Entertainment

Could Jason Bourne Beat Batman In A Fight?

by Keertana Sastry

Here's a pop culture question that could be hotly debated: Could Jason Bourne ever beat Batman in a fight? At the Toronto Film Festival, E! News asked Matt Damon if his famous character Jason Bourne could take on the Caped Crusader, soon to be played by Damon's BFF Ben Affleck in the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The actor gave the best answer ever: "Jason Bourne would kick the sh*t out of Batman—absolutely!" He added, "Batman's gotta take on Superman first. If he could beat him, then maybe he could take on Jason Bourne."

I know what you're thinking: one of them is a superhero, the other a former CIA agent who left that life behind — Damon's crazy, right? But I actually do think that it's possible for Jason Bourne to beat Batman in a fight. Funnily enough, both of their portrayers have actually debated this epic topic in the past. In November 2014, Damon and Affleck argued on Access Hollywood over whose character could beat the other's, and Damon replied, "Well, first of all, Batman is not real and Jason Bourne is." But of course Affleck had to respond and stated, "If Batman is fighting Superman, I think he's a little past Jason Bourne," which I believe is a more accurate statement about Superman than Damon's.

So who would actually win in a fight? I actually think both heroes are pretty evenly matched up in many ways. As such, some detailed examinations must be made to determine who really has the edge.

1. Jason Bourne Vs. Batman: Armor

The obvious first question has to be, is Batman wearing some kind of crazy protective armor in this fight? Jason Bourne doesn't fight with all kinds of armor on, so if Batman were to take on Bourne, he shouldn't be allowed the armor. So let's assume he's wearing just his regular batsuit. Even then, the batsuit can probably withstand more attacks than Jason Bourne's regular clothes, especially since Bourne fights with his hands unless he can find a useful tool lying around somewhere near him. Bourne is a pretty damn resourceful guy and, keeping that in mind, he could potentially take on the armor in Batman's suit. But it's way more likely that Batman is more protected than Bourne.

Advantage: Batman

2. Jason Bourne Vs. Batman: Hand-To-Hand Combat Skills

Let's face it, when it comes to actual skills with their fists, Bourne beats Batman. Batman is a great fighter, and he's taken down many bad guys. But Jason Bourne was trained specifically by the CIA for this kind of fighting. He's not only skilled in hand-to-hand combat, but he's also extremely intelligent and in tune with his opponent. He could figure how where Batman was weakest in hand-to-hand combat and use it to his advantage. I think the points go to Bourne here.

Advantage: Bourne

3. Jason Bourne Vs. Batman: Strength

Batman is bulkier and more muscular than Jason Bourne. I think Batman is certainly the stronger of the two fighters but once again, Bourne is smart. He could anticipate his opponent's strength and know when their strength was running low. Still, on strength alone, Batman wins.

Advantage: Batman

4. Jason Bourne Vs. Batman: Intelligence

Now before I start this, I have to make it extremely clear: I am not saying Batman is not smart. He's a billionaire by day and saves lives by night and is able to do it relatively incognito (most of the time). That takes a lot of intelligence. But Jason Bourne's intelligence levels are through the roof. He can pinpoint so many different factors in a fight to work in his advantage thanks to all the training and crazy methods the CIA taught him to make him a better fighter. The video above from The Bourne Identity proves why this guy excels in the intelligence field, particularly when it comes to fighting and his own abilities. Does Batman clock every exit sign, people's every little trait? Does he know how long he can run in a given altitude before he starts shaking? Even on his best day, I don't think so.

Advantage: Bourne

5. Jason Bourne Vs. Batman: Agility

Given that he is more lightweight and has the above-mentioned knowledge about his own body and his surroundings, I think that automatically proves Jason Bourne is probably a little more agile than Batman. But of course to be fair, Batman has a suit, utility belt and vehicles on hand that can help with speed including the fact that he can kind of fly (or glide, really). So if you factor all of Batman's gadgets into the mix, it's not as obvious a choice for the winner.

Advantage: Tie

6. Jason Bourne Vs. Batman: Weaponry

Sure Batman has his utlity belt which has all kinds of weapons. His batmobile and all of his other vehicles are just giant ways to attack. But Jason Bourne can actually turn anything into a weapon. He killed a dude with a freaking towel, for goodness sake! I think we know who gets the advantage here, even with all of Batman's cool tech.

Advantage: Bourne

In the end, it looks like Bourne could actually take on Batman. But let's be honest here, the real debate is if either of them could actually take on Superman (Using Kryptonite the whole time is just plain cheating!). I guess we'll see soon enough, when Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice arrives in theaters.

Images: Universal Pictures; Giphy (2)