An insurance lawyer reveals the estimated damage costs of The Batman‘s car chase sequence with the Penguin and it’s much higher than expected. Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman put a detective noir spin on the beloved comic book hero, with Robert Pattinson making his DC debut as the iconic dark knight. Starring Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, and Andy Serkis, The Batman offered a gritty look at Bruce Wayne’s second year of crime fighting in Gotham and saw the young hero come up against Colin Farrell’s Penguin, in an epic chase sequence that became an immediate scene of note within the film.
In a video by Vanity Fair, insurance lawyer Stacey Giulianti has estimated the cost of some of the most destructive scenes in comic book media, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe and also the Prime Video series The Boys, however, it was The Batman‘s chase scene that had a surprisingly high cost of damage.
Giulianti watches the scene and explains how the Penguin’s actions would hold up in court if this were to occur in real life, as he counts the various vehicles that incurred damage as a result of the Penguin’s reckless driving. Writing off each vehicle as a total loss, Giulianti estimates the total cost of damage for The Batman‘s chase sequence would be “well over $1,000,000.” Check out Giulianti’s breakdown below.
The Penguin, not negligently, but intentionally, caused an accident in order to throw his pursuers off of his trail. In terms of property damage, you have the value of the tractor trailer, which appeared to be carrying fuel, at least three or four other trucks, along with private vehicles damaged. Each one would have been total loss, no doubt in my mind. So you’re talking well over a million dollars in damage.
Why Destruction Is Necessary In Comic Book Movies
The Batman car chase causes major destruction, although it’s merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to damage caused throughout the events of the film, as Gotham City is later flooded as part of the Riddler’s master plan. This destruction is a reoccurring theme within comic book movies, with many often noting how cities and even countries within comic book stories will be torn apart with seemingly very little consequence for the heroes or villains who caused it. The MCU and the DC Universe serve as major culprits for featuring moments of mass destruction, although these scenes tend to come hand-in-hand with any comic book story.
With superhero-led stories often naturally lacking in realism by featuring superpowered beings and often cosmic monsters of some variety, these large-scale moments of destruction merely help to illustrate the level of threat that these heroes are up against. In order to portray the heroism of these characters, they must be faced with a threat that is capable of destroying any and all things in its path, or else the stakes would appear much lower. In the case of The Batman, in particular, the Penguin’s lack of hesitancy when tearing through a highway of citizens with no regard for their safety only highlights his villainous characteristics, and also makes for a highly memorable action sequence.
Giulianti’s breakdown of The Batman‘s chase scene is certainly interesting, particularly given that audiences often wonder about the lasting impact of major movie moments such as this, financially and otherwise. With Reeves currently in the development process for The Batman 2 and with Pattinson set to reprise his role, all eyes will be on this much-anticipated sequel and how it will build upon the unique and ruthless characters that Reeves has introduced. The Batman universe is also set to be extended with an upcoming TV series focusing on the Penguin himself, therefore, there’s likely to be even more destruction on the way for Gotham city and its residents.
Source: Vanity Fair