Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards is one of the smartest characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but having watched DC‘s new Batman, I think he has found his match, as both superheroes have done the same thing, but in completely different universes. Mister Fantastic has always been one of Marvel’s smartest characters. Be it in the comics or the Fantastic Four movies.
When it comes to DC, Batman and his detective skills, as well as how Bruce Wayne can seemingly take on any threat with the appropriate amount of prep time, have made him one of DC’s smartest characters. Batman’s animated shows have exemplified that time and again, with some live-action films also doing it. However, Batman’s new TV show is what caught my eye.
The MCU’s Reed Richards And DC’s New Batman Accomplished A Similar Feat
Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards smiling while holding Franklin Richards in The Fantastic Four First Steps
Rewatching The Fantastic Four: First Steps on Disney+, I was once again reminded of just how far Pascal’s Reed Richards went to make the world safe for his son with Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, Franklin Richards. The movie shows how Reed essentially baby-proofed the world, using technology, pattern recognition, and the police to put all criminals behind bars before Franklin’s birth.
It just so happens that in Bat-Fam, Batman’s new 10-episode animated series on Prime Video, Luke Wilson’s Bruce Wayne accomplishes something similar. The show explains that Batman has rid Gotham City of all crime, with many of Batman’s villains reformed, such as Two-Face, Volcana, Man-Bat, and more. Given that Gotham is often crawling with villains, that is impressive.
While the MCU’s Reed Richards does show off his genius-level intellect more, perfecting teleportation to a planetary scale, in terms of stopping crime, I was shocked that DC’s new Batman was able to match Reed in his efforts. Even though Bat-Fam’s version of Bruce Wayne is more comedic than the hero is known for, he remains just as capable a crimefighter as Batman should be.
How The DCU’s Batman Could Also Give The MCU’s Reed Richards A Run For His Money
In terms of live-action comparisons, the best one for Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards is yet to happen. James Gunn’s DC Universe will cast a new actor to play its Batman in DC’s The Brave and the Bold movie. What we know so far is that the film features Damian Wayne, with Bruce already leading an extended Bat-Family in the DCU.
If that remains true when the DCU Batman movie’s script is finished, then we would be talking about an experienced version of Batman. DC’s new live-action Batman would have years as a superhero under his belt, defeating several villains, crafting gadgets, and so on. Given the DCU’s comics’ accuracy, its Batman could be a genius, just like Pascal’s Reed in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.