Here is what I’d like to see out of a superhero movie. The reasoning is more important than the actual idea.

I’d like to see a Batman & Robin team up movie told from Robin’s point of view. Batman, the new celebrity superhero in gotham, inspires a multitude of youth towards his cause. It makes sense, who among us doesn’t walk out of the latest superhero flick hoping to beat up a street thug afterwards? It speaks to our natural love of violence and justice.

In the beginning everything is great. Robin finds Batman and joins his cause. He trains, he studies, he learns disciplines. He becomes a warrior and learns from a great teacher.

As his adventure continues Robin leaves the honeymoon stage and starts to see the dark side of his heroics. Night after night of beating thugs to a pulp in the name of justice seems to take its toll on Robin. Perhaps one or two nights when Batman goes a bit too far in dishing out heavy fisted justice.

Becoming disillusioned with his new path in life, Robin is able to take a step back and look at Gotham for what it has become. Every neighbourhood has its own heroes and villians, some super and some amateur. Gotham may have been bad before but now its violence has only multiplied.

Coincidence? No, Batman has become a role model for violence and turned Gotham into a battlefield.

One night after a particularly bad night Robin steal away to be alone. A visit from Superman shows the true relationship between Batman and Superman. Superman understands the causality of violent heroics and supports Robin in what he already believes: superheroes don’t work.

After Robin hangs up his cape Batman becomes furious and blames Superman for stealing and converting his sidekick. Planning revenge Batman starts up his science machine and churns out some kind of kryptonite weapon.

A final battle ensues between Batman and Superman. Superman is clearly the more powerful but refuses to fight back, commiting himself to a life of non-violence. Batman uses this to his advantage and pummels Superman with fury and kryptonite. An onlooking Robin finally sees Batman for his true form, as do we. Violence causes violence, death causes death. Batman, himself a product of violence can only further contribute to more violence. Superman, a product of love, shows us the path towards a better society.

The movie ends with Superman defeated, but not dead, and Robin taking on a new path in life. A path towards peace instead of violence.

The general concept is an argument for causality over justice. We all know superhero movies are ridiculous. It’s not because of the leather costumes and super powers, it’s because of the idea behind it all. We have this mindset in current society. We try to end wars by starting wars. We try to stop violent criminals by enacting our own violence on them.

Instead of superhero movies pushing us further down this path we could use them to enlighten ourselves about it further. Take down our most beloved superhero, Batman, and expose him for what he really is. Like Charlie Meadows in Barton Fink or Randy Robinson in The Wrestler he is stuck in his character mold and if we take a step back and realize it.

Hollywood would never make this because it would making fun of their big money-maker, but that won’t stop me from writing, directing, and producing this in my dreams.