The Batman promises to be a DC Comics movie unlike any before it, with Matt Reeves delving into what makes Bruce Wayne the World's Greatest Detective. This will see the hero pitted against twisted serial killer, The Riddler, but what sort of crimefighter will this iteration of the Caped Crusader be exactly?
We've seen Batman kill on screen before - perhaps most controversially in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - but Robert Pattinson shared his take on that "no-kill" rule while talking to Premiere. "There is this rule with Batman: he must not kill. It can be interpreted in two ways," the actor explained. "Either he only wants to inflict the appropriate punishment, or he wants to kill and his self-control prevents him from doing so." That's a pretty twisted take, but actually makes a lot of sense.
The actor would go on to describe how he pictured Batman's war on crime in Gotham. "I imagined it that way from the rehearsal of the first fight, I thought it was funnier: something in him just wanted to slit the guy's throat! I told myself that if he spends his nights chasing criminals, it is impossible that he does not take pleasure in it. He suffers and it is a desire that overwhelms him."
"I'm sure in this first fight, he manages to convince himself that every guy in front of him is the one who killed his mother [Laughs]," he continued, "and so that allows him to vent all his rage."
Pattinson would go on to talk more about this particular interpretation of Batman, hinting at a Bruce Wayne who is living no better than the criminals he battles rather than the lavish playboy in Wayne Manor we know from the comic books. "The interesting thing is that this Batman practically lives in the gutter. He's nowhere at home except on the street when he's wearing the suit."
"He lives a criminal life, but without committing crimes! I felt like I could get something out of that," the actor added. "Anyway, I could only play a superhero if he was really dirty!"
This certainly sounds like a whole new take on Batman, though that's no bad thing at this point in the Dark Knight's big screen adventures. The sooner we get to see Pattinson's take on this character, the better, and if that first clip was any indication, this movie is going to be an insane experience.
The Batman is set to be released in theaters on March 4.