The Batman is the latest addition to the ever-growing Batman film franchise, and it finally marks the debut of famous English actor Robert Pattinson in the role that made him a household name in his home country: Batman.
The film follows Batman’s journey from street vigilante to public icon, with Warner Bros. aiming to commemorate the 89th anniversary of the character’s first appearance in a series of comic books. Directed by Matt Reeves, the film stars Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, alongside Hollywood A-listers Alicia Vikander and Michael Caine, amongst others.
Why Is It Important That It Is Warner Bros.’ Debut Film?
It is well-established that Warner Bros. has a close working relationship with DC Comics, and it seems that they have been keen to translate that into feature films. The studio has released several titles on the big screen, including Oscar-winning classics like The Dark Knight and Suicide Squad, as well as more recent critical and commercial successes like Wonder Woman, Looper, and The Conjuring.
It is therefore significant that The Batman is a Warner Bros. film, as it heralds the studio’s partnership with DC Comics, and this character’s transition from page to screen. One of the most famous and longest-lasting partnerships in comics, in fact, and it began back in 1939 with the publication of the very first issue of Detective Comics.
Summing Up So Far
The films in the Batman series to date have received universally positive reviews, and it looks set to continue with The Batman. Having said that, the film does depart from the usual formula in one important regard: instead of being set in Gotham City, the new film will see Batman travel to War-torn Ukraine to investigate a possible link between a local gang war and the legendary Ra’s Al Ghul, AKA The Demon.
While the city of Kiev doesn’t feature in the comics, it is home to some of the most haunting and memorable images in all of horror and fantasy film: the battle scenes between the military and the rebellious street gangs that rained terror down on the city in 1962’s Doctor Zhivago, and the post-apocalyptic landscape that served as an inspiration for dystopian fiction, in the shape of The Road Warrior‘s dystopian Mel Gibson.
In a nutshell, then, The Batman looks set to be another great addition to the hugely successful Batman series.