There are some details about David Fincher’sSe7enthat aren’t explicitly revealed, and one made way for a theory that claims this movie is secretly a superhero villain origin movie from a famous superhero universe. Shortly after making his directorial debut with the sci-fi movieAlien 3, David Fincher paid a visit to the crime thriller genre withSe7en. Written by Andrew Kevin Walker,Se7endidn’t perform well with critics during its initial release and was a sleeper hit. However,Se7enis now regarded as one of thebest movies of the 1990s, as well as one of Fincher’s best works.
Set in an unnamed, crime-ridden city,Se7enfollows Detective Lt. William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), who, one week before he retires, is partnered with young detective David Mills (Brad Pitt). Together they investigate a series of disturbing murders inspired by the seven deadly sins. This leads them to John Doe (Kevin Spacey), the man behind the murders, who has one final horrifying surprise for Somerset and Mills. Despite being an original story, a theory suggestsSe7enis linked to a famous superhero, and tells the origin story of its most notable villain.
Se7en Theory Suggests It’s Set In Pre-Batman Gotham City
Se7en’s Unnamed City Might Be Gotham City
The citySe7enis set in is never revealed, but it’s a very grim one in every way. Not only is it plagued by crime and corruption, but it’s almost always raining, which only adds to the gloomy atmosphere of the city. The mystery of the citySe7enis set in, its atmosphere, and its high crime rate have led to a theory (shared onReddit) thatSe7enis set in Gotham City before the rise of Batman, hence why all the crimes.
Why It’s Always Raining In The Movie Se7en: David Fincher’s Deeper Meaning Explained
Se7en’s consistent downpour of rain is a great way of underscoring the thematic and tonal core of the film, but it also served a pragmatic function.
It’s not just the overall atmosphere of Gotham City that makes it a believable candidate for the setting ofSe7en, but also everything about John Doe’s murders. In the world of Batman, villains get dangerously creative with their crimes – surely, some of them fall into “ridiculous” territory, but many of them, if they were real, would be absolutely terrifying.Villains like Calendar Man and The Riddler have very specific themes, as does John Doewith the seven deadly sins, though the latter’s motives are more disturbing.
John Doe confesses to Somerset and Mills that he believes he was chosen by God to send a message about the ubiquity of and apathy toward sin, which is also why he had no remorse. The unnamed city inSe7enand everything about John Doe’s crimes fit with pre-Batman Gotham City, but there’s an extra addition to the theory that further connects Fincher’s thriller to the Dark Knight’s universe.
John Doe’s Final Murder & His Death Turned Mills Into The Joker
Yet Another Origin Story For The Joker
John Doe turns himself in after the pride victim is found, who was a model he facially disfigured and who killed herself as she felt she couldn’t live without her beauty. Doe threatens to plead insanity to avoid punishment unless Somerset and Mills escort him to an undisclosed location where they will find the final two victims: envy and wrath. Once at the spot, Doe reveals he represents envy, and because he envies Mills’ life with his wife, Tracy, he killed her and sent her head to Mills in a box.
The envy and wrath crimes push Mills over the edge, and along with the pain and grief of Tracy’s murder, he ends up becoming the Joker.
Doe’s final crime is intended to trigger the final sin, wrath, in Mills. Doe urges Mills to become wrath and teases him about Tracy’s death so he kills him and completes the crimes. Mills gives in and shoots Doe on the spot, killing him. Back to the theory, anotherReddituser adds that the envy and wrath crimes push Mills over the edge, and along with the pain and grief of Tracy’s murder, he ends up becoming the Joker.
The Clown Prince of Crime has had many origin storiesover the years in comic books and movies as well, and Mills becoming the Joker is an interesting one. As Mills was a detective, that would give this Joker an advantage in his crimes and over Batman, making him a more complex and dangerous villain. Of course, this is just a theory, and whatever happened to Mills after Tracy’s murder and Doe’s death is left to the audience’s imagination.
Se7en Does Have 1 Link To The Best Batman Movies
Same Actor, Unrelated Characters
As fun as this theory is, it’s unlikelySe7enhas any connection to the world of Batman and DC Comics, but it does have one link to the best Batman movies.Morgan Freeman played Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy, a close friend and ally of Bruce Wayne who knows he’s Batman and gives him new weapons, vehicles, and more. Of course, this link didn’t go unnoticed onReddit, and some have added it to the theory ofSe7enbeing set in Gotham City.
AReddituser added that Somerset carried on with his retirement plans afterthe ending ofSe7en. To make the transition smoother and less traumatic,Somerset changed his name to Lucius Fox and ended up working at Wayne Enterprises. This extra part of the theory is a stretch, and thoughSe7enis unrelated to Gotham City and Batman, they do have an interesting connection.
Source:Reddit.
Se7en
David Fincher’s crime thriller Se7en follows the seasoned Detective William Somerset after he is assigned a new partner, the young and idealistic David Mills (Brad Pitt). The two find themselves investigating a deranged killer staging murders inspired by each of the seven deadly sins. On the hunt for the twisted John Doe (Kevin Spacey) before he can kill again, the two detectives soon discover that they’re much deeper into the case than they realized.
