There's been quite a bit of Batman-related news in recent weeks, such as Batman Day back on September 19th, a new LEGO Batwing set, and all the buzz surrounding Ben Affleck's Batman in Zack Snyder's Justice League. There was also bad news too as production for Matt Reeves' The Batman shut down after Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19, but has since resumed filming.
Now that the film seems to be back on track, we're beginning to hear more about we can expect from the DCEU's newest Batman and what director Matt Reeves plans to bring to the table.
NEWS
When speaking with Total Film, Robert Pattinson addressed his feelings towards portraying such an iconic character like Batman, saying he's actually enjoying the idea that he "can mess it up."
Yes, Pattinson actually says he likes the pressure that comes with everyone's expectations.
Pattinson cites the feeling back to his Twilight days, saying it makes him feel "confident,"
"There's a slightly different feeling when you know loads and loads of people are going to watch something you're working on... I weirdly enjoyed it during Twilight, the idea that you can mess it up. I guess I felt confident. I wanted to be on the big stage."
With films like Tenet and The Lighthouse on his resume, it's easy to forget that Pattinson is familiar with fandoms and the pressure of a franchise, having played Edward in the Twilight films years prior.
Even so, it's interesting to hear that he embraces the stakes of such big projects that mean so much to so many people.
In addition, The Batman's director Matt Reeves offered a little glimpse of what fans can expect from both his and Pattinson's take on this version and of the Batman story.
According to Reeves, The Batman will explore Bruce Wayne at "his best self,"
"It's not an origin tale, and you're meeting him in the early days... And for me, what's really important about this iteration is that you know a lot of the other stories are about how he had to master his fear and master himself in order to become Batman. And that in that Batman state, he's sort of in his best self."
From this statement, it's sounds like The Batman may be more of a character study, where the focus of the film is the character's growth and evolution as opposed to those aspects simply being a part of it.
Reeves also said The Batman will explore the titular character's journey to becoming the World's Greatest Detective:
"I hope what's different about what we're doing is try and do it in exactly that sort of manner and then of course the other things that are from the earlier history of the context of him being the world's greatest detective and how we got there."
If Reeves is going for something new and different, it sounds like he very well may succeed. We've heard talk about how this on-screen Batman will be more of a detective than what we're used to seeing from the Caped Crusader on the big screen.
WHAT THIS MEANS
Pattinson's attitude towards the pressure of this upcoming film is surprisingly refreshing and somewhat admirable. It certainly sounds like he's fully embraced both his and Reeves' take on the character.
In addition, Reeve's statements about the direction of The Batman are just as refreshing since we haven't seen this type of Batman film before, and it's sure to breathe new life into such a well-known character.
The Batman, which is currently slated for an October 1, 2021 release, is definitely one of the most intriguing projects currently in the works for the DCEU. With information like this coming from its director and star, it seems the hype Pattinson clearly enjoys will only continue to grow.
