We’ve seen many Batman movies over the years, each of which have somehow been able to strike different styles with the titular character. When it comes to Robert Pattinson’s latest version, the audience have called it. The Batman gives us our first truly "Emo Batman." With a key Nirvana song playing twice in the film, messy eyeliner seen around his eyes and his more recluse attitude, he’s clearly an emo kid and the Internet can’t get enough.
Amid The Batman opening weekend, fans are seemingly leaving the theater talking about how emo Robert Pattinson’s version of the character is. I mean, by my measure, it’s certainly meant to be taken that way. I mean, writer/director Matt Reeves even based this Bruce Wayne on the late Kurt Cobain in-part. Check out one Twitter reaction:
Bruce Wayne is so emo in the new Batman movie, this is his new Batcave! pic.twitter.com/SUEklxZC69March 4, 2022
Of course, someone had to get Hot Topic involved. As the person joked, they imagine Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne having the store that is peak 2008 emo "phase" in his own Batcave. Check out another one:
a batman movie where he’s an antithesis of playboy bruce wayne and just the ultimate 35 year old emo with many disorders and zero bitches is something i needed terriblyMarch 3, 2022
What truly distinguishes Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne from other past cinematic iterations is that he's currently the rich orphan but without the playboy status. Matt Reeves decided to take away this element from the character and thus created our emo hero. This guy clearly doesn’t go out much, and he’s certainly a bit socially awkward. But when he puts on his suit and uses his fancy gadgets, he seems to find purpose and truly becomes something greater than the personal tragedy that molded him. These reactions are simply gold:
The Batman kicking his legs and twirling his emo hair writing in his journal “I think Catwomen likes me”March 3, 2022
Yes, this Bruce Wayne writes in a journal. He takes part in brooding voiceovers in his very good, grisly Batman voice before staying up late and fighting crime. And then, he just continues to be brooding. He takes off his cowl to eyeliner all over his face and reminds Andy Serkis’ Alfred he’s not his father. It even bares a resemblance to My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way:
Emo Batman is the hero I needed tonight #rataalada pic.twitter.com/myAdapSfd6March 5, 2022
In The Batman, it is suggested that Bruce Wayne’s parents are killed in 2001, meaning that the poor orphaned boy grew up parentless just as the emo revival occurred in the late 2000s. Many kids of the time turned to music like Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday, Brand New and so forth. Considering Wayne’s age in the film, it makes perfect sense that this generation’s Dark Knight would be a total emo kid. And fans feel seen by this:
The Batman is everything my emo youth ever wanted from the caped crusader. Matt Reeves universe is all I need. #TheBATMANMarch 5, 2022
The Dark Knight's latest cinematic revamp also comes at a time when there’s another Emo Revival in full swing, between Machine Gun Kelly’s popularity in the scene, alongside popular artists like Willow, Avril Lavigne and such. What’s even better is that Robert Pattinson was part of the late '00s emo phase through his role Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga. His new superhero venture certainly feels like a cultural moment and, thankfully, the movie is too good to become simply an "Emo Batman" meme.
The Batman, one of 2022's biggest new movie releases, is now playing in theaters
