Since “The Batman” movie was first announced fans have been waiting at the edge of their seats in anticipation. It was originally revealed back in April 2016 that Ben Affleck was to write, direct and star in a solo Batman movie. Then Affleck left the director’s seat due to “creative differences”. Casting doubt as to whether or not we would be seeing Batman back on screen any time soon. Especially, after the terrible “Justice League” movie that had just been released.
Finally, in February 2017 it was announced that Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield”, “Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes”) would be directing “The Batman” movie. At this point, fans were still in the dark as to whether or not Affleck would still be returning as the caped crusader. That is until January 2019, when it was revealed that Affleck would be passing the torch to a younger Batman.
If the Justice League was more warmly received then this probably wouldn’t have been the case. Affleck wasn’t the problem. He genuinely made a good Batman! Despite this, due to circumstances outside of his control, the franchise was moving on. This then left fans with the question; who would be next to take the Batmobile for a spin?
Robert Pattinson The Next Batman
Then in June 2019, it was announced that Robert Pattinson would be playing the titular role in “The Batman”. Of course, fans had mixed reactions. Many only know Pattinson as Edward Cullen in the Twilight Saga, leading them to disapprove of the choice. Some may have fonder memories of him as Cedric Diggory. But anyone that’s really been keeping up with Pattinson will know that since Twilight he has been absolutely killing it in a slew of indie movies. Seriously, check those out…
He made a conscious decision to stay in the shadows away from any franchise movies. Instead starring in lesser-known films that gave him the opportunity to really show off his prowess as an actor. And just as he intended, these films really did allow him to fully demonstrate his vast range as an actor. Now, ironically he’s choosing to stay in the shadows for a different reason as he suits up as the dark knight. But shadows or not this a movie that will no doubt be seen worldwide. Meaning it will either be a tremendous success or an embarrassing flop.
There’s no doubt there are some that will still not believe Pattinson to be fit for the role. But I have a feeling that history is repeating itself. This is almost an echo of the events that unfolded when Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker (and we all know how that went). Whatever the case may be I’m sure I speak for a lot of people when I say I’m very excited to see how this plays out. Especially after being treated to a first look at him in the Batman costume the other day.
The Batman Costume
Eagle-eyed fans have already noticed a potential easter egg. If you look closely the bat symbol on his chest appears to be made out of a gun. Could this be the gun that was used to kill his parents?
Geek Fun news posted a tweet saying “In the Batman Comic Detective Comics # 1000 written by Kevin Smith, Bruce Wayne fused the gun with which Joe Chill murdered his parents to make a metal plate to protect his chest. Which seems to indicate that the logo of #TheBatman could be made by that same weapon.”
Not much else can be seen of the costume from the reveal. But from what we can see, the costume looks like it’s going to be a very practical yet faithful take on the costume.
Meet The Rest of The Cast
Keeping up with its titular character the other picks for “The Batman” movie cast are interesting to say the least. Some of the casting choices are just downright strange. But one positive we can definitely take from the cast list is that they are establishing a fan favourite filled rogues gallery straight of the bat. Only time will tell how well these characters will all fit together.
Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth
Without a shadow of a doubt one of the most esteemed members of the cast list is Andy Serkis. Serkis is renowned for his physicality, especially during his work with mo-cap characters such as Gollum from “Lord Of The Rings” and Caesar from “The Planet Of The Apes” franchise. As such his casting as Alfred suggests that we may see a more physically active version Alfred. He has gone on record saying that he will playing a younger Alfred than what is usually seen on screen and he also hinted at being bit more “hands-on” than the previous big screen renditions of the character. Maybe we will be getting an Alfred closer to the Alfred seen in the Gotham TV series played by Sean Pertwee.
Gotham documents Bruce’s younger years in Gotham City. Making Pertwee’s Alfred a lot younger than any previous on screen versions of the character. He’s also a far throw from the mild mannered Butler that can usually be seen in Batman movies. Pertwee’s Alfred is definitely a lot more “hands-on” than any Alfred we’ve seen before. He’s also the most popular Alfred we’ve had so far. So it goes without saying that the new Batman movie would at least make an effort to emulate this in some way.
Alfred has been portrayed on screen in live-action and animated films (not including TV) by a total of 23 actors so far, with Serkis set to be the 24th.
Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a. The Penguin
In what could be considered as one of the most conventionally weird choices on this list, Colin Farrell will be the next Penguin. And if Farrell’s on screen history predicates anything then this Penguin could be a vast contrast to any of the other versions of the character. Farrell being known for his action packed roles, suggests to us that this version of the character may be more of a physical match for Batman than the versions we’ve previously seen on screen.
However, Farrell is an actor quite capable of taking many forms. So, we could be wrong about this. Take for instance his role as country singer Tommy Sweet in “Crazy Heart” or his role as Bobby, the boss from hell in “Horrible Bosses”. Farrell has displayed his ability to lose himself in a role a number of times.
Also the set photos do display a visibly aged Penguin with grey hair. However, the pictures aren’t very clear and looks can be deceiving. With Farrell’s wide range as an actor, it’s hard to say for sure what direction will be taken with the character. But with his talent and Matt Reeves’ vision it will definitely something worth seeing. Check out the set photos below and let us know what you think.
Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman
Originally a villain, in modern renditions Catwoman usually walks the line between the good and the bad. She’s by no means evil but she is an expert thief who has a love for stealing. In terms of specifics, not a lot has been said about Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman. But she did refer to Robert Pattinson as her “partner in crime”. Strongly suggesting Catwoman and Batman will be fighting alongside each other. She also made a point of comparing Catwoman’s feminine power to Batman’s masculine power.
