The Batman’s Matt Reeves Recalls His Pitch To DC

Batman in the comics

The DC live-action universe is an ever changing place, and there are some very exciting projects coming down the pipeline. Chief among them is Matt Reeves' The Batman, which will feature the debut of Robert Pattinson's version of Bruce Wayne. The movie has been a long time coming; following Ben Affleck's departure from the role the movie sat in development hell for a number of years. But production finally began on Reeves' upcoming blockbuster, and now the filmmaker has reflected on his unique pitch to Warner Bros.

Matt Reeves' plans for The Batman are largely a mystery, as the Planet of the Apes director has been keeping his cards close to the chest. But it looks like Robert Pattinson's version of the Caped Crusader will be less experienced than Ben Affleck's, and the movie will feature a variety of villains. Reeves recently reflected on what it was like pitching to DC and Warner Bros. saying:

I’m going to pitch the version of Batman that I would do, which is going to have a humanist bent. And who knows if they’ll have any interest? If they don’t, then I won’t do it. And that’ll be OK. I was really lucky that they said yes.

Well that took some chutzpah. It looks like Matt Reeves had some bold choices for The Batman. And as such, he pitched his mysterious vision to the powers in charge of the DC Extended Universe. And luckily, he was impressive enough to get the keys to Batman's fist solo movie within the shared universe.

Matt Reeves peeled back the curtain on his DC pitch during a conversation with Nerdist. While fans weren't sure about whether The Batman would come to fruition for a few years, it seems that the filmmaker shared those same concerns. But he had a clear vision for how Gotham's protector should return to theaters. There's a ton of pressure associated with adapting such a beloved superhero, especially as Ben Affleck already played Bruce Wayne in three previous installments of the DCEU.

It should be interesting to see how Matt Reeves' perspective on Batman shapes Robert Pattinson's characterization of the DC hero. As he mentioned, he's approaching the title character with a "humanist bent." This should presumably bring a sense of realism and humanity to the character, and make him a bit more vulnerable than Ben Affleck's hulking and jaded version.

Joining Robert Pattinson in The Batman is a stellar cast of actors assembled by Matt Reeves. The Dark Knight will be facing a trio of villains throughout the movie, played by the likes of Zoe Kravitz, Colin Farrell, and Paul Dano. Other big names attached are Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgaard, and John Turturro.

The Batman is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 25th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.