DC Comics to dethrone Bruce Wayne as Batman in favour of armour-wearing superhero

Creators hope the change to Batman's character will attract new readers

Wednesday 29 April 2015 11:43 BST

Batman #38 cover by Danny Miki and Greg Capullo (DC Comics)

Sorry Bruce Wayne, there’s going to be a new Batman roaming the streets of Gotham City.

The creators of Batman are retiring Wayne and bringing in a new Dark Knight as DC Comics gears up for the annual Free Comic Book Day giveaways.

It has yet to be revealed who the new Batman will be, but the creators have said he will wear a manga-style suit of armour instead of a cape.

Author Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo say the upcoming storyline in Batman #41 will “change all the pieces on the table”.

Snyder said: “The character we’re putting under the cowl never expected it, never saw it coming and never set out to be Batman. It comes out of left field, and he realises that he's the only one that can make it make sense.“

Ben Affleck's Batman body armour in Batman v Superman (Twitter/@ZachSnyder)

But he added that Wayne will not be gone for good.

“He might not be under the cowl when the story starts but his presence will be a big part of the story and shape it,” he said.

Batman is one of the most enduring comic book superheroes, who will be portrayed by Ben Affleck in the upcoming movie Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice next year.

Wayne’s departure from Batman follows the many changes comic book superheroes have undergone in recent year.

Actors who have played Batman

Show all 14

1/14Actors who have played Batman

Actors who have played Batman

Ben Affleck...

Batfleck returns? Ben Affleck has been cast as the new Batman in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel sequel, Batman vs. Superman. The announcement was met with outrage from many fans who did not see Affleck as suitable for the role

Getty

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Ben Affleck as Batman with the batmobile in a Batman vs. Superman teaser photo tweeted by Snyder in May 2014

Zack Snyder

Actors who have played Batman

Christian Bale...

Christian Bale starred as the Caped Crusader in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, which made Batman finally, well, dark. 'Bale has exactly the balance of darkness and light that we were looking for' said Nolan. Bale had also tackled the role for 2005's Batman Begins, to generally favourable reviews bar what some critics called his 'ridiculous' husky voice

Getty Images

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Christian Bale as Batman in a scene from 2012's The Dark Knight Rises

AP

Actors who have played Batman

George Clooney...

George Clooney was cast in 1997's Batman & Robin when his career was only just taking off. The film was a shocker, not least for the famous 'bat nipples' and general camp style - it is still laughed at today. Clooney has since called the movie 'a waste of money' but luckily, it did little to harm his chances as an actor.

Getty Images

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Those 'bat nipples' are bad, aren't they? Look at them...

Warner Bros

Actors who have played Batman

Val Kilmer...

Joel Schumacher cast Val Kilmer as Batman for 1995's Batman Forever, alongside Chris O'Donnell as Robin. Kilmer reportedly accepted the job without knowing who the director was or reading the script. He clashed with Schumacher on set and his performance got mixed reviews - not one to be repeated

Reuters

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Val Kilmer's career went downhill after Batman Forever - the only time he played the superhero

Rex

Actors who have played Batman

Michael Keaton...

Michael Keaton starred as Batman in 1989's Batman and 1992's Batman Returns alongside Michelle Pfeiffer. His casting was hugely controversial and resulted in 50,000 protest letters being sent to Warner Bros. Burton stood by Keaton's 'explosive, insane side' and kept him in the role. He was a huge hit at the box office and the first actor to reprise Batman for the big screen.

Reuters

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Michael Keaton as Batman in 1992's Batman Returns

Rex

Actors who have played Batman

Adam West...

Adam West (L) and Burt Ward, who played Batman and Robin in the 1960s

Rex

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Adam West played Batman for a 1966 movie and several animated series. Many know him for his camp OTT portayal of the superhero but West was later offered the role of James Bond. He declined as he believed Bond should always be British. He now makes regular appearances on Family Guy.

Rex

Actors who have played Batman

Robert Lowrey

Robert Lowrey played Batman in 1949's Batman & Robin aged 36. He didn't star as the superhero in another movie but did guest-star in a 1956 episode of The Adventures of Superman - the first time a Batman actor and a Superman actor collaborated on-screen.

Rex

Actors who have played Batman

Lewis G Wilson

Lewis G Wilson was the first actor to play adult Batman in 1943 serial Batman. One critic meanly called the 23-year-old 'thick about the middle', not helped by the bizarre positioning of his utility belt. Wilson did not go on to enjoy a film career

Den of Geek

Marvel has recast a version of Spider-Man as a multi-racial teenager, Thor as a woman and a black Captain America, while DC Comics have reimagined icons like Superman and Wonder Woman in a company-wide reboot.

Free Comic Book Day on Saturday 2 May sees comic book stores offer some free comic books to readers in the hope of bringing in new fans.

Synder said he hopes the changed Batman will bring in new fans to the book.

“This gives us a new lease on the book, and it gives hopefully fans a sense of how fun Batman can be,” he said.

With additional reporting from the Associated Press.

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