When we first see the Caped Crusader in “Merry Little Batman,” he is more Hal Wilkerson than Bruce Wayne, a man in a flannel shirt who freaks out at the mere thought that his son might get hurt by playing with the cat. Granted, this Batman is still as pragmatic and overly prepared as fans know him, but this time he doesn’t show tough love. Instead, he adores his kid and shows it every second they’re on screen. What’s more, he’s shown to be so happy to be a dad, so giddy to first meet his son that he immediately goes on a crime-fighting bender that literally ends all crime in Gotham in the span of a single montage.
That’s the key to this portrayal of Batman — that he genuinely loves being a dad to the point that he stopped being Batman (for a few years anyway). In the comics and in other portrayals of Batman and Damian, he is reluctant to be a father, and he doesn’t treat Damian that much differently than any of his other sidekicks. Not here. He becomes a goofy, awkward dad, constantly worried about his kid.
The upcoming DC Universe is set to introduce Damian to live-action, as DC doubles down on the character. This is one of the best things for the franchise to do. Not only does Damian make for an interesting character on his own, but he radically changes the dynamic of the Caped Crusader and the rest of the Bat-Family. As the actual son of Bruce Wayne, and as the youngest kid in Wayne Manor, he radically changes everyone around him. If nothing else, seeing a live-action Bruce Wayne that is intimidating as Batman, but also a goofy, lovable dad makes for a hilarious and fitting portrayal.