With a release date that’s as far out as 2021, director Matt Reeves wouldn’t be faulted for still having some work to do on The Batman’s shooting script. Rebooting the series for Robert Pattinson’s fresh approach obviously takes a lot of work, even despite the project being on the books for years.
One could think the shakeups of recent years would have left that script with some need of sprucing up, but as recent news has confirmed, the script to The Batman is finished. It reportedly has been for some time, as it was the only way Pattinson got a meeting out of Reeves in the first place.
As it turns out, this new version of the story behind Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight was completed before Robert Pattinson was even officially met with to discuss his potential role in The Batman. The actor would know that fact better than anyone other than Matt Reeves, as he apparently had been nudging the director of War for the Planet of the Apes to consider him for the role for some time.
During a Variety profile piece showcasing Robert Pattinson and his recent journey with director Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse, these facts were revealed in short succession. But knowing that the script is now completed, there are tons of questions and rumors that start to resurface.
One big query is whether or not the rumored villains that have been listed as potential antagonists for The Batman are indeed valid candidates for the darker side of the film’s story. With rumors going as far as specifying that two of the several forces of evil slated for the film’s oppositional roster were going to be Catwoman and Penguin, those could have come from a finished and completed script.
Another interesting question to ask would be whether or not The Batman will use The Joker in its lineup, and whether or not it would be the same version we’re about to see in the Joaquin Phoenix film Joker.
While Robert Pattinson was recently cited as making remarks that seemed to hint that this could be the case, Joker director Todd Phillips’ remarks on how the character will be “reinvented again” would seem to suggest that we won’t be seeing the R-rated DC film connected to The Batman. Instead, it would more than likely stay in the PG-13 wheelhouse.
It all feels like it’s coming together, what with Robert Pattinson getting used to being in the Batsuit, and Matt Reeves collaborator/hopeful composer for The Batman Michael Giacchino saying that what he’s seen from the film is “pretty darn awesome”. All that’s missing is some sort of advanced look to tease the general public about how good the film looks, but considering the history of the DC film universe, it might be better to hold off until those cameras start rolling.
For now, we know that The Batman is happening, and his story is completed and on the page. Barring the eventual rewrites and reshoots that’ll happen during production, it’s good to know that a roadmap is already laid out, and the gears are turning in the new Gotham City.
The Batman takes its place as the most recent interpretation of the Caped Crusader on June 25, 2021. Meanwhile, Robert Pattinson can next be seen in The Lighthouse, which will debut in theaters on October 18th.
