Fans of comic books/superheroes had a feast throughout this summer, and it came to a fever pitch over the weekend. DC FanDome finally arrived and gave first looks/reveals/announcements over the biggest projects in the newly-emphasized DC multiverse. Video games were revealed, multiple DC films were focused on, and of course comics. However, the grand finale of the DC virtual con seemed to give an even-further injection of hype around the world.
Matt Reeves' The Batman, headed for an October 1, 2021 release and the first in a planned trilogy, had a with the director and co-writer giving ionate insight into his spin-off series). While it's a tad over a year out, it generated plenty of things to be optimistic and thrilled over. Here are seven reasons we're excited and three we're nervous.
Excited: A Not-Yet-Seen Bruce Wayne
With a new lead, this film will be exploring a new take on the Batman character. He's a deeply-layered, complex character psychologically, and different movie, TV, and comic adaptations took different takes, but there are core traits that are retained across the most beloved iterations. This Bruce/Batman is a young one, and given the trailer, is one that has an intense amount of rage bottled up.
It'll--ideally--aim to touch on the humanity of Bruce and how he's struggling with his mission of righteousness while not succumbing to the seeming catharsis he gets out of physical venting and punishment of the guilty. By the looks of it, this version looks like a man whose perhaps more of a recluse, rather than Bale's version that's mastered the public, self-centered playboy. Robert Pattinson's iteration seems like he's regularly gone at least 48-72 hours straight without sleep, running purely on adrenaline.
Nervous: Potential 'R' Rating (Part 1)
In the lead-up to DC FanDome, there were rumblings going around from Matt Reeves talking about it on the , and a previous interview with Robert Pattinson himself, that The Batman could be the first theatrical Batman movie to be R-rated. This could be a reaction (that could prove good or bad) to the massive success of Joker. While the rating certainly frees up some more creative liberty in of themes and tones to tackle, it could backfire if not handled maturely.
If everything else didn't suggest it enough, Batman's vicious beat-down of that (Joker-inspired?) thug really gave fans something more to think about. While exciting, this kind of violence could come off as gratuitous and tasteless.
Excited: Potential 'R' Rating (Part 2)
Conversely, a potentially R-rated theatrical Batman film could be a thoroughly, profoundly compelling story that fans have yet to see for the best reasons. The best R-rated comic book movie released is arguably the superb Logan. It was an intense, grounded, bleak, yet mature film that brought out the fullest extent of the fabled Wolverine's pained state of mind, and ultimately let his beautiful sense of humanity/comion shine as it reached its climax.
That reason alone could be enough to be a great way for Reeves and Batman. Likewise, it could take full advantage of this to tell a proper noir-mystery thriller.
Nervous: Another Killer
While Matt Reeves eloquently expressed in his own words in the FanDome his ion for the character and his inner workings, the aforementioned beat-down (while thrilling to see) could create a level of concern. Every major/notable live-action iteration of Batman has unfortunately killed before--even in the revered Nolan and Burton movies--but here's hoping this will change.
Although - we could see a Batman that doesn't kill, but surely puts criminals in extended stays at hospitals. Batman's signature moral line is to not resort to what his enemies do, creating a fascinating mental and moral conflict within him, so it would be great to see that properly realized.
Excited: Rogues Gallery Origins
Thankfully, Reeves has made clear that The Batman will not be another origin story. While that's been wonderfully done in the past (Batman Begins), fans have surely seen enough of Thomas and Martha get gunned down and those pearls fall on the concrete. But what's a welcome twist is that the film will essentially serve as a rogues gallery origin.
Riddler is just emerging as a threat and Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin is not yet the infamous criminal kingpin. It's unclear if Selina Kyle/Catwoman will be a villain here, but serving these characters as proto-version supervillains should prove interesting.
Nervous: Cast Size
Taking a look at the cast list, it seems like it truly lives up to the 'ensemble' category. While this should prove to be a major asset for the movie, a potential threat is it being too bloated with characters. Specifically, being crowded with too many major characters.
Obviously Batman is the central focus, but there's also Alfred, Gordon, Riddler, Catwoman, Penguin, and Carmine Falcone. Hopefully the film allocates time properly across the most crucial players to the story.
Excited: Influences
When it comes to making a high-quality adaptation of a comic book/superhero on film, taking tasteful influence from the source materials is--to an extent--crucial. Reeves is doing as such, although a pleasant surprise is that a particular deep-cut of a Batman comic book is inspiring the film. That being Ego.
Ego delves hard into the psyche of Bruce Wayne and sees him clash with the psychologically-monstrous manifestation of the beast that is the Batman on how they should operate. Naturally, this could easily create an enthralling exploration of Bruce's inner conflicts.
Excited: A Proper Detective-Crime Thriller
One of Batman's epithets, alongside Dark Knight/Caped Crusader, is that of the World's Greatest Detective. Yet, major theatrical films barely explored this key aspect, if at all. Batman is a super-powerless superhero, but another major asset of his that sets him apart from many others is his genius-level intellect and the application of it to detective work.
The Dark Knight briefly touched on this, but didn't emphasize it much. Given Riddler is the main supervillain, we finally get to see a proper, noir detective-crime thriller plot that challenges Batman mentally, as well as physically.
Excited: A Proper Live-Action Riddler
Much like Heath Ledger revolutionized Joker, Paul Dano seems poised to do the same for Riddler, and it's about time. Edward Nygma/Nashton is one of the best supervillains in Batman's rogues gallery, but his live-action adaptations left much to be desired. Of course, this is since the last notable version of him was in one of the panned Schumacher movies, Batman Forever.
Jim Carrey played him, giving a typical '90s-Carrey performance that isn't fondly ed. The Batman looks to make Riddler actually threatening, giving him a Zodiac-killer interpretation, which fits the tones and themes being set up for this movie perfectly.
Excited: The Combat
The closest we've gotten to see a fully fleshed-out, hand-to-hand martial arts combatant Batman was in the warehouse scene in Batman v Superman. But given the taste of what's been shown in the teaser trailer for The Batman, we might see even more of that, much to fans' delight. Some may have been concerned that, while a long-awaited focus on sleuthing would come, combat would take a back seat.
Yet, in one fell swoop, we witnessed a raw, angry Batman dismantle a thug, demonstrating the vicious, precise martial arts training we expect. It was all done with a ferocity even Alfred would've been impressed--albeit terrified--by.