“I think femininity represents power, and I think it’s a different kind of power than masculine power. That’s something that’s really interesting about Batman and Catwoman. I think Batman represents a very kind of masculine power, and Catwoman represents very feminine power — slightly more complicated, and softer, too. I like the idea that you can be soft, you can be gentle and still be very powerful and still be very dangerous.”
Could this possibly mean we’re going to see Batman and Catwoman’s love hate relationship on the screen for the first time? We could just be clutching at straws but these might be hints at what to expect from the on-screen relationship between the two characters.
Kravitz also spoke about the immense pressure of taking on a character with such a “dedicated and opinionated” following. Although, she assured us that this pressure is a good thing that will only bring out the best in her. She also went on to say that while she does want to honour fans, in order for her to truly embody her vision of the character she needs to “go internal and forget about the rest of the world”.
John Turturru as Carmine Falcone
Carmine Falcone is a mob boss usually depicted as one of the biggest crime-lords in Gotham City. He is one of Batman’s frequent enemies but a longstanding friend of the Wayne family’s. Rumours have stated that this version of Falcone will take cues from “The Long Halloween” storyline. A story within which Falcone’s father brings his injured son to Thomas Wayne to be stitched up after being shot. Thomas reluctantly accepts leaving Falcone feeling as though he is forever in debt to the Wayne family. If this is the case, then we can also expect an appearance from Thomas Wayne in the movie.
Falcone has previously been played by Tom Wilkinson in “Batman Begins” and John Doman in the “Gotham” TV series.
Paul Dano as Edward Nashton a.k.a. The Riddler
In the comics, Edward Nashton changes his name to Edward Nigma (Get it E.Nigma?) when he takes the mantle of the villainous Riddler. Although, in “The Batman” he may not change his name, and instead just avoid the obvious pun giving us a more serious Riddler.
Reeves has promised a more gritty, grounded take on Batman focusing on his skills as a detective (more on that later). This is where The Riddler comes in. The Riddler poses more of a psychological challenge for Batman than a physical one. Hatching diabolical plans, leading him into situations that he can only think his way out of.
The Riddler previously appeared on the big screen in “Batman Forever’ played by Jim Carrey. This version of the character was extremely goofy and is likely to be the polar opposite of The Riddler we’re going to see in “The Batman”. Originally, Jonah Hill was reportedly in talks to take on the role of either The Riddler or The Penguin but obviously this never became a reality.
Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon
James Gordon is rose between the thorns in an otherwise corrupt system. Serving as a close ally to Batman and usually his main link to the GCPD. Historically, it has been Gordon who shines the famous Bat-Signal, striking fear into the hearts of criminals whilst also letting Batman know that there is trouble in Gotham City. Apparently, this Gordon is not yet the commissioner since Alex Fernse is set to star as a character called “Commissioner Pete Savage”. It’s currently unknown where he places in the GCPD hierarchy but he will no doubt at some point become commissioner. If not in this movie then later on in the franchise.
Gordon is an integral part of the Batman world and Wright has more than demonstrated his ability to handle such a strong role. Anyone questioning this should check out the critically acclaimed “Westworld” where he can be seen starring as the main protagonist, Bernard Lowe. Seriously, it’s amazing.
Peter Sarsgaard as District Attorney Gil Colson
Peter Sarsgaard’s character is surrounded by mystery. Some believe he may serve as a corrupt District Attorney. There were also many people speculating his character will be an alternative take on the villain Two-Face. But now his name has been revealed it would seem that this is not the case. What would be the point in changing his name? This is unclear, but it definitely feels like his wife is teasing the role with this instagram post.
Also, when talking about the movie on a podcast he began singing a line from the Pixies’ song “Broken Face”. Could he still be playing Two-Face? Gil Colson is not the name of any character from the comics but there is a Gil Mason that appeared in “Batman: The Animated Series”. Mason was a corrupt deputy commissioner of Gotham that was secretly reporting to none other than Two-Face himself. The story revolved around Mason and Two-Face framing Jim Gordon to be involved in Gotham’s criminal underworld.
If we’re to speculate using all this information there are a few possibilities as to what character Sarsgaard is playing. The first being he is simply just a new character, a corrupt DA for Batman and Gordon to overthrow, but why all the fuss? The second possibility is that the character will be some kind of alternative take on Two-Face with a different name. This would be the first time this has been done in a comic book movie. The final possibility is that they are bold face lying and he really is playing Harvey Dent. But again, why all the secrecy? If I had to take a guess I’d say the second option makes the most sense.
Production
As mentioned before, at the helm of “The Batman” in the directors seat we have Matt Reeves. Filming for “The Batman” in London, January 27th.
Composer Michael Giacchino will provide the score (if it’s anything like the music in the teaser we’re definitely in for a treat). Giacchino previously won an Oscar himself for his work on the 2009 Pixar film, “Up”.
Story
As far as specific plot points go we don’t know anything at this point in time. However, we have been given various hints on what we can expect. Reeves has promised a thrilling, emotional story “told from his [Batman’s] shoulders”. He said he wants to show Batman in “detective mode” something we haven’t seen much of in the movies.
“I’d love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it’s going to allow his character to have an arc that he can go through a transformation.” Stated Reeves.
As we can see from the casting we have quite a rogue’s gallery at play here. It seems like we’re going to get a gritty, dark, psychological crime story. Following the world’s greatest detective as he unravels a deep conspiracy of some sort.
Skarsgaard has said the movie has “a raw power to it, a raw emotionality.” stating “It is not sanitized,”. Comparing the movie to the band, the Pixies’ music style.
The movie is also apparently set in the DCEU. But its unknown how it connects to any previous movies (or in some cases how they connect to each other for that matter).
The Batman is set to release 4 March 2022.
