Batman: The Dark Knight Returns had the most intense version of Batman ever on-screen.

Batman has been one of the founding members of the Justice League and is an iconic figure in the DC Universe. The character is known for standing up to any kind of threat that challenges peace and harmony and is not afraid of standing up for himself even if he has no powers like other superheroes.
A still from Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Batfleck’s fight with Henry Cavil’s Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ranks as one of the most intense confrontations between the two characters. However, there’s another confrontation between the two characters that proves to be more brutal and elevates Batman to a whole another level.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Has the Most Brutal Version of Batman

An aged Batman fights Superman in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2
Batman and Superman have always had a complicated relationship in the history of DC comics. The founding members of the Justice League frequently budded heads due to their ideological differences. One of the most intense physical confrontations between the two characters was in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Ben Affleck’s Batman and Henry Cavill‘s Superman.

However, there’s another confrontation between the two that proved to be more brutal. As Watchmojo puts it, an aged Batman wearing a powerful mechanical suit and battling Superman proved to be the most brutal yet savage moment for the character. This is seen in the animated film Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2.

In it, Batman manages to beat Superman and tells him to remember him as the guy who beat him. This elevated the character to a whole new level.  This film, which was an adaptation of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns explored Bruce Wayne grappling with regret, and contempt while also featuring a much cynical and older take on the character.

Ben Affleck’s Script for His Solo Batman Film Had Great Potential

Ben Affleck had a great script for his solo Batman film
Before Ben Affleck‘s tenure as Batman came to a close, he had big plans to make a solo Batman film. But things did not materialize and the project did not see the light of day. Now, popular storyboard artist Jay Oliva has revealed interesting details about the project, revealing that Affleck’s treatment was the most unique take on the character

Speaking to Inverse, Oliva said that the script was Affleck’s original creation, inspired by the history of the character in the comics and he had a great time working with him on the unrealized project. He said,
“I can’t really say too much other than it was f—ing awesome. It was the best. It was amazing. “Ben’s story was gonna cover something that had never really been covered in comics but was building off of storylines in the Batman mythos over the last 80 years and approaching it from a new kind of perspective.

I’ve worked on a lot of Batman things and what was really cool about it was, it was tying together a lot of really cool Batman storylines that had never been really explored”
Affleck has since moved on from the character and went on to other things that he is passionate about. He made a return to directing with 2023’s Air led by Matt Damon which received critical acclaim and appreciation from audiences.