The Batman (2022): Bruce Wayne (ISFP)

This version of Batman seems strikingly different from previous versions, and we’re not just referring to the constant look of melancholy in his eyes. He acts and presents himself significantly different from previous iterations of Batman and Bruce Wayne. After careful consideration of possible Myers-Briggs personality types, we ultimately decided that this new Batman’s MBTI is likely ISFP. We also seriously considered INFP. We hope you find the analysis interesting! Also, forgive the lack of quotes. We saw this movie in the theaters, so pausing wasn’t exactly an option.

Fi:

This version of Batman fully immerses himself in his identity as Batman, completely refusing to live any life outside it, not even to maintain his cover. He essentially claims that he’s found his purpose in his identity as Batman. Except to do things only Bruce Wayne is capable of doing (like gathering information at the funeral), this version only ever acts as Batman, fully embracing his life as a creature of the night.

In this movie, Batman never actually calls himself Batman. Instead, he claims a value or a mission statement: “I’m vengeance”. By the end of the movie, he hears someone else claim the same thing, realizes the danger in it, and then determines that he needs to “become” something else. He realizes that he needs to become hope for the people of Gotham city. The way he frames this as a shift in identity seems like high Fi.

Naturally, Batman demonstrates the standard “no killing” and “no guns” values that most versions of him do. He also stops Cat Woman from killing Kenzie, warning her that she would become just like him. He also gets visibly upset and argues back when Riddler claims that the two of them are the same and have been working together. However, another moment that strikes specifically like high Fi can be seen when he finds Cat Woman stealing a bag of money, and starts condemning her for her actions. He questions her motives, asks her how dirty she had to get her hands to pull this off, etc. This specifically strikes like higher Fi because the dialogue seems unnecessary, or a distraction from the mission. Cat Woman’s past actions shouldn’t matter in the least to Batman within that current context.

Lastly, there is one other thing that struck me like high Fi, or at least a feeler. Batman learns Cat Woman’s name from some mail in her home, and instantly begins calling her by her first name. It strikes like an attempt to be more personable and connect with her better, potentially indicating a feeler due to the more intimate focus on people. (He also makes the unnecessary observation that her friend seemed upset. Giving away that he was spying on them.)

Se:

This version of Batman is extremely direct and appears to take more risks, suggesting a higher Se user. Right from the beginning, Batman is working openly with Gordon, who leads him right into the middle of a crime scene. This requires Batman to put a lot of trust in Gordon, and risk surrounding himself by a bunch of police officers. Previous versions of Batman are much more cautious, and rarely walk through the front door like this. However, Pattison’s Batman does this quite a bit. For instance, as another example, he shows up at the front door of Penguin’s club, asks for Penguin, and then literally punches his way in.

One particularly risky moment that stood out to me can be seen during the scene where the D.A. has been strapped with a bomb. Desperate to get the name of the rat, Batman stays up until the last second, risking both his life and his identity. Of course, the bomb goes off, and he’s knocked unconscious because he couldn’t get far enough away. Later, he wakes up surrounded by police officers, who could have easily ripped off his mask during that period of unconsciousness.

The way that he spray paints the floor with a layout of the Riddler’s clues is another potential indication of Se. It suggests a need to physically see the entire puzzle, or externalize it, in order to solve it.

Ni:

Batman seems overall less risk averse, like he’s less concerned about the consequences of his actions, which suggests low Ni (or low introverted perceiving, in general). Of course, since that’s also evidence for high Se, I won’t go over it again. He also struggles to gain the big picture when working to stop the Riddler, which could be low Ni. He seems to excel at solving the problem right in front of him, but misses key things in his haste.

Another moment that struck like Ni can be seen when Alfred is trying to solve a puzzle that the Riddler left behind. Batman takes interest in how he’s doing it, but then suddenly has an epiphany. He tells Alfred exactly how to solve the puzzle, which, of course, ends up being correct.

The lesson Batman learns at the end also appear Ni in nature. He hears someone else taking on the “I am vengeance” mission, and sees the ramifications of that way of thinking. By the end, he realizes that he needs to give the people hope, which can be seen as a realization that he needs to represent something more abstract and symbolic, in order to make a lasting positive effect.

Te:

Batman’s utter refusal to manage his external image, as mentioned earlier, is the most prominent way his inferior Te surfaces. Alfred admonishes him to protect his family’s legacy, and play his role as Bruce Wayne, but he outright refuses. As a result, the city sees him as a complete recluse, because he rarely (if ever) shows his face as Bruce Wayne. Every other iteration of Batman (to my knowledge) always sees some practical value or utility in maintaining his public image and running Wayne Enterprises. However, this Batman sees no value in being anything other than the identity that gives him his purpose and meaning.

Batman seems worried that he isn’t having a concrete effect, which is another potential indication of inferior Te. Honestly, this is possibly a combination of Se and Te. Regardless, he mentions multiple times that he wants to see that he’s changing things, that he’s making a difference. This suggests an inferior Te insecurity, that his efforts weren’t bringing the desired results.