We’re getting a version of Bruce Wayne unlike the others when Robert Pattinson takes on the role inThe Batman, the upcoming standalone superhero movie from director Matt Reeves. Recently speaking withEmpire, Reeves addressed the casting of Pattinson as Bruce, touching on the new look that comes with this incarnation. He looks a lot less like the sophisticated playboy Bruce is typically portrayed as inBatmanmovies, and Reeves says that this grungy appearance comes from the influence Kurt Cobain and Nirvana had on the movie.
“When I write, I listen to music, and as I was writing the first act, I put on Nirvana’s ‘Something In The Way.' That’s when it came to me that, rather than make Bruce Wayne the playboy version we’ve seen before, there’s another version who had gone through a great tragedy and become a recluse. So I started making this connection to Gus Van Sant’sLast Days, and the idea of this fictionalized version of Kurt Cobain being in this kind of decaying manor."
Last Daysis a movie that’s not quite a biopic, but is heavily influenced byKurt Cobainand the late rocker’s life story. Reeves also says how Pattinson caught his attention with his performance in the Safdie Brothers' movieGood Time, and he could see that playing into the version of Bruce Wayne he had in mind forThe Batman.
“In that movie you could really feel his vulnerability and desperation, but you could also feel his power. I thought that was a great mix. He’s also got that Kurt Cobain thing, where he looks like a rock star, but you also feel like he could be a recluse.”
Robert Pattinsonalso spoke about his take on the character with Empire. The actor noted that Bruce has been “hiding away” in this world, far from the charming socialite he has been in other Batman stories. As Pattinson explains, Bruce has been “building all these little contraptions and things, just with Alfred. And even Alfred thinks he’s gone insane!”
This Bruce Wayne seems to be a bit more of a loner, but the sneak peeks have teased a personal relationship with Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz). Other reimagined characters that will be featured inThe Batmaninclude Paul Dano as The Riddler, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone,Colin Farrell as Penguin, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon. Andy Serkis also stars as Bruce’s butler Alfred Pennyworth.
InThe Batman, Bruce Wayne is just two years into his new career at the savior of Gotham City, a vigilante who brings justice to criminals in the city. Some had questioned his casting at first, but the sneak peek images and teasers have convinced most to give Pattinson a shot in the role. He’ll be one of three Batmen to be seen on the big screen in 2022 as Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck will both play Bruce Wayne variants inThe Flash.
The Batmanwill be released in movie theaters on July 18, 2025. If not for the pandemic, we would have gotten it this past summer, but let’s just hope it’s been worth the wait, as the promising sneak peeks suggest.
