The Batman: 7 Things We Hope The Reboot Delivers

Thanks to the Coronavirus Pandemic, Warner Bros. has had to put production of The Batman on indefinite hold, for the time being. After a long wait, DC fans thought that Matt Reeves Batman reboot was finally coming down the pipeline smoothly – but alas, the world had other plans. With The Batman now on pause, there’s plenty of time and room to revisit the discussion of what we hope this film delivers for the fans.

We’re not just talking about the usual expectations for a blockbuster superhero film (“It better have great action!” – duh..).Rather, we’re talking about the deeper elements of DC Comics lore that we hope this new film delivers, unlike any Batman movie before it. Scroll below for 7 Things we hope The Batman delivers to moviegoing audiences.

Detective Work

The first thing that DC Comics fans want from this new Batman movie is the one thing we haven’t yet seen from “The World’s Greatest Detective” on film: actual detective work. Director Matt Reeves has already teased that The Batman will very much in the vein of film Noir like Chinatown, and seeing a younger Batman (Robert Pattinson) going through actual detective work investigation will be something long overdue. 

An Evolving Batman

It’s been teased that Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne will be in the second year of his career as Batman – which is a key era for the character. As such, one nice thing about that premise is that this Batman will be in the perfect place to be evolving his character and improving his methods. Batman Begins showed Bruce’s stumbles to become Batman, initially, while other movies have the hero much further into his career (or towards the end in Zack Snyders DC films). Seeing Batman changing and refining himself would be a great new way to explore the Dark Knight. 

Bruce Wayne in His Feelings

That heading may freak a lot of fans out: the thought of seeing Twilight star Robert Pattinson playing a Batman with dramatic emotions. However, where not talking about having Pattinson play “Sparkly Batman,” but rather a Bruce Wayne he isn’t yet as emotionally settled into his role as Batman; comfortable with is playboy facade as Bruce Wayne; or even yet fully confident in his crusade. In investigation that throws Batman and pushes him to the brink would be a great organic way to touch upon all those rich dramatic ideas. 

Year One Catwoman

Selina Kyle / Catwoman is one of the most iconic comic book characters around. However it was (ironically) Frank Miller who created the badass, edgier version of Selina Kyle that has become the biggest inspiration for modern iterations of the character. Miller’s “Year One” storyline reinvented the plucky socialite / cat burglar as a woman who grew up hard in Gotham’s urban decay, working as a dominatrix for a gross pimp. After fighting Bruce Wayne early in his vigilante career (before Batman), she decides to get out of prostitution and into robbing Gotham’s wealthy elite. Later in that same canon, Selina discovers she may actually be the illegitimate daughter of Carmine Falcone, a connection that’s been repeatedly teased in Batman Lore. If there is a version of Selina Kyle / Catwoman that Matt Reeves tapped Zoe Kravitz to play, her short haircut suggests Year One Selina is it – and we couldn’t be more excited. 

Deeper Mob Ties

Chris Nolan and Tim Burton both mixed the idea of Batman’s colorful rouges and Gotham City’s organized crime world, but neither director tapped the riches depths of that connection. Famous Batman storylines set in the Year One and Year Two eras are equally rich for their mob and political drama, which is interwoven with the rise of costumed heroes and villain in some significant ways. Instead of on-the-nose twists like Joker being the mobster that killed Bruce Wayne’s parents (Batman ’89), The Batman can actually explore how Gotham’s powerful elite like The Waynes and The Falcones have deep history that eventually shapes Gotham’s future with The Batman and other ‘costumes.’ With an actor like John Turturro playing Carmine Falcone in The Batman, you know he’ll deliver the goods. 

The Long Halloween

One of the most famous Batman detective cases ever written in DC Comics. “The Long Halloween” by Jeph Loeb (as in formal Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb) sees the mobsters like the Falcone family targeted by a serial killer who strikes on major calendar holidays. The mob becomes convinced that the new wave of costumed crooks are the ones making war on the old-world crooks, and Gotham threatens to become a war zone. Meanwhile, Batman is pushed to the brink trying to solve the mystery, while working with Commissioner Gordon and new D.A. Harvey Dent to bring down the mob, legally, for good. If there is a Batman story that unites everything Reeves seems to mixing together, this is arguably the best one to pick. 

That Twist Ending

One more reason we’re keeping fingers crossed that “The Long Halloween” is Reeves Inspiration? That twist ending! While Batman and the police think they ultimately crack the case (won’t spoil that here), it’s revealed in the very last panel that they actually were never even close. The surprise culprit is someone no one expected – for reasons that have nothing to do with Gotham’s grand drama of cops, crooks, and costumes. If Reeves wants to deliver the Citizen Kane of superhero movie endings – where “The World’s Greatest Detective” doesn’t actually solve the case – this is the way to go! 

The Batman production is currently on hold, but it’s release date is still (currently) set for June 25, 2021.