"I don't care about the point. I care about my vengeance. No 8 year old boy should ever have to sit by and watch his parents die because of some punk with a gun." Bruce answers
"Very Well, Master Bruce" Alfred walks out the room
Batman is then seen sitting in his bat-cave in front of the computer researching criminals, he then sees a recent gang called the "False Facers". He sees a video of gang members with masks on burning buildings and robbing banks. He pauses the video and zooms into the leader "Black Mask". He types in some keys and presses "Identify". The computer prints out
"Scanning... Match not Found"
He then types in more keys and presses scan body type
"Build Identified. List of criminals with known type: Roman Sionis."
"Roman Sionis..." Bruce whispers.
Bruce searches for Sionis in the Wayne Interprises Database and it comes up with one match
"Janus Cosmetics Corporation."
Bruce then recalls the incident from his childhood just before he fell into the well.
"Of course.. Sionis..Janus Sionis. Roman!" Bruce realizes.
The next day he visits Janus Cosmetics only to find that it has filed for bankruptcy. Wayne then uses his money to buy Janus Cosmetics.
In the next scene we see Roman Sionis in a rage
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE WERE BOUGHT BY WAYNE!!" Sionis yells at his associate
"He bought i-it this morning-after w-we filed for bankruptcy" he stammers. Sionis then storms out of the room. He finds a picture of Bruce Wayne in his file cabinet and rips it in half.
Sionis then takes his mask and throws it at the wall shattering it in half. In the next scene he's seen in the cemetery as he goes to a grave: Janus Sionis. He digs out a coffin and pulls out a knife. He furiously stabs it into the coffin and starts carving a mask. He then sticks the knife through the coffin revealing a skeleton inside.
"You always wore a mask, Dad." He mutters.
"But now, It's my turn!" He yells.
He finishes carving the mask and puts it on his face, laughing maniacally.
Back at the batcave Bruce is looking at security camera footage, researching Black Mask. He decides to take a break and sees the Bat-Signal outside, thinking it's an emergency he puts on his suit and gets in the bat-mobile.
Back on the rooftop with the bat-signal, Black Mask is waiting next to it with dozens of explosives. Soon after, Batman comes to the rooftop as he notices Black Mask waiting there with the trigger to the explosives, Batman reaches for his belt but he is interrupted.
"Ah,Ah,Ah. One more step and we both get blown to bits" Black Mask says mockingly
"What do you want from me!" Batman mutters.
"Oh. Nothing from you Batman. But from an old enemy of mine. Wayne, Bruce Wayne. I want you to take care of him or I'm gonna blow this city to bits." Black Mask continues
"Why should I help you? Roman."
"Wha- How did you?"
Batman removes his cowl showing his face to Black Mask.
"WAYNE! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!" Black Mask yells as he presses the button on the trigger
Batman runs to the bomb trying to disarm it, but Sionis tackles him and starts punching Batman.
"YOU RUINED MY LIFE!" Black Mask yells.
"No, I haven't. You're just a deranged criminal who needs to be taken in" Batman replies as he kicks Roman into the explosives
"No, NO NO NO!" Black Mask lands in the explosives and looks at the countdown
"3 seconds"
Batman jumps off the edge of the rooftop.
"2 seconds"
Black Mask tries to run but his foot snags off the wire and he trips
"1 second"
The building explodes, and the Bat-Signal shatters into pieces, Black Mask screams as his face catches on fire and his mask melts into wax.
____________________
2 days later:
Batman is apprehending some thugs when he sees a black skull on the wall, he takes a picture of it and analyzes it at the Batcave. It is revealed that these skulls have been drawn all around Gotham, and all of them lead to one place. Then he goes to a special bunker in the Bat-Cave. Alfred remarks
"Master Bruce, are you sure about this?"
"I'm going to stop him. Black Mask isn't dead and the only way is to use this."
He gets into the bunker revealing a jet with a bat on it.
He gets in the jet and flies across Gotham, tracking the location of Black Mask. He lands the plane on the roof and crashes through it. Black Mask is seen standing there, now with his mask molded onto his face and his eyes a harsh red.
"Roman Sionis."
"Don't call me that, my name is Black Mask!" he says as he pulls out a hand gun.
"Put the gun down, I can help you. We can fix this" Batman replies
"I think YOU'RE the one who needs help Wayne." he yells.
He then explains he has 5 bombs hidden around the city and Batman only has 3 hours to disable all of them. Batman then charges at Black Mask and punches him.
"Time's Running out, Bruce" He says mockingly.
But Batman actually put a tracker on his back when he punched him and he gets in the plane to disable the bombs.
The first bomb is in the Gotham Museum, so Batman sneaks in, but is surprised when he sees a gang of Faceless Society members guarding the bomb. He takes them out and tries to disable the bomb.
Batman puts his lock decoder on the lock and it comes out with the combination 4-19-40. He cuts the red wire and the bomb disables. The next scenes are a montage of him fighting 4 more gangs and disabling 4 more bombs.
Bruce then pulls out his tracker and sees Black Mask fleeing Gotham. He gets in his Bat-Wing and follows him, but Black Mask shoots it down and it crashes causing an explosion.
Batman and Black Mask rise from the explosion, both battle-worn and ready to fight.
Batman lunges at him pounding him with his fists but Black Mask escapes shooting at Batman, one of the bullets hit Batman's chest and he plummets downward.
"You can't stop me, this is only the beginning, Wayne." Black Mask mutters.
"I'm not trying to stop you, just hold you." He says
"Wha-?" Black Mask asks, as a net surrounds him and he gets captured.
"Utility Belt, never leave home without it." Batman says smiling.
"You and your little toys." Black Mask mutters
The police arrive as Batman shoots away on his grappling gun.
Commissioner Gordon looks up, then down as he sees Black Mask handcuffed.
"Son of a gun is doing our job for us." he mutters.
In the next scene Batman is seen running across the rooftops but he is stopped by some green light as the credits start to roll.
Mid Credits scene[]
A city is shown with a building that says Daily Planet and a blue-and-red figure flys by the screen and the Superman Logo comes up for a second with the words "Kryptonian Crusader"
Post Credits[]
On the planet Mars, a bunch of white savage monsters come up to the screen in a jump scare before showing showing the words
"Batman will return in Justice League".
Production[]
On February 8, 2018, It was announced that a Batman Reboot was going to be made.
On February 20, 2018, Ryan Gosling was cast as Bruce Wayne
On March 12, 2018, It was announced that the entire DC universe was going to be rebooted into the DCML.
On June 13, 2019, A teaser was released showing Black Mask taking over the city, then the Batwing flying across Gotham, then a narration by Bruce Wayne, Before showing the Batsuit and then the logo.
On July 1, 2019, all filming was completed.
On December 8, 2019, A second trailer was released
On July 6, 2020, The movie was released with critical appeal. It received mostly positive comments from Critics.
On January 6, 2023, A sequel was announced to come after Justice League.
Gallery[]
