The latest trailer for The Batman has sent hype levels skyrocketing. Reactions to that include: Matt Reeves’ take on Gotham looks incredible, this is one of the best Batsuits ever seen on film, Robert Pattinson looks set to silence his critics with a truly intense Dark Knight, and the new takes on classic characters appear perfect.
The February 2022 issue of Empire has a full feature on the movie, with a highlight being comments from Colin Farrell, Zoë Kravitz, and Paul Dano about the new interpretations of their characters.
Kravitz talked about Selina Kyle’s connection with cats:
“I really wanted to dive into who she is as a human being. There’s a great moment where you see she has all these tons of cats, and I really wanted to dive into the psychology of that. Why does she have all these cats? And when you see the film, you’ll see it’s completely connected to who she is as a human being. Oftentimes, when an actor wants a part, we tend to just nod and smile and say yes to everything. But I tried to do something a little different, for me anyway, which was to treat it as though I already had the part and give notes, so Matt could really get a sense of what it’s like to work with me.”
Farrell discussed evolving the Penguin into a new threat, compared him to Fredo from The Godfather, and hinted where he’ll take the role next:
There is a fracture at the core of Oz, which fuels his desire and ambition to rise within this criminal cabal. Where that rise goes… I would love to get to explore that in the second film, if that was ever to happen. … There’s no top hat. There is one scene where I have an umbrella in my hand, but it doesn’t have a trigger on the handle. He does have a limping gait, so there is somewhat of a waddle there. But Oz is not yet fully inhabiting the mythology of the Penguin and doesn’t take too kindly to the moniker.”
Paul Dano’s The Riddler looks to be the real threat in the movie, though sounds far more complex than previous depictions:
“I was surprised by it and frankly thought it was better than it had any right to be .As well as making contact with the universe, the archetype, the world, the fans, Matt’s delivering something that comes from a real place of gut and heart and psychology.”
Dano also hinted that he’ll have a trauma that mirrors Batman’s, saying:
“Some can use that fire for good, and some can use it for something else.”
By the time this releases, it’ll have been almost a decade since Batman appeared in a solo movie. I think we can all agree that’s far too long, so let’s hope this comes roaring out of the gate like a flaming Batmobile and kicks off a new era of terrorizing cowardly and superstitious criminals.
The Batman hits theaters on March 4th, 2022.