‘The Batman’ Criticized for Scene of Attempted Subway Attack on Asian Victim

Asian Americans are raising concerns over a scene in the new movie “The Batman,” which premiered nationwide Friday, depicting a group of men following an Asian man off the subway with the intent of physically assaulting him.

The scene occurs within the first 10 minutes of the three-hour film, when Batman interrupts the attack and beats up the assailants, telling them that he is “vengeance.” This saves the Asian man, who appears fearful of Batman as well.

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Some are tweeting content warnings about the scene to Asian Americans planning to see it in theaters, and several people on social media are questioning whether the depiction was an oversight or meant to be a commentary about the prominence of hate crimes against Asian Americans during the pandemic.

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David Chen, who hosts “Culturally Relevant,” a podcast featuring film and television reviews, tweeted that the scene was an ill-considered use of triggering imagery that would otherwise be acceptable if used constructively.

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“It felt thoughtless [to] me and was triggering to many AAPI folks I’ve discussed the film with,” he wrote, referring to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.