Robert Pattinson's 'The Batman' Could Be 'Most Emotional Batman Movie Ever,' Director Says

Robert Pattinson's "The Batman" will show the Dark Knight in his most vulnerable state in what could be the "most emotional" Batman film ever made, according to director Matt Reeves.

On Tuesday, Warner Bros. debuted a new look at Reeves' "The Batman" at CinemaCon, featuring gloomy aesthetics and chaos in rainy Gotham, with Pattinson's Bruce Wayne brooding and walking through the city.

In the featurette, the director shared that his film was partially inspired by Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One."

"I felt that we've seen lots of origin stories. It seems things go further and further into fantasy, and I thought, well, one place we haven't been is grounding it in the way that 'Year One' does, to come right in to a young Batman, not being an origin tale, but referring to his origins and shaking him to his core," Reeves was quoted by Entertainment Weekly as saying in the footage. "You can have it be very practical, but I also thought it could be the most emotional Batman movie ever made."

Pattinson also said in the featurette that this iteration of Batman's story felt unique to him. "For some reason, Batman has always stood out as one of the major characters of the 20th century, and so many people connect with it on such a deep level for so many different reasons," he explained. "From the first conversation I had with Matt about it, I just knew that there was something radically different [here]."

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Wright, who plays James Gordon, teased in the clip that "Gotham is a character in a way that we haven't seen before."

When Warner Bros. dropped the official trailer of Pattinson's "The Batman" in August last year, fans couldn't help but notice his dark eyeliner and serious demeanor, noting that his version appeared different from Ben Affleck's and Christian Bale's portrayal of the character.

"Now this Batman looks like he's got personal issues," one fan commented on the trailer.

"Honestly DC, just make gritty Batman movies instead. This looks incredible," another wrote.

Reeves told People following the release of the trailer that Batman's look reflects what he is going through. In the film, he is still figuring out what he can do to change Gotham and is not having any of the effects that he wants to have.

Despite the mixed opinions over his character's look, Pattinson said the project is special to him and that it was different from the previous iterations.

"For some reason, Batman has always stood out as one of the major characters of the 20th century, and so many people connect with it on such a deep level for so many different reasons," he was quoted by EW as saying. "From the first conversation I had with Matt about it, I just knew that there was something radically different [here]."

"The Batman" is slated for release on March 4, 2022, after being delayed twice from its original June date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.