According to sources close to WGTC – the same ones who told us the Snyder Cut of Justice League is coming to HBO Max and a Percy Jackson TV show is in the works – Matt Reeves is reportedly aiming for an R-rating for The Batman.
Traditionally, most Bat movies have been mainstream superhero flicks where violence is the worst offender. Which is understandable, considering that the story revolves around a vigilante laying the beat-down on unhinged villains. This new rating, however, could indicate a shift to a darker tone and more disturbing scenes of violence. Perhaps even taking a leaf out of the comic book’s pages, with many Batman stories representing a far more twisted look at Gotham City’s residents than we’ve seen so far on the big screen.
But this version of the movie is only on the cards if Reeves gets the green light from Warner Brothers. Allegedly, the company wants to keep it PG-13 to open it up to a broader audience and offset the high cost of making the pic. The director, however, is pushing for a darker tale and hopes to secure the R.
Of course, there is some precedent to making the Dark Knight’s next outing a mature one, with films like Deadpool, Logan and most recently, Joker being lauded critically and commercially. It would also work well with the source material, as Bruce Wayne has to deal with the worst kind of monsters and their atrocities. From watching innocents die to losing loved ones, he’s really been put through the wringer over the years. Just take one of the most famous Batman graphic novels, The Killing Joke, for example, where the Joker shoots Barbara Gordon, paralyzing her and even violates her to torture and break Commissioner Gordon.
The Caped Crusader’s foes are literally lunatics from Arkham Asylum and the story arcs often delve into deep and disturbing territory. It would certainly be a bold move after watching tamer versions of Gotham being brought to life, but for now we’ll just have to wait and see how things go.
Tell us, though, do you prefer a more approachable movie, or a deep dive into the chilling depths of Gotham City in The Batman? Let us know in the comments below.
