John and Craig explore Batman’s strange and unique position as a fantasy of American frontier justice and how filmmakers have approached this IP. Then they invite author Maria Dahvana Headley to discuss the original Dark Knight — Beowulf — and why these odd heroes continue to resonate with modern audiences.

We also answer listener questions on using pen names, whether the coolest plot can save a weak character, and John’s Eagle Scout project.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John tells Craig about the Batman trailer he wrote 20 years ago and they discuss what heroes they’d like to write.

Links:

• Werner Herzog’s Family Romance LLC
• Mike Schur’s Tweet
• 1988 Batman Teaser Reactions
• Why Does Batman Matter by Paul Zehr
• Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley
• The Fullest Possible Story on Four Seasons Total Landscaping by Olivia Nuzzi
• Snuggle Puppy
• Maria Dahvana Headley on Twitter
• Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
• Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.