This would have been a more appropriate place to use the ‘right off the bat’ saying wouldn’t it? While there are once again differences, both films use Batman as a background character. This is probably done in both movies for the same purpose (Batman sells tickets/DVDs), but the Dark Knight does serve a similar function in both movies. One of the reasons David Ayer was so adamant about having the Bat in his movie was so we could see how the bad guys see him. This we certainly do, watching as Deadshot has to choose between his daughter and being taken in by the Caped Crusader. Well, he serves a similar role in Assault on Arkham. When told that they have to break into Arkham Asylum, one question the Squad immediately has is ‘what about the Bat?’ According to Waller, he’s busy on another case, but this doesn’t stop the members of Task Force X being scared, with even Captain Boomerang willing to walk through a rat-infested sewer so as to avoid risking a meeting with Batman.
The main difference in each film’s use of Batman is that he plays a key role in the main story of Assault on Arkham, fighting toe to toe with the Squad in multiple sequences. This is not the case in Ayer’s Squad, where Ben Affleck only has to don the cowl for flashback sequences. Well, except for one other moment, which brings me onto my next point of comparison.
