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Batman/Catwoman Debate: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Comedy Central Respond

We can't help but wonder if Harley Quinn co-creators and executive producers Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker knew just how much their comments were going to blow up on social media. Because they sure did. In case you missed it (full details below), Halpern revealed during an interview with Variety that DC Comics had put the kibosh on Batman going down on Catwoman during the upcoming third season of the HBO Max series. Their reason? "Heroes don't do that"- and now you understand why every corner of pop culture chimed in to offer their thoughts on if Batman (and heroes in general) aren't the selfish lovers this makes them sound like. Now, we're hearing from none other than Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Clark Gregg aka Agent Coulson, who takes serious issue with the DC's attempts to puritanize their heroes (sounds like that's not the issue in the MCU?). Going one step further, Comedy Central is ranking which multimedia versions of The Dark Knight would be the most concerned with getting a bad cast of Bat-jaw.

batman
Images: Disney/DC Comics

Here's a look at Gregg's direct and to-the-point response reminding everyone that "getting the job done" no matter what is what heroes do- they "specialize in that shit":

Meanwhile, we're assuming that Comedy Central put ViacomCBS' extensive analytics to use compiling what might be one of the most controversial rankings out there. Okay, not really. But it is an interesting one: a ranking of previous "Batmen" on a 1-8 scale (best-worst) based on who enjoys "the most intimate of meals" (you're welcome) the most between George Clooney, Val Kilmer, Christian Bale, Will Arnett, Ben Affleck, Adam West, Robert Pattinson, and Michael Keaton.

Speaking with Variety for a piece on how superhero shows are subverting the genre (yup, another one), Halpern and Schumacker explained how having a series populated by DC's villains gives them a ton more leeway to take a deep dive into violence, cursing, sexual scenarios, etc. But if they were heroes? Well, let Halpern explain what happened when they were going to have Batman get up close and personal with Catwoman's kitty from an oral perspective (we're way more proud of that line than we have any right to be). "A perfect example of that is in this third season of 'Harley' [when] we had a moment where Batman was going down on Catwoman. And DC was like, 'You can't do that. You absolutely cannot do that.' They're like, 'Heroes don't do that.' So, we said, 'Are you saying heroes are just selfish lovers?' They were like, 'No, it's that we sell consumer toys for heroes. It's hard to sell a toy if Batman is also going down on someone.'"

To be fair, the report goes on to say that the duo has found DC Comics to be "remarkably supportive of their series and has allowed them to push the envelope numerous times"- but it's that last part that confuses me. Does DC think they have to put out a LEGO set of Batman going down on Catwoman? Should would be expecting a new Batman figure with "tongue-lashing action"? Will Bats be adding lubricant to his utility belt? So many questions would need to be answered so it's better… Oh, wait. Harley Quinn is an adult animated series aimed at adults? Oh, well… that's just nonsense then. Let The Bat help The Cat get her kitten off!

daily dispatch
(Shutterstock.com)

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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