The bat is back! At DC Fandome 2020, a virtual convention for all things revolving around the DC comic and cinematic universes, DC released many trailers and teasers for highly anticipated films such as “Wonder Woman: 1984” and “The Suicide Squad.” A first look, though, was finally granted to fans about the most recent Hollywood casting that has everyone talking: Robert Pattinson as Batman.
Pattinson is best known for his role in the “Twilight” franchise as Edward Cullen. He is also known for playing Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” as well as Ephraim Winslow/Thomas Howard in the Oscar-nominated film “The Lighthouse.” Time and time again, Pattinson has proved his acting range from teen films to horror films, though many were still skeptical as to if he could pull off the batsuit like those that came before him.
Some fans may even be questioning why another “Batman” film needs to be made, and honestly, that is a valid question. From television shows to shorts to animated movies to iconic blockbusters and multiple movie series, the story of Batman is one that many know. Not only that, but there are countless spinoffs retelling stories of the Joker, Harley Quinn, Teen Titans and those involved with Batman. Why would another movie need to be made when there is already so much content?
Batman was created just before the mid-1900s in 1939, according to Britannica. Comics are typically published on a monthly basis, giving the character and franchise of Batman an incredible amount of content to work with. Blockbuster “Batman” trilogies could come out every year and still may not be enough to cover decades worth of lore.
The trailer holds a gritty tone, captivating an audience from the first few seconds where no music is present in the background, then opening with the sound of a roll of duct tape being unraveled, backed by Nirvana’s “Something in the Way.”
The cinematography is fluid, carrying the dark tones across shots from character to character, voiceovers playing in the background that speak hints of the plot without giving too much away. The first time I watched the trailer, I was taken aback by the main fight scene, which was done with one camera in one take. There is only one angle used to display Batman delivering punch after punch. It doesn’t pan away until the end, showing the blows through until he delivers what I predict to be a heavily quoted line in future cinema history: “I’m vengeance.”
For a movie centering on the Riddler, the man is never shown once. Catwoman is shown only a handful of times, and Penguin is only shown a single time. The trailer masters the art of giving nothing away, including us in the mystery that Batman is trying to solve.
Sources have stated that we won’t be receiving yet another origin story representing the gruesome loss of Bruce’s parents, but that he has had some time as Batman in this rendition. This isn’t the story of how Bruce became Batman; it is the story of how Batman became the world’s greatest detective, hence the Riddler. We see so many of his clues laid out as Batman is presented with them one by one, puzzling over their importance. While it isn’t quite clear yet, many avid comic book readers are trying to piece together what the mystery may be, what Batman is trying to detect.
Even though not much of the plot or cast has been revealed yet, since the movie is still in production, one thing is for sure and that is that Pattinson will give us a Batman like no other. Yes, he seems to be quite emo, even if you took away the hair and eyeshadow under the mask, but something tells me it could be as iconic as when Heath Ledger was first given his role as the Joker 12 years ago.
“The Batman” comes out Oct. 1, 2021, hopefully in a theater near you.