Matt Reeves’ highly anticipated “The Batman” is billed as a standalone movie, but don’t let that fool you into thinking Robert Pattinson won’t be sticking around as Bruce Wayne for a while. According to an interview with Empire Magazine teased on Monday, the heralded actor has already laid the groundwork to establish a psychological arc for a new Batman trilogy.
“As the first standalone Batman in ten years, the hope is we can lay a foundation that you can build stories upon,” producer Dylan Clark tells Empire regarding where “The Batman” presently stands. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot more planned on the fringes of the forthcoming franchise – a raft of HBO Max spin-off series are in the works, including one set in Gotham PD, and one reportedly involving Colin Farrell’s Penguin.
However, the real bombshell is what Robert Pattinson had to say about continuing on as the Caped Crusader. “I’ve made a kind of map for where Bruce’s psychology would grow over two more movies,” he says. “I would love to do it.”
There’s little reason why a new trilogy featuring Battinson wouldn’t unfold. For years now–thanks to a couple of production delays–“The Batman” has been one of the most eagerly-awaited titles looming on the horizon. Matt Reeves has voiced his confidence in creating a unique take on Batman, delivering more of a detective-like figure. Though the director remains adamant that he is solely focusing on this first release, the acclaimed filmmaker is also keeping his schedule open, with no further directorial projects currently on his slate.
Then there are the trailers, emphasizing that this younger version of Batman is more complex and disturbed than we’ve previously seen, allowing his need for vengeance to fuel him. The depiction of one of the antagonists, Riddler, is edgy and zodiac-inspired, with costuming that makes it clear he’s not fooling around. And there’s plenty more cinematic fodder to explore with Penguin and Catwoman rounding out the character list, played by Colin Farrell and Zoe Kravitz, respectively, each of whom have been garnering overwhelming praise for their performances.
So far Warner Bros. has remained mum on the issue. But with such pent-up demand and the potential for box office records to be in play as plenty of folks expect, Warners will undoubtedly be rolling out the red carpet for another couple of Reeves-Pattinson installments.
Meanwhile, the wait for the first installment is almost over. “The Batman” premieres March 4, 2022.
