DC FanDome dropped so many announcements that I’ve been soaking in all the excitement rather than rushing to post stuff. Arguably, the biggest of these was the first teaser trailer for The Batman starring Robert Pattinson in the lead role and directed by Matt Reeves. The trailer maintains the dark, brooding aesthetic associated with Batman films and Gotham City while giving fans plenty to munch on for the next year or so until the movie fully drops. And there’s no denying that Pattinson looks intense, especially in that final shot.
I reported last year (not exclusively, of course) that Reeves intends to go for a noir tone with The Batman, focusing more on his detective skills. The trailer seems to confirm that. A series of murders are occurring and the killer is obsessed with the Batman and his lies, presumably the facade that Bruce Wayne puts off in front of the general public to conceal his persona. The killings seem to tie back to Paul Dano’s The Riddler although it’ll lead Batman into pursuing investigations that will see him interrogate a multitude of villains overall, including Colin Farrell’s Penguin, who we might have spotted in the trailer. Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman also makes an appearance, sparring with Battinson reflecting their love-hate relationship from the comics.
Pattinson looks every bit as intense and convincing in his body language as The Batman. Walter Hamada confirmed in the DC FanDome panel that they’re going for a Year 2 version, which still means he hasn’t had enough experience in the field and can tend to lose it when he sees criminals. The sequence where he mercilessly beats up a goon both echoes the vengeance and rage that Batman carries thanks to the pointless murder of his parents while also gelling well with the angry, brooding Batman that Ben Affleck had portrayed, although the two are in their own universes now.
Overall, I am super psyched for The Batman. Matt Reeves helming it was reason enough to be confident in the project but after this first look I can honestly say, The Batman will most definitely be the biggest comic book movie of 2021. The DCEU is suddenly looking bright again and I can’t wait for Pattinson to shine and Reeves to get a stab at finishing a whole trilogy of Batman films. As fans, should that happen, we’re pretty set for the next few years.
The Batman is set for release on October 1, 2021, having been delayed from its original June 25, 2021 release date.
