At one time, The Batman was intended to be a continuation for Ben Affleck’s version of The Caped Crusader, but now it’s instead giving audiences yet another new interpretation of the DC Comics hero. Robert Pattinson is donning the cape and cowl this time around, and one of his co-stars is Jeffrey Wright, who’s playing GCPD ally James Gordon and is promising that the movie will be the biggest evolution for the Caped Crusader’s mythology yet.
Here’s what Jeffrey Wright had to say when he was recently asked about his time working on The Batman:
My take is — the way I explain what we're doing is, like with any film, we're working together to create a mood, to create an idea, a setting, a tone. This is the next evolution since 1939 when these stories began.
To say that this is the biggest Batman mythos shift since the character debuted in Detective Comics #27 is a bold claim, even more so given how many times the superhero has already appeared in live-action. As far as tone goes, Matt Reeves revealed years back that The Batman will be a noir-driven story that highlights Bruce Wayne’s detective skills, which have rarely been featured in past movies, so that’s certainly one way for the movie to stand out.
Jeffrey Wright provided this unique insight on The Batman while appearing on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show (via THR), adding:
This is the next evolution of Gotham. So I am working off the stage [director] Matt [Reeves] is providing and also working off what [star] Robert [Pattinson] is doing. We are trying to create something together that is our own, but is also Batman.
No specific plot details for The Batman have been revealed to the public, although it will take place early into the eponymous protagonist’s crimefighting career. It’s also been strongly indicated that the story is inspired by The Long Halloween, which saw Batman tracking down a serial killer and running into many of his iconic adversaries along the way. Jeffrey Wright also mentioned how The Batman’s Batmobile is a good example of what he was laying out in the above quotes, with the vehicle being a “badass muscle car,” yet still “grounded” in Gotham City and Americana.
The Batman kicked off principal photography at the beginning of the year, but due to the current health crisis, production shut down in mid-March and the movie’s release was delayed. It remains to be seen when cameras will begin rolling on the project again, although it could happen sooner rather than later.
In addition to Robert Pattinson and Jeffrey Wright, The Batman’s cast includes Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson and Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál, along with Gil Perez-Abraham, Charlie Carver and Max Carver cast in undisclosed roles. Along with directing the feature, Matt Reeves also co-wrote the script with Mattson Tomlin.
The Batman is now casting its shadow in theaters on October 1, 2021, and we here at CinemaBlend will keep you updated on how the movie is coming along. You can learn what other DC movies are on the way with our handy guide.
