For decades, DC Comics has resisted crediting Bill Finger as one of the co-creators of Batman in screen adaptations. Following an agreement between the writer’s estate and the company, Finger’s name will appear in the credits of projects such as Gotham and Batman v. Superman.
Finger was the writer who worked alongside artist Bob Kane in 1939 to create the character of Batman, and the pair wrote Detective Comics #27, in which Batman first appeared. Finger was instrumental in helping to shape the final character from Kane’s initial work, and they worked on a number of followup comics, introducing characters such as The Joker. Finger died in 1974, and his family has been fighting for recognition.
Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Graeme McMillan noted that Finger was shut out of credit from the start:
Although Kane received sole official credit for the character as part of the original deal signed in 1939, the artist talked in later life about Finger being an important influence on the development of the series. In his 1989 autobiography Batman and Me, Kane described Finger as “a contributing force” on the series, noting “I must admit that Bill never received the fame and recognition he deserved.”
With an agreement in place, Finger’s name will be attached to the credits of upcoming productions such as the second season of Gotham and of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.