Batman and Wonder Woman are the most opposite superheroes in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe). Batman is grumpy, jaded, single-minded and very self-important. Wonder Woman is hopeful, smart, and trusting. It's what makes their looming team up, teased at the end of Batman v Superman, so exciting. And it's also why some fans will — spoiler alert — be extremely disappointed to find out that Batman is not in Wonder Woman. Bruce Wayne, while referenced in the film, sits this one out, letting Wonder Woman tell her own story.
BvS: Dawn of Justice ended with Batman and Wonder Woman forming a tentative alliance to find the other superheroes, namely The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg, in honor of a fallen Superman. As the DCEU heads for the massive superhero team-up Justice League, it makes sense that fans would expect some Batman-Wonder Woman scenes in the new film to help develop their relationship. Unfortunately, Batman does not appear inWonder Woman, as a majority of the film is dedicated to telling Wonder Woman's origin story, which takes place in 1918. However, that's not to say that Batman doesn't play a key role in the film. Bruce Wayne himself is used pretty significantly as a narrative device, helping set up our dive into Wonder Woman's past.
Wonder Woman opens with Diana Prince going to work at the Louvre in modern day, after the events of BvS. And it's a package from Wayne Enterprises — the original 1918 photo of her and Steve Trevor during WWI — that kickstarts Diana's trip down memory lane. The photo comes with a note, signed by Bruce, but there is no voiceover or cameo from actor Ben Affleck. It's a bit of a surprise, considering the actor's two scene cameo in last summer's Suicide Squad, and I will be the first to admit that Batman's absence from Wonder Woman could seem a bit worrisome (were filmmakers so unsure about the film's success that they didn't want to tie it to their other major franchise?). But in the end, it's probably for the best.
As much as I would have loved to see more of Bruce and Diana's budding friendship in Wonder Woman, I love the fact that Wonder Woman is the only superhero in her own movie even more. Who needs a Batman cameo when you've got a badass Amazon Princess fighting evil to entertain you?
