One of the hottest topics of discussion among the DCEU fandom at the moment is Batman‘s no-kill rule, and it’s had absolutely nothing to do with Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson’s upcoming reboot.
Instead, the debate has stemmed from the latest episode of James Gunn and John Cena’s Peacemaker, after the titular antihero unloaded both barrels on his elderly neighbor, blasting the Dark Knight’s decision to let his adversaries live, only so they can escape and cause the exact same kind of havoc all over again.
It was certainly an interesting point, even if it did call into question for the umpteenth time whether or not Ben Affleck’s canonical Caped Crusader had left a trail of lifeless bodies in his wake during Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
In an interview with Premiere, Pattinson has offered his own personal take on Batman’s pledge to never take another life, explaining that the nocturnal vigilante gets his kicks from reveling in the violence of his double-life, without actually having to venture into outright murderous territory.
“There is this rule with Batman: he must not kill. It can be interpreted in two ways. Either he only wants to inflict the appropriate punishment, or he wants to kill and his self-control prevents him from doing so. I imagined it that way from the rehearsal of the first fight, I thought it was funnier: something in him just wanted to slit the guy’s throat! I told myself that if he spends his nights chasing criminals, it is impossible that he does not take pleasure in it. He suffers and it is a desire that overwhelms him.
And by dint of knocking, his mind clears, he calms down, he reaches a state close to plenitude. I’m sure in this first fight, he manages to convince himself that every guy in front of him is the one who killed his mother. And so that allows him to vent all his rage. The interesting thing is that this Batman practically lives in the gutter. He’s nowhere at home except on the street when he’s wearing the suit. He lives a criminal life, but without committing crimes! I felt like I could get something out of that. Anyway, I could only play a superhero if he was really dirty!”
We’ve got no idea if The Batman will see the costumed crimefighter kill anyone indirectly or otherwise, but it’s nonetheless curious to hear Pattinson’s thoughts on one of the most hotly-debated aspects of the comic book icon’s personality.
