When Does the Film "Batman" (1989) Take Place?
"Batman" is a crime superhero film written by Sam Hamm with Warren Skaaren, Charles McKeown, and Jonathan Gems [adapting the first Batman story in “Batman” #1 v1 (1940) as well as the Batman story in "Detective Comics" #168 v1 (1951), both by Bill Finger] and released June 23rd, 1989.
It takes place on an alternate timeline of the fictional DC Films Universe in the year:
We know this because two "Gotham Globe" newspaper front pages are visible with headlines describing real-world events that happened in 1947 AD though none of the newspapers are dated with a year. On the second one a headline declares, "UNIVERSAL SERVICE URGED BY TRUMAN IN PRINCETON TALK" referring to an event United States of America President Harry S. Truman attended in the real world on June 17th, 1947 AD while the top headline refers to recent events in the story.
1947 AD
We know this because two "Gotham Globe" newspaper front pages are visible with headlines describing real-world events that happened in 1947 AD though none of the newspapers are dated with a year. On the second one a headline declares, "UNIVERSAL SERVICE URGED BY TRUMAN IN PRINCETON TALK" referring to an event United States of America President Harry S. Truman attended in the real world on June 17th, 1947 AD while the top headline refers to recent events in the story.
This GothamAlleys article examines its exact setting.
It is a chronologically early film in the DC Films multiverse timeline (an early film to feature Bruce Wayne/Batman and a first appearance of The Joker).
