Since the first movie serials hit theaters all the way back in 1943, there have been no shortage of cinematic takes on the Caped Crusader. Whether it be Lewis Wilson’s floppy-eared crimefighter seen in that episodic series, Adam West’s “Bright Knight,” Michael Keaton’s game-changer that came along in 1989 or Christian Bale’s realistic portrayal offered up by The Dark Knight Trilogy, there’s been a version of Batman that’s resonated with pretty much everybody.
That being said, I still can’t help but find myself saying I’m waiting for a live action flick that truly captures the character in the way that I see him in the comics. To be honest, I think Ben Affleck has come closest to doing so, but we’ve seen him in only team-ups to this point. So, as you can imagine, I’m very much looking forward to his first solo outing, The Batman.
Understandably, some of the uninitiated are probably reading this and wondering how many other directions the Masked Manhunter can be taken in, but 78 years of comic book storytelling attest to the fact that there’s much more of the well to be tapped. Furthermore, others have taken up the mantle, causing those like me to hold out hope that Thomas Wayne will be included in the upcoming Flashpoint movie, but that’s a conversation for another day.
In a recent chat with KCRW (yes, the same one in which the incoming director stated his film won’t be part of the extended universe), Matt Reeves had this to offer on how it’ll differ from The Dark Knight:
“The Dark Knight, which I think is an incredible movie, the thing that really resonates about that is The Joker … his story and that performance, and everything about the filmmaking that relates to that character – it’s his (Heath Ledger’s) movie. And I think Christian Bale is great, but I think that that movie movie really resonated with everyone because of that character (The Joker), its portrayal, and the way that the movie presented his unsettling perspective and the way that crashed up against Batman. I think I am interested in being even more inside of Batman.”
Admittedly, Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance as the Joker did kind of steal the hero’s thunder, so I’m excited to see how Reeves will explore the character of The Batman. If all goes as expected, maybe we’ll end up with something that’ll rival animated favorites such as Mask of the Phantasm and Under The Red Hood.
