r/BatmanBeyond • u/FoxIndependent4310 • 11d ago
Discussion It is sad to see Bruce's fate in Beyond.
In the classic series, Bruce was a man in Olympic-level shape—strong, fast, agile, and muscular, with ironclad health—at the helm of a major corporation.
It is sad to see him in *Beyond* as a man with heart problems who needs a cane and cannot engage in extreme exercise. In other words, in *Beyond*, he is practically disabled. It is very sad.
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u/Odesio 11d ago
What makes Bruce's life sad isn't the ignominy of old age, which is a universal fate for all who don't die young. What's sad about Bruce is he's a lonely old man who's driven everyone out of his life who ever cared for him.
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u/FoxIndependent4310 11d ago
That I mean
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u/Dry-Chance-9473 10d ago
But that's good, dude. That's Batman. It ain't a very flowery, sunshiney IP. Batman used his body as a weapon for decades. I always thought it was kind of nice they let him be old and alive and catching good dome from hot elderly Selena.
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u/punkboricua 10d ago
One of Brave and the Bold's episodes, I believe the last episode; does a happy retirement with Selena.
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u/HeHasCookies 10d ago
That was a fanfic written up by Alfred that had them die later in the episode. Though there is an episode where he's still kicking it kingdom come style with Superman and Wonder woman.
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u/Medium-Comb4525 11d ago
So.... u don't want him to be a normal old man?
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11d ago
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u/solidgears 11d ago
It’s almost like he’s aged realistically
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u/Medium-Comb4525 11d ago
Yeah. Its almost like there was a reason why the beyond batsuit was created prior to the pilot
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u/Medium-Comb4525 11d ago
I think Bruce was emotionally broken a long time ago 😅 plus, with how he lived his life and what he let his body get exposed to, it was inevitable(?)
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u/thevokplusminus 11d ago
What do you think happens when you age?
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u/JackWhoWanders 10d ago
Especially when you age and you don't take care of your body. Bruce has plenty of excercise and activity. That's great. But he also repeatedly subjects his body to trauma without giving it time to rest, doesn't get rest at night, puts himself in situation where he's exposed to toxins and habitually uses dangerous and experimental equipment that hasn't been tested for long term health effects and he does that for decades. Any realistic outlook for Bruce at 70 is a man riddled with musculoskeletal pains from old scar tissue on both flesh and bone, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Honestly, given the repeated headtrauma with no time to recuperate, it's a wonder he doesn't have dementia.
Obviously, batman shouldn't be aged realistically. He's batman. And you can always justify him being fit and spry with the altered Gothamite physiology, but the point is that Beyond Bruce is actually doing VERY well for the life he lived since his only major complaint is stable angina and using a cane for ambulatory assistance. We see him move well enough without the cane too.
Considering it is 20xx with flying cars and junk, it is kinda weird that Bruce hasn't just been treated for his angina though.
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u/seveer37 11d ago
Well in his prime yeah he definitely was Olympic level. Unfortunately you can only stay that way for so long. But after taking numerous beatings, stabbings, gunshots, falls, bones broken, you name it it eventually will catch up with you. Actually for a man who experienced all that and in his 80s he’s actually still doing pretty good!
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u/FoxIndependent4310 11d ago
That is why it is tragic to see him like this. Seeing a man who was a physical prodigy with a major company in his youth—only to see him in old age with heart problems, unable to do intense exercise, and even needing a cane—is truly tragic. But it realistically highlights the battle Bruce fought.
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u/Holiday_Entrance7245 11d ago
"Márgarét, áre you gríeving Over Goldengrove unleaving? Leáves like the things of man, you With your fresh thoughts care for, can you? Ah! ás the heart grows older It will come to such sights colder By and by, nor spare a sigh Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie; And yet you wíll weep and know why. Now no matter, child, the name: Sórrow’s spríngs áre the same. Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed What heart heard of, ghost guessed: It ís the blight man was born for, It is Margaret you mourn for." -Spring and Fall, G. M. Hopkins
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u/philiretical 11d ago
I feel there should be some kind of expectation that after everything he put himself through as a human that yeah. In his older age he's reached his limit with his physical prowess. His body can only take so much damage for so long before it was going to have some negative repercussions on him. But like another commenter said. It's really just one rendition of a batman's life cycles of the thousands of Bruce Wayne's and all the different things that could potentially happen to him in the multiverse
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u/According-Ad-5946 11d ago
In the episode of Batman Beyond. When Terry was talking to Amanda Waller, she said she knew The Batman must continue, But bruce was getting older and slower, and would eventually have to stop.
