The Batman first reactions: ‘Controversial and complex – ‘The best since The Dark Knight’

After the much-loved Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, it was always going to be a massive challenge to follow Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne. Ben Affleck did a better job than he’s given credit for in Zack Snyder’s movies as an older, gruffer Caped Crusader, but perhaps was let down by Batman v Superman and certainly Joss Whedon’s cut of Justice League. He’s since been somewhat redeemed by the Snyder cut and hopefully in the upcoming multiverse caper The Flash, but in the meantime, it’s Robert Pattison’s turn as The Batman.

The Batman is set in another universe to that of the DCEU movies with Affleck’s Dark Knight.

Pattinson’s take on Bruce Wayne takes place in year 2 of his career as the masked vigilante and sees him facing off against The Riddler and The Penguin, who haven’t been seen in live-action movies since the 1990s.

Directed by Matt Reeves, the Warner Bros blockbuster is seriously hyped and will be looking to be as big a hit as Joaquin Phoenix’s $1 billion Joker.

But considering the first reactions from test screenings, it sounds like The Batman could be just as polarising for fans.

Interestingly, author and screenwriter Paul Davidson commented on the tweet: “I heard from someone very closely placed in the machine that they ranked it second only to The Dark Knight from a Batman Movie Ranking perspective.”

That would certainly be quite something given the second Nolan movie starring Heath Ledger’s Joker is often in Top 10 movies of all time lists these days.

The 2022 movie’s synopsis reads: “Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of the criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.”

The Batman his cinemas on March 4, 2022.