The biggest concern for The Batman director Matt Reeves is following in the footsteps of Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan. Batman has always been one of the most iconic superheroes even before the MCU and DCEU made lesser-known comic book characters household names. The first live-action Caped Crusader tracks all the way back to 1943, when Lewis Wilson played him in a serial. Now, enough actors have played Batman that fans can make a full list ranking their favorites; the two actors whose names typically top those lists are Michael Keaton (from Burton's films) and Christian Bale (Nolan's).

Now Reeves will add his take on the beloved hero to the DC universe with The Batman, arriving next year and starring Robert Pattinson. The project has been in development for years and has undergone many changes. The previous Batman, Ben Affleck, was originally attached, but when he left the DCEU, Reeves stepped in and cast Pattinson. Fans are eager for this newest spin on the character, which will also include familiar Batman adversaries like Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Penguin (Colin Farrell), the Riddler (Paul Dano), and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro).

Related: The Batman: Robert Pattinson's Batmobile Revealed In Official Photos

While talking to Nerdist about his new series Tales From the Loop, Reeves admitted he's nervous about following Burton and Nolan largely because of his admiration of Batman Returns and The Dark Knight, respectively. Reeves showered a great deal of praise on both films and explained how those films have impacted how he is approaching The Batman:

I thought, ‘Well, there’s been some terrific Batman movies,’ and I don’t want to be part of a long line of Batman movies where this is just another one. I feel like they’ve been really distinctive. The best ones have been incredible. What Nolan did was incredible. What Tim Burton did was really singular.

Robert Pattinson as Batman in Costume Reveal Video

Reeves has been keeping The Batman's plot tightly under wraps, but he's previously said he wants to dig into the detective side of Bruce Wayne. While talking to Nerdist, Reeves teased his version of Batman by describing him as "a version of this Batman character where he’s not yet fully formed." He then went on to say, "Because at the end of the day, this guy is doing all of this to deal with trauma in his past." Fans seem to have responded well to Reeves' plans, as well as his impressive cast list. In addition to those mentioned above, The Batman will feature Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jeffrey Wright.

The Batman's currently slotted for a June 25, 2021 release, though its current production delay could see that date changed. The film was forced to halt production around mid-March due to coronavirus concerns, and Reeves revealed they were waiting for the official all-clear to begin again. As of right now, however, The Batman is still on track. Expectations are high for the newest Batman, but fans seem willing to trust in Reeves' vision. If all goes well, there's a chance The Batman could be considered among the all-time greats like Batman Returns and The Dark Knight. That would certainly be a relief for Reeves.

More: The Batman: Realistic Render Imagines Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight

Source: Nerdist

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