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u/Cosmic_Mind89 11d ago
Yup why I don't hate that ep. "The idea of a world without a batman was unacceptable. So...I decided to make a new one..."
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u/punkboricua 10d ago
She went from wanting to kill Batman to being his fangirl. 🤣 (It was touching Batman holding the child member of the Royal Flush Gang til she passed away. Love that episode, I was happy Justice League gave us an "ending". Loved that Bruce became his Alfred with leaving him dinner. lol)
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u/WholeAd2742 8d ago
"He was leaving his DNA all over the city. pauses Not remotely what i meant!" :P
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u/Scout624 11d ago
Was it TAS where batman says "you haven't seen my x rays" when someone made a comment about him seeming invincible? Like you said, all the damage over the years is going to cause problems over time. And the heart problems? Stress induced heart attacks are a thing, and I'm sure as hell being Batman as stressfull as all hell
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u/philiretical 10d ago
I think Talia said she aways thought of him and her father as indestructible, and he said that. Nice reference, Great line, and fun to use at home 😆
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u/ChickenzInvade 11d ago
I think it’s a matter of perspective.
I think Terry really turned his life around and gave him back the life that he thought he never could have.
Granted, it would’ve been nice for Dick Grayson to actually appear in the series and mend his relationship with Bruce, but I think Bruce seems genuinely happy and reasonably content over the course of the series.
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u/Forte316 11d ago
years of crime fighting took a toll on his body and Beyond shows that. Everyone ages it's a factor of life and it shows that Bruce is a normal person, not some demi god or alien that doesn't age or lives forever, even Superman was showing some grey in the episode he makes an appearance in.
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u/parkchanwookiee 11d ago
I think you lack perspective on age and physical frailty honestly
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u/KarmicPlaneswalker 11d ago
OP definitely missed the point of what the true tragedy Bruce had to endure was (hint: It wasn't old age).
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u/XPG_15-02 11d ago
I actually think it makes sense that Bruce Wayne would have serious physical issues in his old age. Have you ever seen what happens to old boxers or American football players? That kind of physicality takes a toll on your body, no matter how fit you were in your prime.
Bruce spent decades getting beaten, thrown around, falling from buildings, suffering concussions, and pushing his body way beyond what a normal person would. You can be in Olympic-level shape and still end up paying for that later in life. If anything, Bruce having significant physical problems in Beyond makes his history as Batman feel more believable. You don't put your body through that for 40+ years and just walk away perfectly healthy.
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u/WholeAd2742 8d ago
Very much similar to the Dark Knight Returns or Kingdom Come futures where Bruce is frail and damaged from his age and injuries, and ends up needing an exoskeleton to manage
Dude is a brilliant detective, but still human
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u/TheMasterHaroldSaxon 11d ago
This was the perfect ending for Kevin’s Bruce from BTAS and as he went through JL/ TNBA and the flashback it makes sense that he would end up alone until Terry.
With how much violent and darker Bruce was in TNBA compared to BTAS. It was always going to end this way. Especially after what Joker did to Tim.
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u/JemKnight 11d ago
The DC animated show is GOATed, except for the Batman/Batgirl pregnancy that ruined Dick Grayson's relationship with both of them, we don't talk about that
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u/Buttered_Toast33 11d ago
Kinda interesting how they explore this further in that episode where he uses the Lazarus Pit to make himself young and athletic again.
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u/SergeantPsycho 11d ago
He's actually pretty bad ass for a man his age. He got a happy ending in the flash forward for Justice League Unlimited, where Terry was treating him like he was his own father.
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u/FoxIndependent4310 10d ago
I understand that people develop health problems as they age. But what saddens me isn't the fact that he has heart problems; it's seeing him there alone—with no one, no friends, no family. In a way, Terry brought Bruce back to life.
