Pattinson’s ‘Batman’ Will Explore Dark Knight’s Origins Without Being an Origin Story
Zack Sharf
Matt Reeves has confirmed the rumor his upcoming comic book tentpole “The Batman” will not be an origin story, a la Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.” Speaking to Nerdist, the writer-director behind “The Batman” said that his Caped Crusader adventure will eschew the traditional origin story format while still telling a story about Batman’s origins. Reeves’ interview suggests what rumors have teased for months now: “The Batman” will pick up with Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) during the early period of his superhero days and center around an early dash with evil that shapes his psychology and heroism.
“I wanted to do not an origin tale, but a tale that would still acknowledge his origins, in that it formed who he is,” Reeves said. “Like this guy, he’s majorly struggling, and this is how he’s trying to rise above that struggle. But that doesn’t mean that he even fully understands, you know. It’s that whole idea of the shadow self and what’s driving you, and how much of that you can incorporate, and how much of it you’re doing that you’re unaware of.”
Reeves said he wasn’t entirely sure Warner Bros. would accept his pitch for a Batman movie because it prioritized the humanism of the character over the action spectacle. “I’m going to pitch the version of Batman that I would do, which is going to have a humanist bent. And who knows if they’ll have any interest? If they don’t, then I won’t do it. And that’ll be okay,” Reeves said. “I was really lucky that they said yes.”
Production on “The Batman” began in the United Kingdom this year. Pattinson takes over the Caped Crusader role following Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s “Batman” movies, Christian Bale in Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy, and Ben Affleck in the DC Extended Universe films. Starring opposite Pattinson is an impressive ensemble cast that includes Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler, and more.
“There’s something in there that feels very psychological, very emotional,” Reeves said about the film, “and it felt like there was a way of exploring that along with the corruption in this place, Gotham. That feels very current. I think it always does. There’s almost no time when you can’t do a story about corruption. But today, it still seems incredibly resonant and maybe, from my perspective, maybe more so than maybe at other time.”
Warner Bros. is set to release’ “The Batman” in theaters June 25, 2021.
