Batman is The One Hero Who Could NEVER Reveal His Secret Identity
Batman is the one superhero who could never reveal his secret identity to the world. Secret identities seem to be going out of fashion in the superhero genre. On the big screen, precious few heroes seem to bother too much about them, especially in the MCU. Spider-Man's was exposed to the world in Spider-Man: Far From Home's post-credits scene, much to the webhead's horror.
Over in the comics, DC has made history in this week's Superman #18. Superman has told the world he is really Clark Kent, and he and his family will have to deal with the consequences. All this naturally raises the question of whether there are some superheroes who couldn't ever reveal their true identities to the world - and, of course, Batman is at the top of the list.
It's important to understand that Batman doesn't primarily wear a mask to conceal his identity; rather, he wears it as part of a costume designed to strike fear in the hearts of criminals. Batman has no real desire for a private life, and he has precious few loved ones he wants to protect; over the years, he's constructed Bruce Wayne's life in order to minimize the degree in which it interferes with his vigilante activities. For Batman, the most important thing about Bruce Wayne is simply that he acts as an enabler, providing the funding and access to advanced technology he needs in order to be a hero.
As fate - or, perhaps, a good publishing plan - would have it, this week's Detective Comics #1017 subtly implies that Batman underestimates the importance of Bruce Wayne to Gotham City. The story sees the Dark Knight learn that a gang of people traffickers has secretly been operating from one of the Martha Wayne orphanages, stealing young orphans away in order to sell them on the black market. Bruce Wayne's inattention - his preoccupation with being Batman - meant that he had been blissfully unaware of it, potentially for years. It's a mark of just how little Batman truly values the Wayne identity, especially when you consider the orphanages carry his surname.
This explains why Batman is the one superhero who's never going to out himself to the world; because he's the vigilante who cares least about the secret identity in the first place, and so it would simply be too much bother. Bruce Wayne exists to serve a purpose for Batman, and he would cease to be useful the moment he was unmasked. Bruce Wayne would, of course, immediately be taken to court by countless small-time thugs who'd suffered injuries at Batman's hands, just as in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Over The Edge." Ultimately, Batman would be forced to discard the Wayne identity altogether; he'd probably create a new one, but frankly he might be tempted to give up on the whole idea and dress as a bat all the time instead.