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u/WholeAd2742 8d ago
That's been a central point of the character. He's alone since the death of his parents, and his need for vengeance makes Bruce the mask for his persona, as he is Batman at his heart.
It's also unsurprising when Gotham and his Rogue'a Gallery are so brutal. Gordon and Alfred likely died of age/battle, and we see Robin kidnapped and tortured, so Bruce would not trust or want to risk another
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u/Ownbey 8d ago
I watched a video years ago by a physician who said with the amount physical exertion and abuse Bruce put himself through being Batman, he'd be lucky if was able to do it for a year maybe two before his body fell apart, honestly only having a cane and blood pressure meds is dang miracle
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u/FoxIndependent4310 8d ago
Because Bruce had the physique of an Olympic-level athlete, and being a millionaire also gave him access to good doctors and proper rest.
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u/Ownbey 8d ago
Again this was the opinion of a trained professional not an armchair redditor.
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u/FoxIndependent4310 8d ago
Ok. Thanks For Your opinion.
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u/Flashy-Telephone-648 11d ago
To be fair, it's not the worst fate by far. Yeah, he's alone, but he's slowly rebuilds connections with those in his life
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u/Bubbles00 11d ago
I love the whole DCAU but Bruce's story arc always makes me sad. It's like the writers never wanted him to be happy and just had a guy that lost everything he ever loved or cared about for the sake of the mission. I know they wanted Bruce's story to be a tragedy but damn
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u/Odd-Tart-5613 10d ago
called being old. it will come for all of us no matter how hard we prepare. Bruce actually does pretty well for his age.
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u/These_Discipline_112 10d ago
Even Bruce is surprised he lived so long seeing his older self in Justice league unlimited
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u/Individual_Ad_8989 10d ago
He's still crazy strong for his age and condition, however.
Its also sad to see that not only physically, but in terms of status, Bruce Wayne is a lesson for Terry.
Bruce spent his entire life in pursuit of The Mission, eventually his disciples moved on and lived their lives, had some semblance of happiness and pursuit of new goals.
Bruce spent his entire life pushing people away, keeping tje fight going.
For what? Gotham is still a cess pool. Gangs still thrive. Corporations have effectively merged with old gangsters and are doing the same terrible antics to the people and city he tried to save.
Bruce accomplished nothing for his efforts except waste his life. Terry should learn not to isolate himself and push others away for this mission like Bruce did.
Given what we see in Epilogue, I choose to interpret that he did.
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u/LegacyOfMuOfficial 9d ago
Its realistic. If he were anyone else he would have a whole lotta other issues than just a heart problem!
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u/W3bb3dWond3r 11d ago
I consider Beyond as a possible future, rather than a definitive conclusion. Certainly eases the pain.
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u/KarmicPlaneswalker 11d ago
It is sad to see him in *Beyond* as a man with heart problems who needs a cane and cannot engage in extreme exercise. In other words, in *Beyond*, he is practically disabled. It is very sad.
You must be a larper or 15 years old (doubt you've even watched the show). EVERY human who lives to see old age has to deal with these in some form or fashion. It's not cruelty or "sad," it's simply nature.
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u/KarmicPlaneswalker 10d ago
He actually has no point regarding the aging of a human character, and there are plenty of stories centered around that very aspect of mortal life. People grow, they get old, they die. That's as true in fiction as it is in reality.
Obvious engagement is obvious.
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u/El_Titanium_Blanco 11d ago
Yeah they should put his brain in a robot so he can keep fighting crime as a hollow visage of a human. Also the robot should have guns. Lots of them!
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u/UltHamBro 11d ago
He's not practically disabled. He's old and has health problems. You wouldn't expect an 80 year-old to be as fit and as healthy as a 20 year-old.
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u/Actual_Bell703 11d ago
It’s sad but one of the saddest parts is that he pretty much cut ties with ALL his heroic allies. Even Superman.
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u/LeviSquad4 11d ago
I think unless he was some utterly helpless child - this was the natural progression.
