Why Batman Needs A Therapist, According To Nathan Fillion

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While discussing The Suicide Squad and his character, The Detachable Kid (TDK), actor Nathan Fillion references Batman’s origin story and why he needs to seek therapy. Warner Bros’ upcoming adventure superhero movie is directed by James Gunn, and is a separate do-over to the 2016 Suicide Squad film, which received a great deal of criticism. Gunn, who is enjoying experimenting with bizarre characters, is producing a new, different take on the squad of supervillains.

In July 2021, footage of Fillion’s The Detachable Kid introduced the character into the DC universe. As per his name, TDK can physically detach his arms from his body and use them as weapons, though the footage showed that he hasn’t quite mastered how to use his ability in battle. Gunn’s revised The Suicide Squad also sees Margot Robbie reprise her role as Harley Quinn, Idris Elba as Robert DuBois/Bloodsport, John Cena as Christopher Smith/Peacemaker, Sylvester Stallone as Nanaue/King Shark, Peter Capaldi as Dr. Gaius Grieves/The Thinker, and more.

RELATED:All Chapters In The Suicide Squad Explained

In an interview with SlashFilm, while discussing how he got the role, the characterization of TDK, and the experience working on a Gunn set, Fillion used the depiction of DC superhero, Batman, to explain TDK’s purpose in the film. At the end of the interview, Fillion discussed the trauma behind Bruce Wayne’s origin story to become Batman. He states that many people misconstrue and misrepresent the origins of heroes by forgetting about the trauma they suffered to become their alter-egos. Batman, he says, is "crazy" as an adult because he was traumatized so badly as a child watching his parents die. Fillion continues to claim that if it weren’t theater, an individual like Bruce Wayne would need therapy, not a Batmobile, to eradicate the negativity in his head that tells him to fight people. Check out his full statement below:

“When you look at the origins of heroes, something like Batman, and you think, 'Oh, that’s great, his parents were killed, so now he dedicated his life to solving a crime.' No, that kid’s traumatized, and that man’s fricking crazy. He dresses up like a bat and he beats the crap out of people, that’s trauma. I mean, what if it were real, that guy should talk to somebody, he needs a therapist, he doesn’t need a Batmobile, he needs to get some thoughts out of his head, I mean that guy is haunted. Batman is not a crime fighter, he’s a traumatized child beating the crap out of people.”

Fillion referenced Batman after the discussion on how TDK was inspired by Arm-Fall-Off-Boy, and the interviewer praised the balance between tragedy and humor that Gunn was able to pull off with his obscurity. Fillion used Batman’s tragic story to justify why Gunn needed to introduce characters who weren’t completely wounded by an awful childhood, or who injected humor rather than sadness into the movie’s narrative. TDK’s conceptualization is so unusual – and, so far, seemingly useless – that it helps to balance out the tone of the film, because it inspires comedy. His character is supposed to be fun, unlike how Batman is portrayed throughout his franchise. Batman, in Fillion’s opinion, is the epitome of a person who has absorbed his anger and trauma, and is directing it onto others, masked as heroism.

Fillion’s discussion highlights how Batman’s character has been warped into an idea of heroism, with people forgetting that he is actually a very traumatized child who has, as he’s aged into an adult, developed the ability to physically release his emotion in a violent way. This, then, introduces the idea that heroes are not always wholly right, or wholly heroic; they should not always be praised for their behavior. Batman has killed people in the movie franchise, in contrast to his comic version, and has become notably darker as he makes more appearances in the DC universe. It would send a positive message out to younger audiences that they should seek help, as Fillion expressed, rather than turn to violence, in response to experiencing trauma.

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