27 Years Later, the DCU Needs to Fix the Scariest Part of Batman’s Lore

Arkham Asylum is a key location in Batman and DC lore. The setting has been featured in numerous pieces of Batman media for years, with Rocksteady’s video game franchise putting a real focus on the psychiatric facility. Arkham Asylum is an institute in Gotham City where most of Batman’s greatest foes end up after their defeat. With James Gunn and Peter Safran rebooting under the DC Universe (DCU), The Brave and the Bold will introduce a new Batman, separate from the version Matt Reeves crafted with Robert Pattinson for the 2022 film.

Reeves was developing a series set in Arkham Asylum that would’ve taken place in the DCU. That series was eventually cast aside. Despite the Arkham Asylum series ending in development, the location from the Batman lore will still likely play a pivotal role in the DCU. Arkham Asylum might have appeared in different forms of live-action content in recent years, yet Batman & Robin was the last time a faithful version from the comic books was fully realized on the big screen. The DCU has an opportunity to do Arkham Asylum justice with its version of Batman.

James Gunn Has Compared the DCU to Westeros

The heroes of DC mostly operate in fictional cities as opposed to Marvel’s, who exist in real-world locations like New York City. Dennis O’Neil and Irv Novick created Arkham Asylum, which first appeared in Batman #258 in October 1977.

The similarities between DC and Marvel are endless, but there’s one key difference between the two that live-action has yet to reflect accurately. While Marvel characters like Spider-Man and Daredevil exist in New York City, DC characters like Batman and Superman operate in fictional ones like Gotham City and Metropolis. DC has recently taken a more realistic approach in films, while in comics, it’s always been the opposite.

Gunn’s DCU will look to change that since the DC Studios head has compared the DCU to Game of Thrones‘ Westeros because they are both fictional worlds. Based on DC Studios’ first wave of projects, it’s clear that world-building will be a major focus, with Superman, The Brave and the Bold, and Paradise Lost setting up key locations across the DCU early on. Since the DCU will need to do a bit more work to establish the alternate world than the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) had to, the location of Arkham Asylum will need to play a part early on and be different compared to the recent versions audiences have seen.

Many Batman Projects Have Taken a More Realistic Approach

In 1994, Batman Forever was the first film to feature Arkham Asylum in live-action. The upcoming film, Joker: Folie à Deux,will take place heavily within its version of the location, Arkham State Hospital. In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the Asylum goes by Arkham Home for the Emotionally Troubled, a nod to The Dark Knight Returns.

Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever and Batman & Robin leaned into the comic-book nature of Arkham Asylum with its gothic architecture and role in those stories. Gotham also had a pretty accurate depiction but that story occurred before Batman’s time. Batman Begins, Joker and The Batman depict a far more realistic version of Arkham Asylum and don’t resemble too closely to what appears in the comic books beyond its name. Joker and The Batman even altered the location to Arkham State Hospital to make it feel more like a real-world location and less like one ripped from a comic book.

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) also had its version of Arkham Asylum, but it wasn’t prominent since Ben Affleck’s Batman never received a solo film, which was rumored to take place within the institution’s walls. Arkham Asylum should harken back to the more fantastical take in the DCU since recent versions have aimed to keep it grounded. The DCU’s Arkham Asylum still needs to feel like a living and breathing place, but it needs more character because it is such an iconic location in the comics and can add a lot to the shared universe.

Arkham Asylum Ties Batman’s Rogues Gallery Together and Teases His History

While most of Batman’s enemies make their way to Arkham Asylum, others also end up in Blackgate Penitentiary. Arkham State Hospital will appear next in The Penguin series, a spin-off from 2022’s The Batman.

Arkham Asylum is so crucial to the Batman mythos because it’s where all his enemies lie. The DCU will likely launch with a more seasoned Batman sinceThe Brave and the Bold will explore his relationship with Damian Wayne and the Bat-Family. In Batman: The Animated Series, there are several instances where all of Batman’s villains are seen locked up together in Arkham Asylum. It’s an awesome visual and piece of world-building that’s never been seen in a Batman film before and the DCU has a chance to bring it to life.

Teasing all of Batman’s Rogues Gallery can quickly let audiences know he has encountered them before and can open the door for future appearances. The Batman does something similar with the tease of The Joker and his interaction with The Riddler, yet the DCU can take this one step further. Since the DCU will look to build out Gotham City and other key locales, including a comic book-accurate version of Arkham Asylum full of the greatest villains, it can say a lot about the new version of the Dark Knight and excite many fans.

Great Batman Stories Set in Arkham Asylum Can Inspire the DCU

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth is among the greatest stories in Batman’s rich comic book history. Many consider Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Asylum one of the greatest comic book video games ever and it revolutionized the genre after its release in 2009.

Arkham Asylum isn’t just an iconic DC location because of its look and concept it has also housed some of Batman’s greatest stories. The first that comes to mind for most is Grant Morrison’s Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, published in 1989, and terrified readers with its unique art style from Dave McKean. The Arkham Asylum graphic novel is a prime example of telling a more horror-driven Batman story that’s never been fully exploited in film and a direction in which the DCU can take the franchise. Of course, there are also the groundbreaking Arkham video games, with the first taking place entirely inside the Asylum and seeing Batman encountering many of his villains after The Joker takes control of it.

The concept of an Arkham Asylum-inspired film would pit Batman in a unique position that’s never been seen in live-action before and can feature all his major villains in a single installment. Beyond the past stories, Arkham Asylum also has plenty of lore that lends itself to exciting possibilities. For instance, Batman: Earth One added a new twist to the mythos by making Martha Wayne part of the Arkham family. The Batman borrowed this idea and made her mentally unstable. Given Arkham Asylum’s place in Gotham City’s history, the DCU can do even more to make the location hold greater significance to Batman.

The DCU’s new version of Batman that will appear in The Brave and the Bold and other projects must differentiate itself from all the other versions audiences have seen. Making the DCU Batman more accurate to the comic books than ever before would be easy since recent versions have favored a more realistic approach. Going more comic-booky also means the world surrounding Batman should carry a more fantastical element.

An Arkham Asylum-centric series had much potential and could’ve done a lot to establish the DCU’s Gotham City. Even if there won’t be a series exploring the madness that goes on within Arkham Asylum, it will still need to have a major role in the DCU moving forward and can give audiences a fully fleshed-out Gotham City filled with the criminal inmates that have never been seen before. World-building will be a huge part of creating a successful DCU, and getting one of Batman’s most iconic locations right for the first time in years would help the reboot get off to a strong start.