When Matt Reeves first started dropping hints about The Batman, geckaphiles were buzzing about who could be the baddies. Penguin? Riddler? Catwoman? Two-Face?
Of course everyone tweeted Matt Reeves about those classics…but what about Hush?
For most non-comic readers, the answer for that theory way back around May 2019 was “Who?! You telling me to be quiet? Hush?! What’s that?”
If you’re not familiar with the DCAU or DC’s Black Label of graphic novels, Hush is a completely demented badass.
To make things more personal, his name is Thomas Elliot and was a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. Why is he out to hush Bruce Wayne up? A mean streak of envy.
His back story is interesting involving child abuse, having been suspected to have killed his alcoholic father, hospitalized for egregious anger issues, and memorizing war strategy and Aristotelean philosophy to fight.
Hush has manipulated many Rogues in the dubious Batman gallery with his premier genius thinking and superb fighting skills. So why did his name come up among the classics?
A couple of reasons you may not know…
The Hush Connections
If you haven’t read Jeph Loeb‘s and Jim Lee‘s brilliant graphic novel from 2002, The Riddler (Edward Nygma/Nashton) and Hush (Thomas Elliot) know each other.
In fact, when Thomas was a neurosurgeon — yes, he’s absolutely brilliant — Edward Nashton came to his hospital in Philadelphia. The Riddler had brain cancer. He needed help. And before he went to the Lazarus Pit, discoverd by Ra’s Al Ghul, he went to see Elliot.
(Not for nothing, Dr. Elliott also worked on Bruce Wayne’s skull after a near-fatal fall.)
It was during the doctor’s visit where the Riddler and the man who would be Hush concocted a plan to take down Bruce Wayne and rid Gotham of Batman for good. This was the foundation of Batman: Hush.
Then, in October 2019, rumors began breadcrumbing its way across the Internet, starting in /r/DC_Cinematic forum on Reddit. Fast forward to DC FanDome, and we have fan theory steroids.
The Hush Theories
- We knew Matt Reeves was exploring the Rogues Gallery since January 2019
- Thomas Hush Elliott is a dark character. His story is very personal. This opens up a grim storyline.
- Again, Hush who?
- Another thing we knew is Reeves plans to explore the “World’s Greatest Detective“. If this is a neo-film-noir, then why not Hush? The dude is always investigating if Bruce and Batman are the same guy.
Makes sense to many nerds close to graphic novel enthusiasm, but that rumor quickly died because of the affinity for the class Batman baddies in the Rogues Gallery. Then, Reddit did it again from r/DCEULeaks in February 2020.
RUMOR: The Batman 2 will feature Hush from r/DCEUleaks
Everyone has “sources.” Many are phantoms, voices in a nerd’s head, some plush doll or FunkoPop in some geek’s basement, or some dude named Ic3C*b3 on Tor. But, again…there’s that Hush guy. Now the “theory” needs to be taken seriously.
At least, it was here.
The Hush Sub-Confirmation
During DC FanDome, The Batman trailer was easily the most anticipated content. Then, people saw the brooding, noirish trailer and the violent Robert Pattinson and the Internet broke. Considering almost 98% of geckaphiles forgot about the Hush rumors, Matt Reeves may have leaked some previously hushed information:
“Paul Dano plays a version of the Riddler that no one has ever seen before… what he is doing is going to blow people’s minds. How all these characters connect was one of the really interesting things about writing this movie.”
Matt Reeves via DC FanDoMe
A version of The Riddler? Considering the closeness of Elliott and Nashton/Nygma, what if that mysterious duct tape cognoscente was actually Hush?! And, what if the Riddler was the sinister puppeteer behind it all?
The guy in the trailer is covered so any trace of DNA remains his and not in the crime scene. But, there’s that roll of duct tape and peculiar way he mummifies the face of his victim. Like he could talk. It’s almost like he was “hushed.”
Throughout the trailer, we are taken on a dreary and creepy personal tale of woe. Someone is not only hunting people, but also working to tapdance on the brain of Batman.
Or, more specifically, Bruce Wayne.
Back to the graphic novel Hush, this is so much more advanced than a jealous kid who only watched the school heartthrob get all the chicks. There is absolute disdain here. Thomas Elliott is possessed by this driving rage to get inside Bruce Wayne’s head and turn his cerebellum into a trampoline.
In The Batman, Gotham is corrupt. Leaders can’t be trusted. And even the Caped Crusader is still an unknown as we are in only “year two” of working with the man in the shadows. In Hush, we learn it’s the Riddler who tells Hush Wayne’s super hero identity. If Paul Dano’s Riddler is behind this master manipulator and sadist, what a massive payoff that would be.
Until then, hush! We’re not saying a word. But watch the trailer again and you hear “You’re a part of this…you’ll see.” Well, maybe that’s how. He’s been involved with this “secret friend” since childhood.
Man, ?0?1 can’t get here soon enough!
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