It was only a matter of time before someone decided to cash in on the Robert Pattinson/Batman frenzy. And it seems like they did, with plans for a whole new trilogy of Batman movies. So without further ado, read on for more!
The Setup
The first installment of this new trilogy, aptly named The Batman, will arrive in theaters on June 25, 2021. The movie will adapt one of the most popular comic books of all time, and will introduce the world to the brilliant director Matt Reeves (Clone Wars, War for the Planet of the Apes). The screenplay was written by Reeves and David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight, Man of Steel).
The film will star an absolutely transformed Robert Pattinson, who will play the Caped Crusader. After winning an Oscar for best supporting actor in 2019 for his portrayal of the Wizard in the critically acclaimed The Batman, Pattinson is set to take on a whole new role. So much so that he reportedly turned down a role in the next installment of the Star Wars saga in order to audition for Batman. The studio decided to go another way and cast a newcomer in the role. While it’s great to see Hollywood finally realize how incredible an actor Pattinson is, it’s also sad to see yet another role pass up on such a talented and versatile actor.
What Will the Batman Look Like?
If you’re a superhero fan, then you’ll be happy to know that the Batman looks absolutely incredible. And even if you’re not a huge superhero fan, you have to admit that Matt Reeves did an incredible job with the aesthetics of the character. This is especially impressive since he had to achieve that with a $160 million budget, which is almost as much as Black Panther. One can only imagine what Zack Snyder could have done with that kind of budget.
The main character’s costume is one of the most iconic in comics. Inspired by the legendary Jack “Batman” Baucom’s design from the 1960s, Reeves decided to go with a fairly traditional look. But despite its simplicity, it’s quite an effective costume overall. On one hand, it’s hard to dress a whole movie in black and white. But on the other hand, if you’re going to be playing a character that’s based on a comic book, then why not go for it and play it how it was intended?
The main difference between Baucom’s and Reeves’ designs is that the latter includes a bright yellow belt, which visually connects the character to the animated series, The Batman. The Batsuit is one piece and allows for a good amount of mobility. The sleeves are also attached to the arms with flexible materials, which allow for all sorts of different stunts. And last but not least, the cowl is movable, which allows for full freedom of motion. While there’s no word on how exactly Reeves plans on utilizing this particular feature of the Batsuit, we can only imagine the possibilities.
The cape on the other hand, is something else entirely. Made out of the same lightweight and highly mobile material as the Batsuit, the cape will help the Caped Crusader in his acrobatics. And it’s not just the cape that’s based on the animated series, but the whole outfit. One could easily mistake Matt Reeves’ Batman for a superhero (especially with those famous orange gloves). So it seems like the director took inspiration from a variety of sources to create a new interpretation of the Caped Crusader. While it’s definitely not a perfect fit, it’s still pretty cool to see how much effort went into making the Batman look truly unique and stylish.
A Whole New Take On the Villain
While most people will be talking about the aforementioned Batman, the fact that he’s not the primary protagonist of the film will also be garnering plenty of attention. In fact, it’s such a departure from what we’re used to that it might even be a little bit jarring. It’s not often that we get to see the villains fight alongside their victims. And when we do, it’s usually for a laugh or to provide some sort of catharsis. But in Robert Pattinson’s Batman, the audience will get a glimpse of a different kind of confrontation. One that makes you wonder if the Joker and Batman aren’t actually on the same side in this movie!
The Joker in particular will be receiving a whole lot of screen time. For those poor souls who didn’t see the awesome Batman show, the Joker’s been portrayed by several different actors over the years. But for the most part, he’s always remained pretty much the same. A colorful, cheery chap who loves to laugh at the misfortune of others. He usually starts of as the good guy (at least for the most part), but someone always manages to twist his arm and get him to go on a murderous rampage. It’s probably the most recognizable and one of the most popular villainous characteristics is his laugh, which is so infectious that even non-superhero fans might burst out laughing.
In Robert Pattinson’s Batman, the Joker will be played by the incredible Jared Leto. While it’s great to see the character finally getting his due recognition, it came as something of a surprise to see Leto portray the Clown Prince of Crime. The actor is probably best known for his performance in the surprisingly touching drama film, Dallas Buyers Club. However, it was his work in the Netflix series, Marriage Therapy that really put him on the map. And it’s Leto’s powerful portrayal of the Joker that will make it hard for anyone to take their eyes off him during the entire movie.
More Than Meets The Eye
Speaking of which, there’s more than meets the eye in Robert Pattinson’s Batman. In addition to providing a new take on the cinematic interpretation of the Caped Crusader, the film will also be a showcase for Matt Reeves’ direction and cinematography. Especially since there are several shades of gray in the character’s persona. For example, there are times when he’s clearly working with the ulterior motives of billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne, but there are other occasions where he appears to be working totally independently.
In order to illustrate that, let’s take a quick trip back in time to the year 1889, where we meet the real-life inspiration for Batman, Jack “The Dark Knight” Baucom. He was a brilliant but troubled young man who aspired to be a great detective and make a name for himself. Unfortunately, his mental health issues got the best of him and he eventually wound up in an insane asylum. He died there a few years later, at the age of 35. However, not before he wrote a series of books about his adventures as a detective. One of those books is titled, The Adventures of Batman, which served as the basis for Matt Reeve’s interpretation of the character. In the decades since then, the Batman has become an iconic figure in both comics and Hollywood. So much so that today, people mostly know him by his secret identity.
Thematically speaking, the Batman movie will draw inspiration from all of Jack Baucom’s books, but especially from the last one, The Final Chapter. The story follows Batman’s battle with the notorious King Tut, who is also known as the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter is a villain who specializes in mass confusion and destruction. Not exactly the type of guy you’d want to cross paths with, let alone work with. But that’s exactly what Jack Baucom and the Batman do at the start of the film. In order to thwart the Mad Hatter’s plan, the two must work together and manage to solve the mystery of the Mad Hatter’s connection to Tut. This will not be an easy task, as the Mad Hatter is one of the greatest villains in comic book history.
The Ultimate Showdown
The last and probably the most exciting part of the movie is the ultimate showdown. For those of you who’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, you’ll finally get to see Batman take on the Joker. And for those of you who are unfamiliar with the character, or have only seen him in films where he was physically battling other bad guys, then this part will be completely unbelievable. Even for comic book fans, it’s hard to imagine that these two won’t just walk away unscathed (well, aside from the expected damage to both their bodies).
The Joker’s been responsible for several serious crimes, but he’s always managed to laugh his way out of it. Which is why he’s always remained one step ahead of Batman and the police. For the most part, Batman’s used to stopping criminals through smarts rather than brute force. But this time, he and the Joker will finally get to settle the score once and for all. And it looks like they’ve both prepared quite the surprise for us. Something to make us wonder if laughter is actually the best way to deal with horrible events.