WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Batman, in theaters now.
The Batman introduces a version of the titular character, played by Robert Pattinson, that is still early in his vigilante career but has already established a reputation within the city after two years of working in the night. His crusade goes to the next level when he’s pulled into a devilish game conducted by The Riddler, who is exposing Gotham’s corruption problem through murder and destruction.
Along the way, Bruce Wayne learns that his father, Thomas Wayne, was a more complicated person than he previously believed when Bruce himself becomes a target of The Riddler, who claims the son must pay for the sins of his father. Let’s break down the evidence presented in the film to see if Thomas Wayne in The Batman was a good person or a bad person.
Here’s Why Thomas Wayne Was a GOOD Person
The Batman isn’t fully an origin story, and the film doesn’t depict the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, though it alludes to that event. Twenty years after their murder, The Riddler kills Don Mitchell Jr, the mayor of the city, which brings the tragedy back into the limelight because Thomas Wayne was a mayoral candidate at the time of his murder. He ran on a platform of giving back and rebuilding the city to build a hopeful future. Part of that effort was his Renewal Charity Project. Renewal was a billion dollar donation to help fund public services that he set up separately from his mayoral campaign. Regardless of if he won the election or not, he was committed to making positive change for the city.
Other evidence that he was actually a good person is the testimonials from those who knew him and how he treated his family. Bruce grew up to become Batman because he believed in his father’s mission to improve the city, and this was his way of honoring his father’s legacy. Also, Alfred is adamant that Thomas was a good man. It is also revealed that Thomas wanted to do good by those he cared about regardless of his personal position. He went to great lengths to protect his wife Martha from public shame and ridicule. When that goes terribly wrong, he makes an attempt to do the right thing and own up to his mistake, which has to count for something.
Here’s Why Thomas Wayne Was a BAD Person
Those great lengths, however, are what ultimately led to Bruce losing faith in his father. Thomas and the entire Wayne family were being investigated by a reporter who was prepared to release a story that would damage the reputation of not only Thomas himself, but his wife Martha and her family, the Arkhams, as well. What the reporter found was all true, but Thomas attempted to bribe him to keep the story from being published, and when that didn’t work he turned to mob boss Carmine Falcone who had the reporter killed.
The facts about Thomas’ involvement with the reporter’s death are very complicated to unpack as there are many different versions of the event that are described in the film. One presentation of the facts comes from Falcone, who would benefit the most from Thomas’ involvement with a murder scandal. The other comes from Alfred who is loyal to the Wayne family and has a lot of guilt about their murders and carries the burden of raising Bruce and maintaining Bruce’s connection to his dead parents. Regardless, Thomas was to some extent responsible for that reporter’s death, which certainly makes an argument that he was a bad person.
The Truth About Thomas Wayne
After reviewing the evidence presented in the film, the truth about Thomas Wayne, like most people, is complicated, and he is neither solely good nor solely bad. Part of the lesson Batman learns over the course of the film is that people, and the crimes they commit, are more complicated than he originally believed. He learns this primarily through his interactions with Selina Kyle and learning more about her struggles. Ultimately what matters is that Bruce is going to continue to try to save the city, and regardless of the inherent nature of his father, that has actually become Thomas’ legacy.
The Batman tackles the city of Gotham in a grounded and thoughtful way. The character arc of Batman’s journey from vengeance to hope over the course of the film is possible in part because Thomas Wayne’s legacy and moral character is thrown into question. Ultimately, there can be no definitive answer to the question of if he is a bad person or not because the situation is far more complicated than a simple yes or no. That’s part of what makes this film so fascinating.
To see the facts about Thomas Wayne for yourself, check out The Batman now playing in theatres.
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