What would you like to see in Matt Reeves’ The Batman?

[Kamdan]

I agree with all of your points, Silver Nemesis. I've been developing a Batman series off and on for the last couple of years and your vision on how you would like to see the next Batman movie matches mine for this series

[Silver Nemesis]

This 1986 advert offers another look at what a comic-accurate version of Batman's blue and grey costume might look like.

This may be the only pre-Burton costume to have a sculpted rubber cowl. And unlike the one in the 1989 film, this mask allows Batman to turn his head.

Apparently this commercial prompted a lawsuit from Adam West. Meanwhile here's what the real Adam and Burt were up to in 1986.

[Kamdan]

I'm particularly a fan of this styling of the cowl.












West also tried to sue on the basis that his image appears here, along with Burt Ward, in the spinning still from Hi Diddle Riddle that appeared constantly in the show.

[Silver Nemesis]

I like the simplicity of that cowl. I wouldn't mind something like that in the new film, though I'd prefer the ears a tad longer.

[Max Eckhardt]

I would like to see a Gotham city that looks Gothic like Tim Burton's Batman movie but on a larger scale. Really dark and gritty like what we see in The Crow.

I'd like a real Batmobile again like Tim Burton's.

As for the Batsuit I'd like it to be black, with a yellow oval and yellow/gold belt, long years, a mean looking cowl.
But I don't want rubber. I want a mesh-looking material that allows the actor to movie and fight but also conveys the idea of armour and protection.

I want to see an emotional distant, obsessive Bruce Wayne on the edge of the abyss. I want a Bruce wayne that isn't interested in relationships or retirement.

I'd like the villain to be the Riddler or the Penguin. Or the Ventriloquist. I want a somewhat gritty, grounded and mature take on the dark knight, one that focuses on story and character over action spectacle.

I want the scope of the movie to be quite small, a plot that doesn't require Batman to save the entire city for once.

[thecolorsblend]

I've said I want a late Golden Age movie. The reason for that is because I think the idea of a dark, gritty Batman has been done to death by now and it's time for something a little different. So here are some pages that give the flavor of what I have in mind.

Try not to be too literal with any of these things. I want this tone and style to be adapted for the big screen; not necessarily these specific stories.


I freaking love Ace the Bat-Hound.


I've always enjoyed Batman and Robin trading silly rhymes with their enemies during a bust. We haven't seen much of that lately in comics or movies and I want this back.


This Red Hood thing is a fun story in general. But I also enjoy the idea that the Joker had a life before becoming the Joker. He turned to crime and discovered the hard way that crime doesn't pay.


A smiling Batman who helps people who are down on their luck find respectable work. We never see stuff like this anymore. And we should see it.


Batman and/or Robin giving lectures to police cadets on effective crimefighting techniques. I'm not saying they have to give lectures. Let's not be too literal here. I'm just saying I want to see Batman openly embraced by Gotham police and nobody thinks it's strange or unusual that a masked man is treated with the same deference by the public that they would show to police officers. The police accept Batman as one of their own.


Batman has customized vehicles and so should his enemies. I'm not saying it has to be a giant cat-plane. But stylized vehicles should be something the villains instinctively do. And again, nobody should consider that strange or unusual.


I love this story. And I especially love the idea of a museum full of Batman outfits on display to the public. The Joker can skulk around in the crowd wearing only sunglasses and that's somehow an effective disguise.


The Joker adopts customized outfits for committing crimes. Again, don't be too literal about this. It doesn't have to be the Joker using different outfits for each crime. The idea is to show how effective the villains can be simply be making modest changes to their MO.


That's a big bright bat-signal in the sky. Love it! And again, Batman is enfranchised with the police and treated as an equal. And nobody (not the public, not the police, not the rogues) should find that objectionable.


I love the original Bat-Girl and Bat-Woman. Live action versions of them having adventures of their own or helping Batman and Robin with their adventures would be welcome.


One thing DC movies especially have done lately is downplay the science-fantasy elements. I want that stuff to come back so that things like Batman being put on trial by an entire court room of Jokers doesn't seem strange or creepy or psychotic or anything. It's just the Joker's latest stunt, that's all.

[The Dark Knight]

I would like to see a Gotham city that looks Gothic like Tim Burton's Batman movie but on a larger scale. Really dark and gritty like what we see in The Crow.

