Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice arguably made some bold moves with The Caped Crusader by aging him up a la The Dark Knight Returns and giving him a far darker sensibility. That said, one other notable departure from Batman norms was the decision to move him away from Wayne Manor and into a small lake house. This raised questions about the Wayne Manor's usage, but it turns out that Bruce Wayne likely never even lived there during his tenure as Batman. In fact, taking to his Vero account to shed some light onto the nature of the derelict structure's abandonment, Snyder opened up and admitted that the DCEU Bruce Wayne hasn't lived in Wayne Manor since his teenage years. The director wrote:
I think his father commissioned the Lake house as a gift to his mother a place built by her favorite architect and she loved it when Bruce turned 18 he moved in he ordered Wayne Manor be left to decompose.
So, it seems that the decision to move from Wayne Manor into the lake house seen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was not a recent decision for The Dark Knight. The lake house existed before the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne, and it was a gift created for Batman's mother -- commissioned by Thomas Wayne and built by Martha's favorite architect. The DCEU Bruce Wayne has lived in the lake house since his 18th birthday, which helps explain why The Batcave is actually located below the lake house instead of the Manor.
This decision feels like a major departure from typical depictions of Wayne Manor on the big screen. In previous Batman films, Wayne Manor was always portrayed as the typical staging area for Batman's activities. Even The Dark Knight (which took place during the house's reconstruction following the events of Batman Begins) debuted with the implication that Batman would eventually return to Wayne Manor for The Dark Knight Rises. However, in the confines of the DCEU, adult Bruce Wayne seemingly never actually lived in the enormous house during his heyday.
Of course, despite Zack Snyder's explanation of Wayne Manor's abandonment, fans who have kept up with the DCEU already know that there are some big plans for the structure on the horizon. Specifically, the ending of Justice League implies that the burned-out building will eventually go on to become the Hall of Justice, the headquarters for the Justice League in the pages of DC Comics.
With all of the changes that have taken place in the DC Extended Universe recently, we will have to wait and see how this backstory evolves as the Batman franchise moves forward. As for this year in DC movies, make sure to keep an eye out for James Wan's Aquaman when the Arthur Curry solo movie premieres in theaters on December 21.