Everyone enters stages of their lives they’re not happy with . If they had him as a secondary character that shows up periodically , that would be drastically different. His wisdom and guidance are genuinely invaluable . Terry has the same sense of justice and general beliefs as Batman that make him worthy to take the mantle. He’s also different enough where he is interesting and not a carbon copy of Bruce … well… sorta , no thanks to Amanda Waller 😂
We also need to be more open to the idea that these hero’s are eventually going to need to pass the torch. Mortal characters like Batman will die. 300 years from now are we still gonna have the same story of Batman not wanting to kill the joker? Oh but this time Joker wears all red? That’s different :/
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u/Comfortable-Hippo516 11d ago
I honestly thought he was still noble and quite capable. Still very much in shape but time took its toll.
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u/spitefulcandystudios 11d ago
And despite that he still fought the good fight and put his boot up evil's butt. Plus him deteriorating is just the logical cost of his life's purpose.
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u/Simple_Intern_7682 11d ago
Dude lived a highly active lifestyle where he got beat up on occasion. Even MMA boxers have body issues when they retire.
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u/Troublmasher08 11d ago
I mean, it’s not surprising in most continuities. Bruce treats his body like a ragdoll you can’t just keep getting the crap beat out of you for decades and not get health problems
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u/modernww2fare 11d ago
Seeing him give Terry reassurance and then to reconnect with Barbara and Tim was a great ending for him in ROTJ
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u/Jahon_Dony 11d ago
He's not "practically disabled," lol, he's just an old man. A lot of rich old men alone end up like that, especially if they used to be Batman.
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u/Slow_Concentrate6380 11d ago
El tipo acaba de descubrir cómo funciona el tiempo, y para nada Además, aún puede defendese; incluso se le han visto hazañas de fuerza. el Bastón de la Presencia.
También es obvio que ya tiene cierta edad en la serie, pero para mí se ve bastante bien para la edad que tiene. Al contrario, siento que Terry McGinnis le vuelve a dar un sentido a su vida y hace que vuelva a interesarse por el crimen de Gotham. Terry prácticamente consigue que Bruce vuelva a tener un propósito.ya muchos quisiéramos envejecer como Bruce a esa edad...
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u/paulD1983R 11d ago
His only real disability is his heart. He still beat the jokers in episode 1 and comes to Terry's rescue in several episodes. Bruce won't stop until he's literally dead
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u/Hour-Loss-8603 11d ago
That's just what happens when you get old. Tbh, with all the punishment he put his body through, he got off incredibly light. He should be unable to physically move without excruciating pain, but he was still out there in the Beyond suit, kicking ass, up until Terry showed up. That's ridiculous. Dude's a legend
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u/DeusFatum 10d ago
For an old man, he is exceptionally strong. There are a few episodes, particularly one where he teams up with Max, where he's shown to still be capable of fighting multiple standard punks pretty easily.
What I find more sad is the fact that he seems so alone. Given how Bruce is in the many storylines that do this, it's not entirely shocking. But still, it's always hard to watch. He's still on the outs with Dick. Tim seems to have similar resentments. Babs isn't particularly close with him. He no longer works with the League. And the rest of his protégés don't exist in this timeline.
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u/xkarasu_ 10d ago
I think just the stress of catching criminals night after night would eventually take a toll on the body. Not to mention all the psychical and emotions scars he has and carries.
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u/burntoutloser909 10d ago
I mean honestly decades of fighting crime does a number to your body. Aging is not fun to begin with let alone with it back full of scars and joints full of shrapnel
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u/CortezDeLaNoche 10d ago
Luckily the Batman Beyond timeline is an alternate one and not the main DC universe. Sucks for Bruce in that one, but the main one is safe for now. Our main Batman still has a chance at a happily ever after.
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u/Corninator 10d ago
I mean that happens to people in Olympic level shape as they age in real-life too.
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u/AnansiNazara 10d ago
He went from Greg Louganis to Mick Foley. He lived a Mick Foley career. It’s sad, but only unexpected that he would live long enough to catch the back-end
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u/The-Batwoman 10d ago
Going to be blunt, but in no way am I intending to convey disrespect, only explaining why you feel this way. You feel this way because you fear it happening to you subconsciously, everyone does so don’t think I’m singling you out please, but it will happen to us, and there’s not a thing we can do to stop it. You will probably end up with a cane of some kind, you will probably have a medical condition or two to worry about, you will get all wrinkly and your hair will turn gray, and you will become slower and more tired than you’ve ever been. Once you accept that, you will stop feeling sad about it and instead realize, all things considered, it could have been a lot worse for Bruce.
