While it remains unclear if Henry Cavill will be replaced as the DCEU’s Superman, Ben Affleck is definitely being replaced as its Batman. Since Affleck departed the role, his long-delayed Caped Crusader solo movie was retooled as a standalone reboot that would introduce a new Batman to the DCEU.
Robert Pattinson has been cast as the new Bruce Wayne, while Cloverfield director Matt Reeves has been tapped to write and direct. There’s a lot of buzz surrounding this movie, but the DCEU has let fans down in the past. So, here are five reasons to be excited for The Batman, and five common DCEU problems it could have.
Exciting: Matt Reeves Has A Noir-Influenced Vision
It seems like Warner Bros. is taking the same approach with Matt Reeves on The Batman that they took with Patty Jenkins on Aquaman: allowing a visionary director a lot of creative control to bring their singular vision of a DC icon to the screen.
Reeves has said that his vision for The Batman has been influenced by classic film noirs, which bodes well for his cinematic portrayal of the crime-ridden streets of Gotham.
Common DCEU Problem: Non-Threatening Villains
A lot of the DCEU’s villains thus far have failed to be all that intimidating. Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor was laughable, Jared Leto’s Joker was even more laughable, and Steppenwolf was a one-dimensional soundbite-spouting CGI beast.
Batman has we’ve been let down before.
Exciting: The Casting Is Incredible
Only time will tell how well-suited each actor is to their roles, but the actors chosen for The Batman seem to be pretty perfect choices for their characters. Anyone who doesn’t think Robert Pattinson will make a great Bruce Wayne should check out his portrayal of a jaded billionaire in Cosmopolis.
Zoë Kravitz is committed to playing Catwoman as a symbol of femininity to complement Batman’s symbol of masculinity, while Paul Dano is sure to bring the same “wiry weirdo” vibe seen in Prisoners to his performance as the Riddler.
Common DCEU Problem: Overuse Of Slow-Motion In Action Scenes
In a tradition started by Zack Snyder and continued by Patty Jenkins and James Wan, the action sequences in the DCEU tend to overuse slow-motion.
The occasional slow-mo shot can be cool, but when it’s overused, it loses all its impact and the action comes off as a series of snapshots as opposed to a coherent, let alone visceral cinematic sequence.
Exciting: It’ll Feature Batman’s Little-Seen Detective Skills
In the comics, Batman is an incredibly skilled detective, and often uses his detective skills to chase villains (and drive the plot), but in the movies, these skills have barely been touched upon. Reportedly, Matt Reeves’ noir-tinged take on Batman will heavily involve the character’s sleuthing abilities.
Fans might finally get to see a superhero nicknamed “The World’s Greatest Detective” actually doing some detective work. And the Riddler is the perfect villain to explore that side of the character.
Common DCEU Problem: Needlessly Dark Tone
Ever since Zack Snyder set the house style for the DC Extended Universe, the franchise has had a needlessly dark tone. Beginning with Snyder’s bleak, cynical, nihilistic, and frankly uncharacteristic depiction of Superman in Man of Steel, the DCEU has been veiled in darkness.
Wonder Woman was unmistakably Patty Jenkins’ movie, but the DCEU’s signature grim visual style felt like a chain preventing it from really taking off. The Batman should be a dark movie, but it shouldn’t be unnecessarily dark; let the darkness come organically.
Exciting: It’s About A Young, Inexperienced Caped Crusader
Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of Batman, which has already been affectionately nicknamed “Battinson,” will reportedly find the superhero as a 30-year-old. He’ll be new to fighting crime, which will contrast nicely with the grizzled veteran Batman played by Ben Affleck in previous DCEU entries.
The Bat’s lack of experience could be used as an interesting dramatic tool. We’ve seen dozens of set pieces where Batman swoops in and cleans up a room full of bad guys in no time. It’ll be a fun change of pace to see him get his butt kicked.
Common DCEU Problem: Painfully Obvious Reshoots
Warner Bros. has an annoying tendency to give directors creative freedom up to a point, then sink their hooks in and reshoot their work, resulting in a terribly disted and inconsistent movie that pleases no one.
Hopefully, the studio suits are on the same page as Matt Reeves with The Batman and they won’t enforce a ton of reshoots prior to its release.
Exciting: It’s Disconnected From A Wider Universe (For Now)
There’s every chance that Robert Pattinson’s Batman will eventually the Justice League on the big screen, but for now, he’s being kept in his own world. The Batman will be a standalone piece, disconnected from the wider DCEU.
The wider universe will still be out there, but The Batman will keep the focus squarely on the Dark Knight and his street-level crime-fighting in Gotham City, which is a promising start to getting the character back to his roots.
Common DCEU Problem: Favoring Easter Eggs Over Plot Points
Most prominently seen in that has yet to happen.
The Batman might be disconnected from a wider universe, but it will invariably contain some Easter eggs teasing the future of the DCEU. That’s perfectly fine, as long as they don’t take over the whole movie.
