The Batman star Robert Pattinson has recently detailed how the new film's ending flips the script on a classic Batman ending. The Batman is the newest interpretation of the iconic DC character, with Pattinson's version of the Caped Crusader being the first depiction of Batman to exist outside of the DCEU since Christian Bale took on the role in The Dark Knight trilogy. The film follows Batman in his second year of crime-fighting as he tracks down a mysterious new serial killer known as The Riddler (Paul Dano). The Batman has certainly struck a chord with fans, and since its release, the film has seen acclaim from both audiences and critics alike, with some even claiming it may be the best Batman film to date.
Every new interpretation of the character and world of Batman has tried to do something new with the character. Tim Burton's world was steeped in his signature gothic tone, while director Joel Schumacher brought with him neon colors and a large amount of camp. Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy attempted to bring a heightened sense of realism to the world of Gotham, and for quite some time, The Dark Knight was considered the gold standard for Batman films. Being the newest in a very long line of Batman interpretations, director Matt Reeves certainly strived to set The Batman apart from its predecessors, and especially from the DCEU. The Batman finds a nice balance between Burton's gothic tones and Nolan's realism and also flips many classic Batman tropes on their heads.
In an interview from the book The Art of The Batman (as reported by Comicbook), Pattinson has detailed how he was particularly drawn to the ending of the film, as it reversed a very common Batman plot point. As many fans know, most Batman stories revolve around how Batman seems to be fighting a losing fight against crime in Gotham City. Pattinson has pointed out how most Batman stories end with the character "believing that he's given hope to the city," which is not necessarily the case in The Batman. The Batman begins with Batman believing that there is no hope for Gotham, however, Pattinson has pointed out that by the end of the film, the city manages to inspire hope in Batman, instead of the other way around. See his full quote below:
"At the beginning of the story, he doesn't think that the city is capable of healing itself, and it's just on a downward spiral and he's just fighting a hopeless battle, which will end in defeat. I just always liked the idea at the end of him allowing himself to hope a little bit. It's probably the most painful thing that he has to do. It's much more painful than anything he's had to experience, because if you've closed yourself down to feeling anything, and all you wanna do is just go out and fight, if he allows himself to think that there is a possibility of Positive change then you can get hurt again. Then you can feel the disappointment and failure of that as well, which I think he's trying to hide from as well."
"One of the first ideas I had about it was . . . I think a lot of the endings of Batman stories is that it ends with Batman believing that he's given hope to the city, and he thinks the symbol of Batman and what he's done throughout the story will hopefully inspire the city to have a more hopeful outlook, and create a brighter future. In this, I always imagined that he's so committed to darkness and nihilism that it's actually the city which opens up himself for a bit of hope."
Pattinson is right, of course. Many fans were wondering before the release of The Batman how it was going to manage to set itself apart from the likes of The Dark Knight, and this is perhaps one of the most important examples. While The Dark Knight ends with Batman sacrificing his image as a hero for the greater good of a city that he believes in, The Batman gives audiences a conflicted character who is slowly convinced that Gotham is worth fighting for after all, despite being repeatedly told that it is not. This was a very interesting route for director Reeves to take, especially given today's social climate.
Ultimately, Reeves and his team were certainly able to deliver a new kind of Batman story, and perhaps most impressively, one that can give audiences a bit of hope beyond if new Batman movies can still be good. The way Pattinson sees it, The Batman is about the power of people coming together, which is not something Batman always explores (despite perhaps trying to on a few occasions). Even after over a month, there are still new things to find in rewatches of The Batman.
Source: The Art of The Batman (via Comicbook)
