In modern fandom, there is a common problem with older fans taking offense to new entries in a franchise directly appealing to viewers younger than them. Blue Beetle is one of those movies that seems to care most about attracting kids or new fans. This stands in contrast to recent DC cinematic fare, like The Flash, which is more directly aimed at adult audiences. So, even though the joke in the Blue Beetle trailer about Batman being a fascist has roots in comics history, some fans are annoyed at the "disrespect."
As DC movie controversies go, this one is rather tame. Still, one of the Blue Beetle's stars defended the joke during his press tour. Even Jaime Reyes actor Xolo Maridueña addressed the controversy before the SAG-AFTRA strike, though more diplomatically. "I think if you agree with it, if you don't agree with it, it was placed there for a reason. And you know, all of the people who have their Batman shrines at home can keep them there and they don't have to worry," he said in a July interview. The joke also takes on a new light when remembering before Blue Beetle launched a new shared universe, it was part of the existing DC Extended Universe of old. In Batman's first appearance in that world, he was killing people and even branding them. Rudy Reyes, played by comedian George Lopez, is clearly a guy comfortable working on the wrong side of the law. From the perspective of someone who occasionally does a little crime, Batman wouldn't be a popular hero, at least not Superman or The Flash. Yet, the joke itself has roots in different interpretations of the character throughout comics history, specifically in seminal Batman stories by the likes of Alan Moore and Frank Miller.
Alan Moore and Frank Miller Have Both Written 'Batman as a Fascist' Stories
The term "fascist" has been heavily charged for more than a century. Defining the term literally can even be a matter of debate. In this case, it seems, the term is used more liberally by Rudy Reyes to denote he views Batman as an unelected authoritarian force inflicting his view of justice on people he doesn't understand. This interpretation of the character has appeared in some classic comics. Legendary comics scribe Alan Moore wrote Batman a few times as a guest character, most prominently in Swamp Thing, but his definitive Batman story isn't The Killing Joke. Rather, it's via the character of Rorschach in Watchmen. This is doubly appropriate since Owlman is based on the Blue Beetle, at least the Ted Kord version.
Countless words have been written analyzing the superhero genre deconstruction in Watchmen, written by Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Rorschach's look is based more on Steve Ditko's The Question, but he acts a lot like Batman. In an interview in the fall of 2022, Moore called superheroes fascist and cited Batman explicitly. "I said…if millions of adults were queueing up to see Batman movies…that can very often be a precursor to fascism." This is a deeply uncharitable view of comic book movies and their role as archetypal, mythological stories. However, anything Moore says about the characters he so expertly wrote is, at least, worthy of consideration.
Another 1980s-era Batman story paints the hero as more explicitly authoritarian than others. Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and its subsequent sequels present Batman's return to crime fighting as the solution to a broken society. Instead of tying up costumed rogues and leaving for the police, this Batman maims and kills his enemies. One group, called "the Mutants," is vile, but they are also poor people trying to survive in a society that left them behind. The in-continuity comics and cartoons paint Batman as the Dark Knight for the heroism and justice fans want him to be. Moore and Miller just exposed the other side of that story. So, Blue Beetle was not the first time Batman has brushed up against the fascism allegation.
The Batman Mentioned in Blue Beetle Probably Isn't a Fascist
While some argument could be made for Batman's fascist tendencies in the Snyderverse, becoming a "real" hero was always part of his intended arc. The version of the character that will appear in The Brave and the Bold will likely be a more traditional take on the character. Still, to a guy like Rudy Reyes, any self-appointed crime fighter might get that label. A key part of why Batman works as a concept in the universe is criminals fear him. This means they likely think he's more violent or deadly than he actually is.
To a guy like Rudy, who only knows Batman through news reports and maybe associates who got beat up by him, Batman would be someone he dislikes. In fact, Rudy doesn't even know Batman is, in his civilian identity, a billionaire. During the 43rd Season of Saturday Night Live, a sketch featuring host Chance the Rapper laid out this problem humorously. Poor Gothamites come to Wayne Manor for a Thanksgiving charity drive. While talking to them, Bruce Wayne discovers they hate Batman. It's played for laughs, but it's easy to imagine a scene in a comic or movie that dramatically showcases the same premise.
The characters all tell stories about how Batman beat up or maimed someone for either a small crime or a case of mistaken identity. There have been many arguments made that Bruce Wayne could do more good for crime reduction in Gotham with targeted charity than his nighttime job jumping rooftops and fighting petty criminals. Batman is not, in all iterations, the kind of fascist Blue Beetle jokes that he is. However, it's not a critique that comes out of nowhere, either. From the writer's room at SNL to comic legends like Alan Moore, there is a problematic streak in Batman's modus operandi worthy of examination and satire.