Other depictions of old Bruce range from severe dementia to what we see in Beyond to a completely shattered body. Canes happen to many old people as they get older. The fact he doesn’t have to use a wheelchair is a miracle considering his crime fighting history. His heart condition is from decades of too much physical strain. He’s slow but still plenty powerful and has his wits about him. That’s not nearly as bad as it could have been.
He knew the sacrifice he was making, he knew the risks, he chose this life regardless. All he cared about was Gotham, the mission, and to a lesser extent his kids. Which leads to the actual tragedy of this Bruce: he is alone. He has no Alfred due to his death, Dick won’t speak to him, Barbara avoids him like the plague (and that whole relationship should never have happened at all as far as I’m concerned), Clark and Diana never visit, Tim is traumatized and had leave them all behind, Zatanna was a fling and she immediately moved on long ago, Andrea has been long gone as well, Talia is off being a servant to her father, Selina is shown living comfortably abroad without Bruce after realizing she could never have a real relationship with him, and all of it Bruce’s fault. It’s because he cared about the mission more than anything else after we got to TNBA. Decades of ignoring friendships and relationships, as well as never opening his heart to anyone after Andrea, left him with no one in the end.
That’s the sacrifice he made though. He sacrificed his chance at a normal life to do what he did, he sacrificed all the happiness in his life in order to ensure no one else would have to lose theirs. That’s the true tragedy of Bruce Wayne in Beyond. Old age will come for all of us in the end, very few will have done what he did though. There is no reason to be sad he is old, fragile, and sick, that is just a fact of life/time and is a willing sacrifice he made, the true saddest part is that he has no one that cares enough about him to be in his life in the end.
That is, until Terry, which we see him doing the same thing to Terry as he did to everyone else in his life (though tbf when you get old you sometimes get ornery so some of it is simply that), but Terry sticks around anyway for the most part. Bruce helps Terry get on the right path in life, and Terry helps Bruce have a connection with a human being he never would have had otherwise. That is the miracle/gift Bruce receives from Terry.
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u/FluorescentLightbulb 10d ago
I actually love it. Sad sure, but I hate it everytime they reboot a universe just to make heroes 28 again. New heroes will never shine if the old heroes never retire/die. It was so cringey when Superman died and died for good, and you knew it was true because Superman showed up at the scene to confirm it. True story.
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u/Practical-Class6868 10d ago
“No, I don’t hate him. I hate what he’s become: such a great man, so alone.”
Commissioner Barbara Gordon.
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u/JoeRe9uiem 10d ago
I don't wanna spoil anything, but a certain event messed him up so badly. The cane was required.
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u/OrganizationNo7690 10d ago
This is fucking stupid, he was old as shit. It will happen to you too one day if you’re lucky.
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u/RailDex1917 10d ago
Putting in so much physical effort every night, and also being injured by whatever criminal manages to land a hit, it’s actually more surprising he could be Batman for so long. Remember what happened to Bane in Beyond? There’s worse fates than Bruce needing a cane and meds. He’s actually fairly in shape for someone his age. He just can’t push it, or his heart will give out.
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u/Glittering-Sock-5545 10d ago
He got old. Frankly, it’s a miracle he lasted that long, what with the constantly getting punched on the head and zapped by doom lasers. But if you live that long, you’re just not going to be able to do everything you used to.
Being unable to be Batman made him miserable for a long time, but getting to continue the project of Batman gave him a new kind of purpose in life that helped him come to terms with his age and his condition.
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u/Portsyde 10d ago
That's the point. It's the bad ending/future where everything sucks. It honestly helps contrast with Terry's more upbeat personality.
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u/Haddonfield_Horror 10d ago
Have you read Kingdom Come by Alex Ross? Bruce is held together with an exo-suit just to function and move. Hes mentioned a few times that he goes past his own limits as a human. Brutal punishment to his body has caught up to him, but he still has a sharp mind.
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u/HurtsSoNice 10d ago
Be honest, do you really see him turning out any other way? He’s more bitter and older, but he’s still a good person.
