Batman: Bad Blood (live action)

*rewritten for live action* Following Bruce Wayne’s mysterious disappearance, Gotham descends into chaos. A high-level arms deal explodes mid-raid, seemingly claiming Batman’s life. With no body recovered, questions swirl: is the Bat dead, captured, or in hiding? In his absence, Gotham fractures. Nightwing returns to wear the cowl temporarily, reluctantly guiding a crumbling network of vigilantes — including the impulsive Damian (Robin), a grieving Alfred, and a new wildcard: Kate Kane, a cynical ex-soldier with a mysterious vendetta, who emerges as Batwoman. Meanwhile, Luke Fox, son of WayneTech’s Lucius Fox, investigates tech thefts tied to experimental combat suits. He’s pulled into the fight and eventually becomes Batwing, balancing loyalty to his father’s legacy with newfound purpose. The chaos is orchestrated by Talia al Ghul, now leading the League of Shadows with renewed zeal. Still reeling from Damian’s rejection in Batman vs. Robin, she sets out to rebuild the world in Ra’s al Ghul’s image — and reclaim her son. She unleashes her "new son": the monstrous Heretic, a mutated, adult clone of Damian, devoid of conscience but embedded with fragments of Bruce’s memories. Talia’s forces — including mercenaries like Firefly, Hellhound, and the brutal Electrocutioner — strike Gotham’s infrastructure, abducting scientists, and hijacking Wayne Enterprises’ stealth tech to arm Heretic’s rise. Gotham is not just a battleground — it's a testbed for a global League resurgence. As tensions rise, Black Mask takes advantage of Batman’s absence, pulling together rogue factions to claim Gotham’s underworld. Infiltrating his empire is Kate Kane’s personal mission — tied to the long-buried murder of her twin sister, Elizabeth, in a Black Mask–backed League operation. When Batman is eventually found alive — broken, drugged, and being psychologically dismantled by Talia — the truth comes out: he allowed himself to be taken, hoping to infiltrate the League and end things from within. But Talia’s plan has evolved — she no longer wants Bruce back. She wants to erase him. In a final confrontation at an abandoned WayneTech facility turned cloning lab, the Bat-family unites. Batwoman and Nightwing battle Heretic. Robin faces his clone, forced to accept the horror of what he could become. Batwing neutralizes the stolen tech. And Bruce confronts Talia, not with rage — but with regret, forcing her to reckon with what they’ve both done to their son. Talia escapes, wounded and more dangerous than ever. Heretic dies by Damian’s hand — not in anger, but mercy. The film ends with Gotham on the mend. Bruce begins trusting others more. Kate becomes a full-time protector. Damian finally feels like a Robin, not a weapon. And the Bat-Family — fractured, but finally forged — stands together.