Does ‘The Batman’ Create His Own Accountability?

As a character, the Batman is known for having some of the coolest gadgets. In the recent Robert Pattinson-starring film, The Batman, his tools are a little bit more toned down than most versions. But one device that certainly stands out in the picture is his surveillance contact lenses. It’s a tool that isn’t too often seen even in comic adaptations of the character, and it comes with immense complications and ramifications that the movie never even broaches or, possibly, even considered.

From a storytelling perspective, the gadget is fairly simple. It is a contact lens that records everything Batman sees. His rationale for this being that the entire night goes by in a blur. He can’t remember everything, and even in the moments he does remember, there might be details he missed. The device is extraordinary for detective work as it essentially takes a photograph of everything that he sees. In the case of the Riddler’s documents, he doesn’t need to actually have copies of them. Just by glancing at them, the Batman can replay the scene and then print them out.

In the most basic of terms, the contact lenses are essentially a body-cam. It records the Batman’s activities when he’s “on duty.” But as society has seen with police officers who have worn body cams in the past, the device can also be used to get its wearer in hot water. The Batman operates outside the law. He has to do questionable things from time to time in order to get the job done. Having a video record of everything he does might be something that comes back to haunt him. What if knowledge of this record gets out? And what if someone accuses the Batman of wrongdoing? Theoretically, a warrant could be issued for this recording. Would Batman honor it? Or would he stick to his vigilante status and ignore it? These are all interesting questions the technology raises. It’s never explored in the film, but perhaps the Batman destroys the footage after he rewatches it for this very purpose. Then again, the detective in him might hold on to it just in case.

The Batman is now streaming on HBOMax.