'The Batman' Gets a 'Joker'-Style Fan Trailer

It will still be several months until cameras are set to begin rolling on The Batman, but one creative fan has already created a delightfully dark take on the solo film. Youtuber Mellinas Files recently shared a fan video, which reimagines Christian Bale's turn in the Dark Knight trilogy in the style of the recently-released Joker trailer.

While the video imagines the caped crusader's origins in a wildly different way, the end result is pretty darn effective, thanks to footage used of Bale's role in The Machinist. It also adds a surprisingly sinister tone to the moment when Bale's Bruce Wayne eventually does suit up as Batman.

In reality, The Batman will take on a shape completely different from what's previously been onscreen, and is expected to star a younger actor as Bruce.

"It's very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale. It's told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it's going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional," writer-director Matt Reeves said of The Batman in an interview earlier this year. "It's more Batman in his detective mode than we've seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He's supposed to be the world's greatest detective, and that's not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. I'd love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it's going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation."

But even then, the connection to Joker isn't entirely unfounded, as both films are expected to be a little bit darker than some of DC Films' other outputs.

"I think that DC has the same idea we do now, which is every movie that they make should have the right tone for that particular character." DC Films producer Peter Safran explained in a recent interview. "Shazam is such a fun character. He is all about wish fulfillment. He is fun and funny, and that is the tone that you should have for the film. Aquaman has got a tone, fantastical element. Shazam! is fun and funny. Wonder Woman's got her thing. I think they realize each tone has to be specific for each movie. ...Listen, there are certain characters like Batman, like the Joker, that dark tone is perfect for them. It's what you really want to see."

What do you think of this Joker-themed take on the Dark Knight trilogy? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Shazam! is in theaters now. Upcoming DC movies include Joker on October 10th, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022.