I saw a thread on Twitter and Reddit asking whether characters like Batman, Iron Man, and Iron Fist actually need to be wealthy for their stories to work. Some people were saying that, in the DCU, Batman doesn’t have to be rich—he could just be middle class and the story would still work. Similarly, if the MCU gets rebooted, Tony Stark wouldn’t necessarily need to be wealthy and could be working class instead.

A lot of people argued that this would make these characters more relatable and easier to root for. Personally, I’d say no. Elseworlds stories are fine, but if you’re adapting these characters into movies or TV shows, you should stay at least somewhat comic-accurate. Their wealth is a key part of who they are.

Stark Industries, Wayne Enterprises, and Rand Industries are characters in the story too, and they play important roles in shaping these heroes and their worlds.

It’s similar to how Clark Kent being a reporter or Peter Parker struggling financially are essential to their characters. Those traits help define their stories.

What do you think?

  • solrize@lemmy.ml
    28·
    2 days ago

    Batman has to be free from the need for a real job, plus be able to run the Batcave research infrastructure that developed the Batmobile and all that. Plus keep Alfred on staff and in on the secret, plus stay with his backstory of Thomas and Martha Wayne being murdered.

    Spider-man isn’t rich. If you want a non-rich superhero, you might check him him out.

    Or heck, I’m old enough to remember Reid Fleming, the World’s Toughest Milkman.

    • Goodeye8@piefed.socialEnglish
      7·
      1 day ago

      Depends on how accurately you want to stick to Batman. If all the gadgets and batcave are necessary then yes, he need to be rich. If it’s just the physical and mental capabilities then he doesn’t need to be rich because he’ll just be Rorschach.

      • solrize@lemmy.ml
        1·
        1 day ago

        I thought part of the legend was that his parents were killed but they had arranged for him to be cared for and educated, probably at a level that the average orphan can’t get anywhere near. Plus there’s all that physical training that he has to do all the time. Like in this story he (at one point) beats the crap out of Harry Potter even though Potter is an Auror with tons of magical combat tricks. I’m unfamiliar with Rorschach so can’t compare.