WARNING: The following contains spoilers for "Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part 2," which premiered Monday on The CW.
In “Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part 2,” the heroes of the Arrowverse scattered across the Multiverse on missions for the Monitor, with Kara Danvers and Kate Kane traveling to Earth-99, where they met an aging Bruce Wayne. Played by fan-favorite voice actor Kevin Conroy, it’s safe to say this take on the Caped Crusader was one no one saw coming: On his Earth, Batman turned into a rage-fueled killing machine. His body broken and sustained by an exoskeleton, he is perhaps the Darkest Knight.
However, this version of the character actually has a lot in common with another Batman depicted on the big screen. There is so much resemblance that we can’t help but wonder whether this Bruce Wayne is, somehow, Zack Snyder’s Batman from the so-called DC Extended Universe.
Like the Bruce Wayne from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the Earth-99 analog is alone -- save for Luke Fox, who still keeps an eye out for the old man -- and angry. He also doesn’t hesitate to kill his enemies. His trophy room shows he has terminated everyone from The Joker and the Riddler to Mister Freeze and, shockingly, Superman.
One of the main criticisms of Batman v Superman was the Dark Knight’s violent, and potentially murderous, nature. If this was the start of his descent into darkness, then “Crisis on Infinite Earths” may very well represent the end of that bleak journey.
What’s more, when Kate mentions Clark, Conroy’s Bruce goes on a tirade about an alien invader who posed a threat to the world — a speech similar to the one Ben Affleck’s Batman delivers in Dawn of Justice. But it doesn’t stop there: Conroy’s Bruce even repeats a line from Batman v Superman.
When comparing himself to Superman and his willingness to obey the law, Conroy’s Bruce says, “My parents taught me a very different lesson: Life only makes sense if you force it to.”
That line is, nearly word for word, what Affleck’s Batman tells Superman at the end of their brawl in Dawn of Justice. As the Dark Knight drags the Man of Steel behind him with a rope, he says, “I bet your parents taught you that you mean something. That you're here for a reason. My parents taught me a different lesson: Dying in the gutter for no reason at all. They taught me the world only makes sense if you force it to.”
The core beliefs, as well as the speeches, of the two characters are virtually identical, which means they could technically be the same. Of course, the DCEU’s Batman eventually veered back toward the light and the life of a hero following the death of Superman. But perhaps “Crisis on Infinite Earths” just showed us what would have become of Snyder’s Batman had he remained on his dark path from Dawn of Justice.
After the winter hiatus, "Crisis on Infinite Earths" will conclude on Tuesday, Jan. 14, on Arrow at 8 p.m. ET/PT and on DC's Legends of Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET/PT