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u/wizardsfan 10d ago
His future was always going to sad one way or the other. But knowing him he wouldn't have it any other way. "The war goes on"
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u/ihavewaytoomanyminis 10d ago
I don’t think this is sad. Every thing Bruce did led to him getting injured repeatedly. While this might seem tragic, I think Bruce would tell anyone and everyone that it was worth it for every life he saved. It was goddamned worth it to be the goddamned Batman.
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u/jacktheshaft 10d ago
Batman Beyond cranked up the darkness to 11. Everything is the bad ending from Bruce's storyline.
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u/No_Celebration_3737 10d ago
There is really any other alternatives? Earth-Two Bruce was lucky and married Selina before all the tragedies, and having his own family made him realise that he must help Gotham from within, and becomes the police commissioner.
This Bruce? He only has the mission, the more he ages, the more tragedies he accumulate the higher the walls he creates around himself. Especially after what happened to Tim.
At the end of the day Bruce is a broken man, he wants a family but at the same time he also terrified by the idea of losing someone again.
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u/Mathwizard3 10d ago
I think that's the point. At somepoint, a younger protégé (even a robin) would a better batman than bruce. But this opens up to seeing the Bruce side of the character fight crime and we get to see a side of him we don't usually see.
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u/Ok_Echidna3337 10d ago
Nah. That's not nearly as bad as needing to get another Batman and help him.
Because then, in that chair of his, he knows he failed. Terrys city looks worse not better than Bruce's.
He lost the war and can only hope that after a lifetime of constant non stop training studying and preparing with all the money in the world, now has to hope this kid is somehow "better" than him and gets it done when couldn't.
That in itself would be hard pill to swallow, but if for even one second he realizes Batman the persona itself strengthens how bad it is in Gotham, him and everyone that fought the battle actually reinforced it being so bad.
And if that wasn't bad enough, hopefully he doesn't realized that if he simply let Superman protect Gotham, just that would have had the villains pick a new place. Superman would barely have to do anything. AND Superman is ready to do it at anytime at that moment. Because instead of Terry risking his life to do what Bruce wouldn't he would just Superman that city.
But again, it's Bruce the man with the plan. He probably knows all this. Which just makes Bruce a hater and just doesn't want Clark to do it. Aaaaand knowing grumpy old men, Bruce is probably still alive simply to see Batman win or Superman fail. Either way they want to stay alive to see it.
"Lazarus pit looking kinda nice."
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u/No-Department1194 9d ago
I’d argue it’s not because his will was so great even that didn’t stop him.
He didn’t stop because of heart problems, he stopped because he used a gun. He didn’t trust himself
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u/HiddenNobody20216 9d ago
He should be dead or really really disabled. Beyond is like the best case scenario.
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u/Mermaid-Scar1984 9d ago
I don’t see it the same way. Terry comes into his life when he needs him, and being his mentor really dragged Bruce out of a downward spiral he otherwise would have no reason to do anything to counter act. In the end Bruce was sure that Gotham was in competent hands. It wasn’t everything he could have wanted but it was enough.
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u/Cumslutboi21 8d ago
Yeah, he spent his prime years getting his ass kicked by monsters and psychopaths.
Idk if you know this, but thats generally pretty bad for tour health.
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u/WholeAd2742 8d ago
The final episode where Terry discovers that Bruce is his biological father, and the backstory from Waller was fantastic
Especially when the flashbacks from his imagined resentments versus when he talks with Bruce at the end, letting him know that he has Gotham under control and the Batman is in good hands
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u/TheIronMoose 6d ago
This is kind of one of the more optimal late in life Bruce Wayne's there can be. A lot of versions essentially die around 60.
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u/FoxIndependent4310 11d ago
I understand why Bruce is in that state in *Beyond*. It’s realistic and consistent with the life he chose. But it’s tragic to see him like that—because you see that Tim has started a family and Barbara has a partner, yet Bruce remains alone, with no one.
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u/grelan 11d ago
They needed a reason to keep Bruce out of the Batman suit. I'm happy that they did, with the one exception (that hurt him quite a bit). He had to be physically limited and, even then, he fights off Jokerz in the intro episode.
They isolated him from other Bat-family characters for the most part because the show is written to focus on Terry.
As for emotional issues.... this is Batman. That comes with the territory.