Now that Spider-Man: No Way Home is out and dominating the box office, it will soon be time to turn our attention to another anticipated superhero movie, The Batman. Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse, Tenet) as the latest actor to assume the role of The Dark Knight. Reeves has already promised that The Batman will be grittier and more intimate than other entries in the franchise, but also that it will also be more psychological than what we’ve seen in the past. Naturally, Pattinson is in charge of delivering on that front, and it sounds like he has plans for Bruce beyond Reeves’ “standalone” film, and possibly into a Batman trilogy.
Recently while speaking with Empire Magazine, producer Dylan Clark told the outlet that their Batman project is the type that can serve as the start to something bigger. “As the first standalone Batman in ten years, the hope is we can lay a foundation that you can build stories upon,” Dylan commented. As it happens, we already know that several HBO Max spin-off series are in development, including a Gotham PD series, and one revolving around The Penguin starring Colin Farrell.
With so many plans being made beyond the core film, where does this leave Pattinson and his version of Bruce Wayne? According to Pattinson, he could see Bruce evolving, and he might have a plan for getting a new Batman trilogy across on screen. “I’ve made a kind of map for where Bruce’s psychology would grow over two more movies,” he says. “I would love to do it.”
I have a sneaking suspicion that Pattinson will get the chance to enact his plan. Granted there are no concrete plans for more movies just yet, but we all know how these things go. The Batman will make a metric bat-ton of money, the studio will celebrate, then announce plans for more. Again, it hasn’t happened yet, I’m simply saying that it will. Mark my words.
When it comes to Reeves, he’s not ready to look beyond The Batman‘s initial release just yet. “I’ve only ever made each movie as a passion project,” he explains. “This even more so, because when you know something has been done well before, and is so beloved, you can’t just come in and sleepwalk through it. You have to shoot for something. We’re trying to leave our mark on this.”
Per the film’s official synopsis, here is what The Batman is all about:
“It’s not just a call… It’s a warning. From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne. Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies—Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens. When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.”
Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Barry Keoghan, Amber Sienna, and Rupert Penry-Jones, in addition to others.
Do you think Reeves, Pattinson, and company will make a new Batman trilogy? If they do make a sequel, who do you think the villain(s) of the next chapter should be? I would love to see either Scarecrow or Clayface become a part of Reeves’ series. I could also go for Killer Croc being a part of the mix. Oh, or maybe Reeves could introduce Andrea Beaumont, aka The Phantasm. Getting her involved could muck with Bruce and Selina’s relationship, making for some great drama. Let us know who you would like to see join Reeves’ Bat-verse in the comments section below.