Robert Pattinson, the next one up to don the cape and cowl in the upcoming The Batman, promises that his role in the film will be "radically different" from the depictions that came before.
After releasing the first trailer for The Batman roughly a year ago that erased many fans' doubts about if Pattinson would be the right fit for the role, Planet of the Apes reboot director Matt Reeves' take on the DC hero recently debuted brand new footage at CinemaCon to the attending fans while also featuring behind-the-scenes interviews from the cast. In one of those interviews, Pattinson shared why the script intrigued him so much.
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"For some reason, Batman has always stood out as one of the major characters of the 20th century, and so many people connect with it on such a deep level for so many different reasons. From the first conversation I had with Matt about it, I just knew that there was something radically different [here]," Pattinson adds. Reeves also revealed that Batman: Year One was one of his biggest inspirations for this version of the character, feeling that fans have seen too many origin stories. "It seems things go further and further into fantasy, and I thought, well, one place we haven't been is grounding it in the way that Year One does, to come right in to a young Batman, not being an origin tale, but referring to his origins and shaking him to his core," Reeves shares. "You can have it be very practical, but I also thought it could be the most emotional Batman movie ever made." It will be interesting to see how much Reeves incorporates elements from previous Batman entries into this new one.
The Batman will take place in Bruce Wayne's/Batman's early years of fighting crime, as he is forced to deal with Gotham City's corruption and tracking down a new enemy known as the Riddler. It's evident that there are high expectations for Pattinson in this role, especially after Michael Keaton's and Christian Bale's live-action depictions of Batman were met with such praise. Bale's Batman in Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed The Dark Knight trilogy will be tough to live up to, but under Reeves's assured direction and working with the rest of the star-studded ensemble cast, there's no doubt that Pattinson as Batman will deliver something fresh and exciting.
Other than Pattinson as the titular hero, the cast also includes Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton / Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot / Penguin. Farrell has also confirmed in a recent podcast that he will only appear in a few scenes as the Penguin, as the story does have many villains for Batman to encounter.
A spin-off prequel television series for HBO MAX, with the working title of Gotham P.D., is in early developments. The series will be from the perspective of a Gotham City police officer during Batman's first year as the hero and will seek to expand The Batman world that Reeves is establishing.
The Batman is now finally set to release on March 4, 2022.
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Source: Entertainment Weekly
