Matt Reeves didn’t want The Batman to be burdened by having to connect to the larger DCEU. Originally conceived as Ben Affleck’s solo-movie as the Caped Crusader, the actor’s exit from the project paved the way for a new director and star to take over. Reeves stepped in on the creative end, and instead of simply following the project’s original plan, The Batman was drastically reworked to feature a younger version of Bruce Wayne that’s now going to be played by Robert Pattinson.
Admittedly, casting the British actor who’s mostly known for starring in the Twilight franchise caused some backlash. Critics argued that Pattinson didn’t have what it takes to bring the iconic superhero to life. Aside from that, DCEU-loyalists were still hoping for Affleck’s return. But after the controversy slightly died down and the first official footage from The Batman was released, it became clear that his unorthodox casting actually makes sense for the narrative Reeves is going for. Joining Pattinson is a stellar ensemble cast, including Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred. Meanwhile, Paul Dano plays the story’s primary villain, the Riddler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When asked why Reeves decided to veer away from the original plan of connecting The Batman to the DCEU, the filmmaker tells Esquire he didn’t want it to be burdened by the franchise’s continuity. At that point, the film series has already laid out its Justice League, with some of its members supposedly going to appear in the project. However, Reeves didn’t want any of that. Read his full answer below. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Tackling Bruce Wayne’s second year as the Bat of Gotham in The Batman was a significant departure from the DCEU’s version of Batman. Director Zack Snyder introduced an older, more hardened iteration of the Caped Crusader to differentiate him from previous portrayals, who were younger and in the middle of carrying out their commitment to be the Dark Knight. While it was easier to set Pattinson’s hero in a separate reality, Reeves could’ve still kept The Batman in the DCEU by making it as a prequel. This way, no Justice League characters are compelled to appear and there would be very minimal connections to what’s happening in the franchise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Instead of going this route, The Batman exists its own reality, much like Todd Phillips’ Joker film. But, after properly debuting Pattinson in the role, it will grow as its own pocket in the DC multiverse, with spinoffs and supposedly sequels already lined up. In any case, based on what’s been revealed about the film thus far, it seems like this was ultimately the correct approach to the project, as it’s able to carve its own continuity without being beholden to Warner Bros.’ grand plans for the DCEU.
