Se7en Is A Batman Prequel Set In Gotham City - An Intriguing Theory Explained

Some fan theories regarding the Caped Crusader are as wild as the villains he tries to take down. A favorite that has been hiding in the rafters for some time suggests that Batman is psychotic and that he imagined his career as a crime fighter while being a patient in Arkham. Another equally interesting idea, however, joins one of the greatest crime movies of all time with the world's greatest detective, painting the concept that "Se7en" is a Gotham-set story that predates the rise of the Dark Knight.

Pieced together by WhatCulture's The Fan Theory and sticking as a favorite on Reddit since its inception, the idea establishes that the nameless city in which the film takes place is, in fact, the home of Batman. Aesthetically, the unnamed rain-soaked spot where Detectives Mills (Brad Pitt) and Somerset (Morgan Freeman) are trudging through to find their killer fits the criteria. It's an unnamed nightmare of a place that never reveals its location. Even our hero's badges are kept from view to suggest otherwise. 

Director David Fincher constructs a dark and dismal cityscape where almost all its inhabitants are guilty of something, and the innocent suffer. At the center of it all, though, is a monstrous criminal whose deeds are worthy of a space in Arkham Asylum. The villain's acts could be what not only triggered others to have a go at lawbreaking, but also what turned one of the film's villains into Batman's most notorious one.

We hate to say it, but theory or not, if you transported John Doe (Kevin Spacey) out of this miserable metropolis and over to Gotham City, he'd fit right in with the most feared foes of the Dark Knight. Establishing his own rules and leaving cryptic crime scenes for detectives to break apart, Doe displays heinous habits that match the likes of The Riddler, Calendar Man, and Victor Zsaz. Diaries, dedication, and the "logic" to his insanity are something that Batman would undoubtedly be able to wrap his head around. And, if the Caped Crusader was around at the time of the killings, he possibly could have even thwarted them before the film's heartbreaking finale.

Instead, the theory suggests that Doe's deeds sparked the rise of extravagant criminals and their activities. The death of Doe led to the birth of Batman's boldest bad guys, who all came with their own schtick and modus operandi. To quote Mills himself, "Who knows? So many freaks out there doin' their little evil deeds they don't wanna do...'The voices made me do it. My dog made me do it. Jodie Foster told me to do it.'" But while the likes of Edward Nygma were taking notes and making sure to get their question marks just right, Doe's final act led to one of his opponents understandably reeling from loss and into a level of insanity that only the Dark Knight could compete with.

Throughout David Fincher's crime story, Brad Pitt's up-and-coming cop regularly tries to break the tension through a dry wit that can't penetrate Somerset when they're on the clock. Finding laughs in the lunacy is often used by Pitt's protagonist until John Doe breaks through it with just a cardboard box. It's here where a significant part of the theory leads to what could be the creation of one of DC Comics' most iconic bad guys.

Upon learning the truth about the completion of the seven deadly sins, Mills understandably snaps, succumbing to Doe's plan and executing him after he killed the officer's wife and child. His retaliation is something there's no coming back from, and the theory suggests that because of this, the defeated detective descends into becoming the Clown Prince of Crime, whose previous career keeps him one step ahead of Gotham's protector.

While the theory would suggest Mills' sense of humor has been cranked up to crazed levels, his skill as a detective could be what keeps The Joker ahead of the ongoing game he plays with Bats. By working in the field until encountering Doe, Mills knows how to keep the sharpest investigators in the dark, even one that spends most of his time there. Ultimately, like Gotham's most feared criminal, Mills falls into madness like gravity. John Doe just needed to give him a little push.