DISCLAIMER: Op-eds by BOF contributors do not reflect the official opinion/stance of this website or its Founder/EIC (Bill “Jett” Ramey)…unless they do.
To be even more specific, we’re talking about Matt Reeves, THE BATMAN: PART II, and THE BATMAN EPIC CRIME SAGA. By the time the second movie is released, it will have been five years since the debut of the first and roughly three series since THE PENGUIN follow-up series was released. Fans love their Batman and want more of it, and many of them want it NOW.
Delays for PART II kept coming, and when you throw in chaos that is Warner Bros. Pictures, even the most levelheaded fans were starting to get a little fidgety. Some even wondered if the film would ever be released, especially with concern over how soon James Gunn would rush Batman into the DCU.
As we’ve learned since then, all is well and always has been.
THE BATMAN PART II comes out in just over 18 months, and we recently learned the movie starts filming in May with some “big swings” in a “very different” film, according to The Batman himself, Robert Pattinson.
Casting rumors are in full swing, but that’s where the latest source of fan angst lies.
We now know that big-name actors like Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, and others have declined the role of Christopher Dent, as BOF has previously reported.
If anyone’s concerned about what this means for PART II, don’t be. In fact, it’s time to modify a phrase from the era of THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY: “In Reeves We Trust” (shoutout to any BOFers who remember the “In Nolan We Trust!” days).
Nothing Matt Reeves has said, done, or NOT done has given one flicker of an indication he’s going to screw up this franchise. So much of the first film appeared like it was ripped right from a comic book.
He knows what the hell he’s doing.
Reeves has earned the blank check treatment from fans after how well THE BATMAN and THE PENGUIN were received and performed.
Fans have been through this before. Christopher Nolan took creative liberties, and the resulting pearl-clutching by fans led to some pre-release anxiety. Does anyone remember the concern when Heath Ledger’s Joker was unveiled (in May of 2007), and some fans had meltdowns because he wasn’t “perma-white”? That didn’t work out really well for those people, with Ledger’s performance considered the best and legendary by many.
Reeves hasn’t taken many liberties like that yet, but you can bet he will. After all, it’s only been one film and one series. He’s going to put his own creative mark on Batman on film, just like every other director who has made one of these movies.
So when images, trailers, and more come out about PART II that may not look like what you wanted or expected, take a deep breath. Batman’s staying power as the top superhero can largely be credited to the evolution he’s experienced over the years. In an era where superhero cinema is on shaky ground, this has to happen to keep the mainstream audience engaged and spending money to see the film.
So to Matt Reeves, Robert Pattinson, and the entire THE BATMAN PART II crew, I say this: SWING AWAY!
To any fans who are worried: Be patient. And…
Trust Matt Reeves. – Kris Burke