Batman, the most iconic Superhero in the entire world, is receiving another feather to his cap as he is being honoured with the 2790th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On 26th September 2024, The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will honour the Caped Crusader; this honour is usually reserved for actors, directors, and musicians who have made extraordinary contributions to cinema.
Despite the immense popularity of superhero comics, movies and TV shows, there has been no superhero who has received this Star to date; who better to receive this honour than Batman? On the occasion of his 85th birthday, the Dark Knight is expected to achieve the Star, which will sit right next to Batman 1966 actor Adam West’s star and the character’s co-creator Bob Kane’s star.
What makes Batman special?
Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, Batman is a superhero who first appeared in March 1939 in the 27th comic book issue of Detective Comics (DC). Batman is the alter ego of Burse Wayne, a wealthy business personality of the fictional city of Gotham, who entered the crime-fighting scene after the murder of his father, Thomas Wayne and mother, Martha Wayne.
In early 1939, Superman, another DC comic book character, peaked in popularity, so the idea behind Batman was to capitalize on this fame and introduce a new superhero. However, Kane and Finger did not give the superhero god-like powers, but they wanted to develop a character who fights crime with undying determination and some advanced bat-themed gadgets.
Unlike the traditional superheroes of that time, Batman did not have any special powers or abilities, and he was just an “ordinary man”. Batman proves that there is no need for alien genes, magic or demigod status to become a superhero; anyone with the ability to work hard and willpower can become a superhero.
These characters have made this superhero genre popular and made way for other superheroes with no superpowers, like Green Arrow, Iron Man, Black Widow and Hawkeye, to gain immense popularity. Batman has become a cultural powerhouse with thousands of comics, dozens of standalone films, TV shows, animated movies and video games. The most popular depiction of Batman in cinema is definitely by the iconic director Christopher Nolan in the Batman Trilogy. The recent depiction of Batman was portrayed by Robert Pattinson in 2022’s “The Batman”. Due to the historic success of this movie, a spin-off named The Penguin has been announced, along with a sequel planned for 2026.
Unlike other heroes, Batman has an extraordinarily sharp mind and investigative skills; hence, he is often referred to as the “World’s Greatest Detective”. Despite his dark persona, Batman has a strict moral code, as he has never killed a human being. He is the symbol of justice; he wants to punish the wrongdoers but not become like them, which is justified by his quote, “If you kill a killer, the same number of killers in the world stays the same”.
Similar to the fame of Batman, his main villains, such as Joker and Penguin, also enjoy immense popularity, they have their individual movies and TV shows. Most of the superheroes symbolize the “Light”; however, Batman symbolizes “Darkness”, he uses fear as a weapon to terrify the criminals. This is the reason the Walk of Fame has commented, “Batman has transcended his story into one of the great American myths. He is vengeance. He is the night. He is Batman”.
The Occasion
In collaboration with Funko, an all-day fan event is being organized on September 26, along with the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony at the Funko Hollywood store. DC’s current Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Jim Lee, who is also a notable Batman artist, will participate in an exclusive one-hour meet and greet and singing program for the fans at Funko Hollywood from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. According to him, there is no superhero more deserving than Batman to receive the first Star on the Walk of Fame.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, commonly known as the MCU, has made superhero movies mainstream with films like Ironman (2008), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Avengers (2018). 11 Movies of MCU have grossed over a billion dollars in the box office; comparatively the DCU movies was struggling. It has some successful ventures like Wonder Woman (2017) and Aquaman (2018); still, it was never able to match the success of its main competitor. Despite this, the characters of DC were widely popular among the fans, which is the reason Batman gets the honour of becoming the first superhero to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Batman is no stranger to breaking records as his original comic book series, Detective Comics, was inducted as the longest-running comic book series by Guinness Book of World Records. In 2012, this organization recognized Batman as the most adapted comic book here in live action movies, which have 12 films in total, beating characters like Superman, Ironman and Wolverine. He is also the superhero with the most Academy Awards (commonly known as Oscars) winners who played this character, namely George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck. This is even true for his “nemesis”, the Joker; both Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix have won Oscars for playing the role of “the clown prince of crime”.
Is the Batmobile the coolest vehicle ever put on film? The answer is yes. #DConMax pic.twitter.com/IZKdtcrRaJ
— Batman (@Batman) June 7, 2023Evolution of the Batman
Batman was first introduced as a superhero who fights crime in the streets of Gotham, and the creators did not expect its immense popularity. However, Bob Kane and Bill Finger soon figure out that this character has the potential to become the “greatest superhero in existence”. This is the reason this “human” character evolves and becomes a superhero who rivals the power of intergalactic threats such as the Darkside, Anti Monitor and Ares (the Greek God of War).
Batman has also defeated the entire Justice League, which includes powerful superheroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Aquaman, only with his brilliant mind and advanced tools. In the Injustice timeline, most of the superheroes become tyrants and executioners (after Joker kills Lois Lane) in order to eradicate evil from the world. However, Batman never left his moral compass and commitment to no killing, despite all the hardships and mental trauma.
What’s next for Batman?
Batman is an iconic creation of DC, which is the reason the new DC Studios led by James Gunn is expected to make new movies and TV shows based on this character. In 2026, the squeal of The Batman (2022) is expected to return to the big screens. However, this is just the beginning as Gunn has announced a reboot movie, The Brave and the Bold, which is rumoured to finally unite Batman with his iconic sidekick, Robin.
This movie will focus on Bruce Wayne finding out that he has a biological son, Damian Wayne. This film will revolve around the bond between the father and son, also introducing a new member of the Bat Family. The star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame will definitely boost the popularity of Batman among the younger audience.
You can watch it live at: https://walkoffame.com/
FAQ
Who is Batman?
Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, Batman is a superhero who first appeared in March 1939 in the 27th comic book issue of Detective Comics (DC).
What makes Batman special?
Unlike traditional superheroes, Batman did not have any special powers or abilities, and he was just an “ordinary man” fighting crime with willpower and advanced tools.
What new honor is Batman receiving?
Batman, the most iconic Superhero in the entire world, is receiving another feather to his cap as he is being honoured with the 2790th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 26th September 2024.
