Why can't Batman appear on Smallville? What is the "Bat Embargo"?

Question

I don't quite understand why Batman/Bruce Wayne is not allowed to at least appear on the show. I've read that the character is tied up with other studios movie-wise, which is also the case with Wonder Woman.

That doesn't quite make sense to me since "Batman Begins" as well as "Superman Returns" had been released with Warner Brothers, which was the WB and now the CW on tv.

So what is the "Bat Embargo" which apparently prevented other Batman characters from being developed on "Justice League" and "Teen Titans"?

Granted, now we don't really need him since Oliver Queen/Green Arrow has fulfilled the billionaire playboy powerplayer role. It's nice for the show to showcase lesser known characters to the public, but I would have loved to seen Bruce Wayne/Batman on the show.

Answer 1

As i understand it, and from the Commentary Track on the Pilot, Smallville was originally intended to be"Gotham" or some such and was first pitched as Young Bruce Wayne, on the road to becoming Batman. That was shot down due to Batman Begins being green lit, and having the same plot(more or less).

It was then retooled to become the Smallville we know and love, they held out hopes of a Batman/Bruce cameo. I believe that it boils down to contract fine print, in the the Batman Film Franchise. Much like rumors are swirling that Bart may not actually be called "The Flash" due to work on an upcoming "Flash" film project, however SV gets to have the character because they never identified which "Flash" Bart is, as he had Fake IDs under 3 of the names. (I hope we get an in-joke from Rosenbaum when he meets Bart, seeing as he voiced Flash in Justice League)

As to why Superman Returns can co-exist, I think that, that is due to timing of contracts, and because they focus on two different times in his life, and also Singer picked up from the 80's franchise, which technically makes Returns a Pre-Crisis Superman Film, while SV is Post Crisis.

Answer 2

Now if you lived in Pittsburgh, you would understand...during that time period, the Batman was a wrestler who appeared weekly on WIIC-TV (channel 11) on "Studio Wrestling" hosted by "Chilly Billy" Cardille. Sometimes he wrestled solo, sometimes as a tag-team partner to Bruno Sammartino, Domenic DeNucci, "Crusher" Stan Stasiak, or George " The Animal" Steele. Believe me, after battling guys like Professor Tanaka, Haystacks Calhoun, or Ernie "The King" Ladd for two falls out of three, he had neither the time nor enerty to travel to Smallville.

Answer 3

Take a look at this message board concerning that topic

http://www.bluetights.net/theplanet/showthread.php?t=1719