The Batman arrived in theaters this month to widespread critical acclaim, and after taking in over $600 million at the worldwide box office (and counting), we're looking at a new DC franchise for Warner Bros.
This is evident from the recent news that The Penguin is getting his own HBO Max series, and while there's still no word on a sequel, you have to believe it's already in the works. Getting to further explore what makes Bruce Wayne tick promises to be a fascinating experience, and if what we saw in The Batman is any indication, there are still many places Robert Pattinson can take the character.
Many great actors have portrayed the Caped Crusader over the years, but we don't think it's unfair to say that Pattinson is the best big screen version of Batman to date. Don't believe us? Well, we've compiled some of the reasons why we think this Dark Knight is far and beyond better than his predecessors, while also diving into where his story could be heading.
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6. Is Bruce Wayne Crazy?
In The Batman, Matt Reeves doesn't shy away from teasing the possibility that Bruce Wayne's crusade to save Gotham City could be rooted both in his own trauma and mental illness. That's not something we've seen a lot of before now on screen, and is a bold move for the franchise.
After all, we quickly learn Bruce's mother, Martha Wayne, ended up in Arkham Asylum and that his grandmother killed her husband before turning the gun on herself. Throw in the fact that he keeps a journal not all that different to The Riddler's, and it's easy to see why many believe the billionaire dressing up as a bat to fight crime is down to him being, to put it bluntly, completely batsh*t crazy.
We're not expecting Bruce to end up alongside The Joker in Arkham, but exploring the hero's mindset and the notion that he's not all that different to those he battles has tonnes of fascinating implications. Pattinson does a superb job of teasing the violence within this character, throwing in subtle facial expressions and moments through his performance that hint at this Caped Crusader's issues.
5. Striking Fear Into Gotham's Criminals
We've seen criminals show fear when confronted by Batman, but never has the Dark Knight struck terror into their hearts the way Pattinson's iteration of the character does. In the opening of the movie, we see the Bat-Signal alone is enough to make crooks believe The Batman is waiting in the shadows, and that's exactly the impact we've been waiting to see this vigilante have.
Despite how the movie ends (and we'll get to that), we're optimistic this franchise will continue to explore how Gothan's thugs and criminals perceive the hero as a creature to fear.
At first glance, many of you might argue that Pattinson isn't the most intimidating guy. Well, it's to his credit that he managed to make Batman feel terrifying in this movie, and not many actors can say the same. In fact, this is the scariest take on the Caped Crusader yet, and he feels like a force of nature.
4. No Guns, No Killing
Well, it's about damn time. Michael Keaton's Batman killed criminals, as did Christian Bale's (leaving Ra's al Ghul to die on the train was murder, plain and simple). Ben Affleck's Dark Knight, meanwhile, was pretty much a full-blown serial killer and even used guns to blow away the criminals he faced.
That might have made for some badass action scenes, but it goes against everything this character stands for in the comic books. Not only does Batman have a strict no-kill rule, but he detests guns - no great surprise after what happened to his parents. The Batman makes it clear that this version of the hero follows this code, leading to some of this movie's best and most memorable moments.
Along with inspiring Selina Kyle to not make a decision she'll regret, Batman makes it clear to Jim Gordon that he doesn't appreciate him drawing a gun, and that's what we want to see from the hero. None of this feels forced in the movie, with Pattinson's droll delivery selling his interaction with Gordon, for example.
3. A More Believable Batman
This Batman doesn't have many gadgets, and he certainly doesn't have a Batcave full of Batsuits, fancy vehicles, and sci-fi technology. For some fans, that's a disappointment, and we get it.
However, putting the gadgets aside for a grounded take on the Dark Knight that makes him feel like a truly authentic, real person is no bad thing. Just seeing Bruce Wayne carry his costume around with him is surprisingly awesome, with that scene on the subway of him applying his eye makeup and taking his cowl out of a holdall showing a side to this character that's never been shown on screen before.
In previous movies, we either got elaborate "suit up" sequences or saw the hero go from Bruce Wayne to Batman in a matter of seconds. That's not the case here, and while we would like this franchise to embrace the comic books as the Caped Crusader gains more experience, Batman being just a normal guy in a suit rather than someone capable of beating up Superman just makes sense.
2. World's Greatest Detective
We're not sure Batman is exactly the "World's Greatest Detective" in this movie, but he's certainly on his way there. Most of this movie is devoted to the hero cracking this case, and it's a refreshing change of pace to see the Dark Knight use brawn and brains in order to save the day and defeat The Riddler.
Some might feel it's repetitive, but the sequel should be another detective story, albeit one that plays out with a different sort of villain. Perhaps instead of being a killer, the next big bad can be a thief, for example. Whatever the case may be, it would be a shame to move on from this take on the character.
Pattinson's Batman may have been one step behind The Riddler, but he still came across like a worthy opponent. The next villain being someone the vigilante can actually fight would be a bonus, and you can still do a detective story even without a mystery like the one we got here.
1. A Symbol Of Hope
After The Riddler very nearly brings Gotham City to its knees, Batman realises that striking fear sends a message that runs the risk of inspiring more people like Edward Nashton. As a result, the hero comes to the conclusion that he also needs to be a symbol of hope, stepping out of the shadows to help the people who also call his city home realise he's fighting for them.
It's unclear what exactly that means for the vigilante moving forward, and while this action might bring him into the light, we hope he'll continue to be a creature of the night as well. Chances are Reeves will explore both sides of Batman, and that's an exciting prospect on a number of levels.
The fact that it's so easy to believe this iteration of Bruce Wayne can protect his city when the sun is up and down says a lot about how versatile Pattinson is as an actor, and no version of this character has really managed to do the same (the closest we've come is probably Batman in The Dark Knight Rises).