I'd like a real Batmobile again like Tim Burton's.

As for the Batsuit I'd like it to be black, with a yellow oval and yellow/gold belt, long years, a mean looking cowl.
But I don't want rubber. I want a mesh-looking material that allows the actor to movie and fight but also conveys the idea of armour and protection.

I want to see an emotional distant, obsessive Bruce Wayne on the edge of the abyss. I want a Bruce wayne that isn't interested in relationships or retirement.

I'd like the villain to be the Riddler or the Penguin. Or the Ventriloquist. I want a somewhat gritty, grounded and mature take on the dark knight, one that focuses on story and character over action spectacle.

I want the scope of the movie to be quite small, a plot that doesn't require Batman to save the entire city for once.

I don't think we need dark and gritty to the level of BvS, but I agree there should still be a level of darkness. I'm not ready for a complete lightning up to B66 levels right now. I'm open to something resembling BTAS or Batman Forever - darkness balanced with lightness. I do agree with you on the focus on story and character over action, though. I think we may be in luck considering it was said Reeves had to add in a couple of action scenes to satisfy that component. Meaning there should be plenty of focus on psychology, detective work and that kind of thing.

[Max Eckhardt]

I would like to see a Gotham city that looks Gothic like Tim Burton's Batman movie but on a larger scale. Really dark and gritty like what we see in The Crow.

I'd like a real Batmobile again like Tim Burton's.

As for the Batsuit I'd like it to be black, with a yellow oval and yellow/gold belt, long years, a mean looking cowl.
But I don't want rubber. I want a mesh-looking material that allows the actor to movie and fight but also conveys the idea of armour and protection.

I want to see an emotional distant, obsessive Bruce Wayne on the edge of the abyss. I want a Bruce wayne that isn't interested in relationships or retirement.

I'd like the villain to be the Riddler or the Penguin. Or the Ventriloquist. I want a somewhat gritty, grounded and mature take on the dark knight, one that focuses on story and character over action spectacle.

I want the scope of the movie to be quite small, a plot that doesn't require Batman to save the entire city for once.

I don't think we need dark and gritty to the level of BvS, but I agree there should still be a level of darkness. I'm not ready for a complete lightning up to B66 levels right now. I'm open to something resembling BTAS or Batman Forever - darkness balanced with lightness. I do agree with you on the focus on story and character over action, though. I think we may be in luck considering it was said Reeves had to add in a couple of action scenes to satisfy that component. Meaning there should be plenty of focus on psychology, detective work and that kind of thing.

BvS was not mature in my estimation. It was what a teenage boy might think was "adult" and "grown up" It was Batman Forever levels of immaturity with a veneer of darkness scrapped across the surface.
The animated series and it's spin off films were handled much better. The only reason i want the next Batman film to be dark and mature is so that we can explore the psychology of the characters and get a good plot for a change. Movies that appeal to a younger or more mainstream audience these days sacrifice these things for action and spectacle.

Even Nolan did that in his Batman films to various extents. I feel that I'm not going to get what i want. Warner Bros. want a blockbuster, and i want a low budget $50-75 million movie like what we seem to be getting with the Joker.

Let me be clear though, I'm not looking for added violence or pornographic scenes or vulgar language, those things to not make a mature film in my opinion, I'm looking for a movie that kids could technically be allowed to watch but would be mostly bored if they did so

[The Dark Knight]

What would I like to SEE in The Batman? Visuals as evocative as Rogue One.

https://www.batman-online.com/news/2019/7/25/the-batman-gets-a-rogue

[thecolorsblend]

We all know that unsubstantiated Internet gossip is the most reliable thing in the world. Right?

Anyway, scuttlebutt right now says that the movie will be a slightly more direct adaptation of The Long Halloween. If so, I think bringing the Dark Deco Gotham designs from BTAS would be welcome. The reality that Reeves creates for the film needs to support Batman as well as costumed supervillains. I think that it might inadvisable to shoot something like that in Vancouver. Shooting in Vancouver has been done to death. What's left?

But bringing a big helping of the BTAS Gotham City would be something new for live action and it would line up nicely with the crime noir elements of TLH.

I think this or something similar would be the best approach.