"To the Batman."
During yesterday's DC Fandome online event, fans got glimpses into the various DC properties releasing in the near future, including a first look at the latest cinematic entry for the caped crusader, The Batman.
The trailer gives us a better look at what to expect from the movie, from the plot, to the villains, and of course, the dark knight himself in action. From the first few seconds, the trailer asserts itself as a gritty and dark take on the story of Batman, with a sinister looking killer, in the form of The Riddler, wrapping up his victim's head in tape, leaving a message reading 'No more lies'. What follows is various shots showing off more of the film, including some joint detective work between Gotham PD and Batman, Catwoman breaking into some vault, and The Penguin and what we can assume are his goons, however all are overshadowed by the presence of The Riddler and his sadistic means of inviting Robert Pattinson's Batman to a game (likely to be one of riddles). The trailer is haunting and unexpectedly eerie, with dim lighting and a dreary colour pallete, and it has me beyond excited for its full release; and for those who haven't seen it, you can check it out here.
From the trailer, it's clear to see that the dark knight will come up against more than one of his classic foes, including The Penguin, played by Colin Farrell, and Paul Dano's The Riddler; even Catwoman, played by Zoe Kravitz, seems to come into conflict with the bat. However the villain who took centre stage throughout the trailer was The Riddler, who at this moment in time appears to be the prime antagonist in the movie, and from what we've seen, director Matt Reeves is trying to reinvent the classic villains image, painting him more as a sadistic zodiac killer, rather than riddle touting laughing stock. Reeves emphasized that the movie will serve as an origin for many of the Batman's rogues gallery, and that we are to expect very different and unique takes on these well established characters.
During The Batman's DC Fandome panel, both Robert Pattinson and director, Matt Reeves made appearances to briefly touch on what the film is about and its many influences. Matt Reeves discussed how he wanted to make this movie something new, and that, as someone who loves movies that are character based, wanted to channel that passion into really exploring the character of Batman, showing him as someone who's just like us, with flaws and perspectives, but also as a hero who is, "so far from being perfect."
Reeves added that this will not be another origin story movie, and that the movie will take place during Bruce Wayne's second year as the Batman, and how he wanted "to tell a version of Batman, where it wasn't about how he became Batman", but instead, "it's about the early days of how he is Batman". He describes Batman's second year of crimefighting as a "criminology experiment", where Pattinson's Bruce Wayne is still trying to find what works so to speak, as, "He’s not having any of the effect that he wants to have". Thus he is still trying to figure out the best way for him to put an end to crime in Gotham, and how to best do that as the caped crusader.
Going more into what the film is, Reeves notes that fans should expect a story with a lot on intrigue and mystery, making The Batman somewhat of a detective story, clearly drawing influence from the characters notable talents as a master detective. This will stem from the stories plot, where dark secrets and the extent of Gotham's corruption will be brought to light, presenting both Bruce Wayne and Batman with new challenges. Along with this Reeves promises the film has its fair share of action, after all its a Batman movie, but to also expect a very personal story:
"I think all of that is, is a way to take a story that is a detective story, a very point of view story, a mystery, its got of course, you know, action and all that kind of stuff, but at the end of it, it is also incredibly personal for him [Batman]."
Despite having to halt production due to Covid-19, The Batman is slated to release in October of next year, and with the release of what was an amazing first trailer, I can only hope it meets its deadline.