The Marvel Cinematic Universe has conditioned fans to stick around until the lights come up whenever a new blockbuster movie arrives, and the industry has been more than happy to give the people what they want, with the post-credits scene now a staple of big budget filmmaking.
On top of a stinger, it’s also become obligatory for at least one overt tease to be made towards a sequel, even if the practice hasn’t yielded a 100% success rate. Far too many high-profile titles have spent way too much time dropping hints for things to come in further installments that never end up happening, but we’d feel confident in saying that The Batman won’t have such a problem.
Matt Reeves’ reboot is shaping up to be the first monster hit of 2022, and you can guarantee that the filmmaker and star Robert Pattinson already have a vague idea as to where Bruce Wayne’s story will be heading. In an interview with Total Film, the star confirmed there’s going to be sequel bait, but claims it won’t be delivered in the way we’re expecting.
“I mean, they always have that little bit at the end, that’s like: ‘…and coming up!’ But other than that, it feels strangely personal. I think people will be quite shocked at how different it is. When I saw it the first time, even from the first shot, it does feel incredibly different tonally, to the other movies. It’s so strange, and it’s sad, and quite touching. It’s a really, really unusual Batman story, and it almost seems harder for me to imagine it being a series afterwards.”
Cliffhangers and major reveals are all well and good up to a certain point, but it’s important to fully close one door before opening another. The Batman isn’t quite an origin story, so the possibilities are literally endless when it comes to setting up what comes next.
