In this week’s Typing Tuesdays post, we look at the many faces of Batman. From pure camp, to gothic, to fantasy, to realism, the portrayal of Batman has changed with the times. Can you determine the personality type of four of the more well-known depictions of Batman? With all apologies to the old school caped crusaders (Robert Lowrey, Lewis G Wilson) and pre-Oscar, pre-humanitarian, pre-master of the universe George Clooney, we only had room for four. And sorry Val Kilmer; our batsuits don’t have nipples.
Adam West
Adam West Answer
Peacock (ESFP)
Let’s not overthink think this one. Could a campy, showboating batman strutting his stuff with the Batusi be anything else?
Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton Answer
Owl (INTP)
Michael Keaton has one of the most interesting portrayals of Batman. A number of clues in this scene suggest Owl.
Listening & Observing
For roughly a third of the scene, Keaton’s Batman simply watches and listens, like an owl. If you are familiar with the movie, you may recall what the giant mirror in this scene is actually used for.
Aloof & detached
Unaware of social conventions, Wayne doesn’t quite fit in with society. He forgets to introduce himself, “Sorry, Bruce Wayne”. When prompted with how many cases of champagne to open, he doesn’t know, or really care. Instead, he defers to Knox and Vale to see what they think.
Information Oriented
The most telling feature of Batman’s personality here is that, above all else, he prizes knowledge and information. The scene takes place in a curated museum, all items which we can infer Wayne knows about, perhaps handpicking each one. He already knows Knox and Vale, and their accomplishments. Likely, he has studied every notable person in Gotham, to further his ability to fight crime. All of this knowledge seeking leads to the conclusion that he is a Rational, particularly an Owl.
Kevin Conroy
Kevin Conroy Answer
Spider (INTJ)
Another easy one. Having elaborate contingency plans is a tell-tale sign of a Spider.
Christian Bale
Christian Bale Answer
Shark (ISTP)
Intensity
You can see it in his eyes. It’s the ultra-focus and intensity of a shark. Throughout his entire training sequence, Bruce is completely dedicated to training to become “more than a man”.
Mastery of Craft
Essentially, Bruce Wayne is training to be a ninja. The entire montage is a development of his craft and skill, learning “patience and agility”, using his tools (katana, black powder, and spiked gauntlets).
Short, Blunt Speech
Try to count the number of words Ducard has in the scene compared to Bruce Wayne. This short, blunt speech pattern is characteristic of Sharks.
Myers-Briggs tests reduce personality types into four “independent” variables. Our test treats each type as a unique whole, and that makes all the difference.
