With Aquaman now the highest grossing DC superhero film of all time, it’s becoming an interesting time at DC Films – with an expanded focus on properties that aren’t Superman or Batman. Shazam! is right around the corner, with another Wonder Woman and Birds of Prey to follow right behind. But you can’t shake the shadow of the bat off too much, and indeed Matt Reeves has been slowly but surely plugging away at his approach to DC’s signature hero.

Speaking with THR, Reeves let out some air regarding the character and his approach, including the fact that this will be a detective-driven film:

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. 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.

Reeves is correct in that, short of a scene here or there, we haven’t gotten a lot of Batman’s sleuthing skills on the big screen. Largely when I read reactions from fans and what they want from one of these movies, “Batman as a detective” is usually right at the top of the list. So Reeves seems to have a pulse on the fan zeitgeist anyway.

Another nugget, there’s going to be a whole rogues gallery it seems! Now that is something I’m very into:

There will be a Rogues Gallery. The casting process will begin shortly. We’re starting to put together our battle plan. I’m doing another pass on the script and we’ll begin some long-lead stuff to start developing conceptual things.

Who needs to do the one or two villains per movie thing when you have the most varied and interesting set of bad guys in comics? Fill the screen with these guys and gals I say!

Additionally, the filmmaker lets on that we’re likely looking at a 2021 release for this one, and maybe more pertinently: the idea of connecting it to some grand plan of DC movies is not high on WB’s plans at this point:

Warners believes they don’t have to try to develop a giant slate that has to have all the plans for how it’s going to connect. What they need to try and do is make good movies with these characters.

And there you go! No word on the star of the thing though, which is still probably the biggest question on everyone’s mind.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Hopefully they’ll draw inspiration from Batman:Damned, the recent quite noir-ish mini series by Azarello and Bermejo. Easily one of the best recent Batman comics, very much tonally appropriate for a movie,p and it has Batman’s penis. Hopefully we’ll get to see Ben Affleck’s penis. Even if Affleck ends up not starring, there are plenty of other great actors who could pull it off. I’d say Jake Gyllenhaal, Jon Hamm, or Zach Quinto would all be good choices. I’d be interested in seeing all of their penises, and they are all very good actors.

  2. The noirs I like, the protagonist gets the shit kicked out of him/her. Like to see that. Batman does Bogie.

  3. noir Bats: tired.
    bonkers Bats (Tucker’s Brave and Bold, Timm’s Vampire Man-Bat, King’s entire comic trying not to pass out being knifed–and Miller’s “striking fear, best part of this job” Bats) wired.

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