Robert Pattinson Says The Batman Is a Sad Movie

By Jenna Anderson

The release of The Batman is fast approaching, and the live-action DC blockbuster is only getting more and more intriguing to audiences. The film will be anchored by Robert Pattinson's portrayal of Bruce Wayne / Batman, and if early interviews with the actor are any indication, he will be bringing about an unprecedented new take on DC's Dark Knight. Pattinson's latest profile with GQ dove into the intricacies of Pattinson's approach to The Batman, with the actor arguing that the film will ultimately be "a sad movie", especially given the trauma and grief that surround Bruce.

"I've definitely found a little interesting thread," Pattinson explained. "He doesn't have a playboy persona at all, so he's kind of a weirdo as Bruce and a weirdo as Batman, and I kept thinking there's a more nihilistic slant to it. 'Cause, normally, in all the other movies, Bruce goes away, trains, and returns to Gotham believing in himself, thinking, I'm gonna change things here. But in this, it's sort of implied that he's had a bit of a breakdown. But this thing he's doing, it's not even working. Like, it's two years into it, and the crime has gotten worse since Bruce started being Batman. The people of Gotham think that he's just another symptom of how shit everything is. There's this scene where he's beating everyone up on this train platform, and I just love that there's a bit in the script where the guy he's saving is also just like: Ahh! It's worse! You're either being mugged by some gang members, or a monster comes and, like, f-cking beats everybody up! The guy has no idea that Batman's come to save him. It just looks like this werewolf."

"And I kept trying to play into that, I kept trying to think, and I'm going to express this so badly, but there's this thing with addressing trauma.... All the other stories say the death of his parents is why Bruce becomes Batman, but I was trying to break that down in what I thought was a real way, instead of trying to rationalize it," Pattinson continued. "He's created this intricate construction for years and years and years, which has culminated in this Batman persona. But it's not like a healthy thing that he's done."

Pattinson compared the Batman persona as "almost like a drug addiction", and cited a specific scene in which Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis) questions if what Bruce is doing will uphold the Wayne family legacy.

"And Bruce says: 'This is my family legacy. If I don't do this, then there's nothing else for me.' I always read that as not like, 'There's nothing else,' like, 'I don't have a purpose.' But like: 'I'm checking out,'" Pattinson shared. "And I think that makes it a lot sadder. Like, it's a sad movie. It's kind of about him trying to find some element of hope, in himself, and not just the city. Normally, Bruce never questions his own ability; he questions the city's ability to change. But I mean, it's kind of such an insane thing to do: The only way I can live is to dress up as a bat."

In The Batman, during his second year of fighting crime, Batman pursues the Riddler, a serial killer who targets elite Gotham City citizens. He uncovers corruption that connects to his own family during the investigation, and is forced to make new allies to catch the Riddler and bring the corrupt to justice. The film's cast includes Robert Pattinson as Batman, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as Bella Real, Barry Keoghan as Officer Stanley Merkel, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.

What do you think of Robert Pattinson calling The Batman a "sad movie"? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Batman is currently set to be released in theaters on Friday, March 4th.

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