WARNING! This article contains spoilers for The Batman.
The Batman (Robert Pattinson) describes himself as "vengeance" in Matt Reeves' The Batman and other characters confirm this, opening the door to an important theme in the movie. The long-awaited film introduces a new Bruce Wayne/Batman onto the big screen after originally being set as a spinoff of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League for Ben Affleck. In 2017, The Batman became the origin of a new, separate universe, with Robert Pattinson portraying a darker Batman with a quest for vengeance against the corrupt.
In Matt Reeves' The Batman, Penguin (Colin Farrell) calls the masked vigilante "Mister Vengeance." Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) also calls him "Vengeance," supporting the fact that the Batman's nickname is already known throughout Gotham City. Indeed, he is the one who says "I am vengeance" to any criminal who wonders about his identity. Bruce Wayne lost his parents Thomas and Martha precisely because of Gotham's corrupted upper-class, which is deeply intertwined with the city's mafia. The Batman thus sees the criminals of Gotham (petty or not) as products of the same corruption that killed his parents. As a vigilante, he uses vengeance as a name for taking justice into his own hands (while the police are mainly controlled by John Turturro's Carmine Falcone).
The fact that not only the Batman, but everyone around him calls him "vengeance" goes to show how much this concept spreads and inspires others in the movie. The Riddler (Paul Dano) confesses that the Batman was his inspiration for putting on a mask and pursuing vengeance against the corrupt authorities of Gotham. The Riddler himself, frustrated with the Renewal plan going awry and the rich getting richer off its back, inspires other disillusioned Gotham locals to take to the streets on a quest for vengeance. "Vengeance" thus becomes synonymous with the rage of Gotham's underclass, and it's not until the end of the movie that the Batman realizes the bad influence his "I am vengeance" line can have. When he hears the Riddler's goon saying "I'm vengeance," the Batman realizes that his vengeance won't stop other people's, as long as the motives for turning to crime haven't been abolished.
Why Robert Pattinson's Batman Never Says "I'm Batman" - Vengeance Symbolism Meaning
While the Dark Knight traditionally says "I'm Batman", his new motto in The Batman is loaded with symbolism, tied not just to his impact on criminals but on those who would follow him. This is not the first time the Batman has inspired people to do the wrong thing in movies, of course - in The Dark Knight, people dress as the Batman to commit crimes in Gotham without being recognized. Perhaps the best example is Joaquin Phoenix's Joker, whose psychotic behavior is a by-product of a corrupt society that made him feel ignored: "If it was me dying on the sidewalk, you'd walk right over me!" His quest for vengeance becomes a violent one, and it inspires other frustrated people in Gotham to choose violence as a relief for their discomfort. But in The Batman, Bruce Wayne realizes the threat everyday people pose when they are misinformed; he also realizes that he was partially responsible for their misinformation, spreading the idea that "vengeance" is good.
The Batman ends with the Dark Knight leaving the cemetery and parting ways with Catwoman. The Batman thus leaves his past behind: he is no longer a symbol of fear and violence, and his name is no longer synonymous with vengeance. As the cemetery also stands as a symbol for Bruce's family, his departure can be understood as letting go of his desire to avenge his parents and embracing his identity as Bruce Wayne, something which both Alfred (Andy Serkis) and Mayor Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson) encourage him to do at certain points in the movie. If "vengeance" was the Batman's name and a crucial theme in The Batman, Matt Reeves' next Batman movie promises to focus on an entirely different Bruce Wayne.