Though The Batman is arguably the most anticipated DC movie currently lacking a release date, we haven’t had much concrete news to report. For now, it appears that director Matt Reeves will recast the title role, and the Penguin may feature prominently because he’s the villain rumored most often. But again, we’ve been given no official word from Warner Bros.
That being said, it’s very possible we could have much more to discuss early in 2019 because, don’t forget, Reeves is expected to turn in his second draft before the calendar changes. After that, all we can do is hope that somebody over in Hollywood has some loose lips and gives up the goods.
In the meantime, Mario-Francisco Robles over at Revenge of the Fans says he’s gotten word that The Batman could be very different from its cinematic predecessors insofar that it may even see a genre shift. In other words, expect much more of a detective movie than an an action flick.
Considering how even Robles himself admitted that he’s participated in a game of telephone of sorts, it’s recommended that you regard this stuff as rumor for the time being. Still, when evidence continues pointing toward films like Se7en and Zodiac being used for inspiration, then there’s good reason to listen up.
Furthermore, Robles used this quote from Reeves to hammer home the point:
“In all of my films, what I try to do, in an almost Hitchcockian sense, is use the camera and use the storytelling so that you become that character, and you emphasize with that point of view. There’s a chance to do an almost noir-driven, detective version of Batman that is point-of-view driven in a very, very powerful way, that hopefully is going to connect you to what’s going on inside of his head and inside of his heart.“
If that’s the case, then we’ll truly see a side of the Caped Crusader that previous movies really only hinted at. For the most part, they’ve all been action extravaganzas and, let’s face it, Christopher Nolan’s take on the character often wasn’t the smartest guy in the room – and he should be one of the smartest on the planet; the World’s Greatest Detective, indeed.
If you were to ask me, this is a great way for the studio to keep The Batman fresh while still having Bruce Wayne under the cowl. Even so, they’re going to need to incorporate characters like Nightwing and perhaps even go the Batman Beyond route somewhere down the line because there’s so much material to be mined that’s otherwise been left untouched.