Though Matt Reeves’ highly anticipated flick The Batman, which stars Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse) in the titular role, has been put on hold during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the director has decided to shed some light on his first foray into Gotham City. In an interview with Nerdist, Reeves confirmed that he had no intention of making his film a traditional origin story, though he did desire to keep Bruce Wayne’s roots and internal conflicts at the forefront.

“I wanted to do not an origin tale, but a tale that would still acknowledge his origins, in that it formed who he is,” he explains. “Like this guy, he’s majorly struggling, and this is how he’s trying to rise above that struggle. But that doesn’t mean that he even fully understands, you know. It’s that whole idea of the shadow self and what’s driving you, and how much of that you can incorporate, and how much of it you’re doing that you’re unaware of.”

And while Pattinson’s Batman will be facing off against the likes of Colin Ferrel’s Penguin and Paul Dano’s Riddler, fans know that Gotham City is as much a character as any member of the rogue’s gallery. Citing the ongoing corruption plaguing Batman’s home turf, Reeves made sure to draw a parallel with the present-day real-world state of affairs. “That feels very current. I think it always does,” he reflects. “There’s almost no time when you can’t do a story about corruption. But today, it still seems incredibly resonant and maybe, from my perspective, maybe more so than maybe at other time.” 

As of now, it’s unclear as to how long The Batman will be delayed for — it was originally meant to be released on June 25th, 2021, though that will almost certainly change. Are you excited to see Matt Reeves’ “humanistic” take on the caped crusader? 

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