Batman is a character who can be framed in infinitely different ways, just by focusing in on one aspect of his mythos above others. Over the years, film adaptations of the iconic DC hero have taken a particular direction, one that Matt Reeves might be deviating from in a fascinating way.
Reeves took over the director role of The Batman from DCEU Batman star Ben Affleck in 2017. Though the film was originally intended to focus on the DCEU version of the character but has since been reworked, recast, and completely recontextualized as a very different film.
In interviews, Matt Reeves has spoken a great deal about the type of movie he is making in The Batman. He has declared his intentions to bring back a long-ignored aspect of the character to the forefront: Batman's role as World's Greatest Detective. Reeves has stated that the film will be comparable to a noir film, focusing more on Batman's crime-solving skills as he contends with very realistic criminals. Reeves cites inspiration from classics like The French Connection and Chinatown, among others. He has stated that, while the film is not a direct adaptation of any particular comic book story, it is inspired by well-known standouts like The Long Halloween and Year One. This all points to a nuanced, thoughtful take on Batman that has never really been depicted on the big screen before. Unfortunately, that is not the movie the trailers seem to think they're promoting.
The Batman Trailers: What Are They Selling?
There have been two trailers for The Batman thus far, and they've been pretty engaging. The trailers were both packed with explosions, car chases, machine gun fire, fist-fights, and wall-to-wall action. These brief clips with their frenetic energy and overstimulating tone feel like they belong in a Jason Statham film, and certainly don't scream "neo-noir detective mystery." Obviously, a detective story can be action-packed, but the advertisements are making The Batman look no different than any of the other hard-action films about the character. The focus put on Robert Pattinson's Batman's aggression and violence as he beats down his enemies sell the rage-fueled vengeance ninja aspect of the character very well. The firey car chase between Colin Farrell's brand new take on The Penguin and the new Batmobile is a visually fascinating rush of action. But why is this gritty violent action thriller also being referred to as a noir detective film?
Perhaps it's a simple case of trying to put the most engaging moments in the advertising. If Reeves did manage to create a true Silence of the Lambs-styled psychological thriller, perhaps the studios didn't know how to market that film well. Given the brief runtime of the average trailer, it makes sense to frontload the most viscerally gripping scenes to get audiences in the door. It would make sense, at least to the studios, to try to market any superhero movie like all the others, even if it is totally unique. Perhaps these are all of the big action setpieces and the majority of the runtime is given over to intense investigation and clever problem-solving. As afraid of change as big studios tend to be, this is a Batman film, the superhero's name in the title will drive audiences from all over. Fans would likely be split either way, some in favor of more fast-paced action and others excited to see the detective elements of the story take the main stage.
Matt Reeves & Cloverfield's Marketing
Funnily enough, the film that brought Matt Reeves widespread acclaim was also surrounded by some challenging marketing decisions. 2008's Cloverfield, directed by Reeves and produced by J.J. Abrams, came to theaters in a haze of mystery which led to an ecosystem of speculation. The upside of this strategy was that the film dominated a shocking amount of cultural conversation, probably much more prominent than it would've been with straightforward ads. The downside was that, when the film finally came out, many were disappointed to find it was a straightforward giant monster film without many crazy elements. The Batman is certainly not being that obtuse, but it could be obscuring its actual tone with some slightly mysterious ads, which could work for or against it in the long run.
The alternative is a bit more cynical; perhaps Reeves began this project as a noir detective piece, but found the film drifting into more traditional action fare throughout the filmmaking process. Over the decades, fans have seen superhero films led by single creative visions completely ruined by studio meddling. A detective film can be much tougher to put together than a setpiece-driven action blockbuster, so perhaps a studio would be more inclined toward the latter. But whether the marketing is trying to put its best foot forward, or accurately depicting different directions for the film, its clear that there are many ways the piece could go.
The Batman won't hit theaters until next year. Fans will have to wait until then to find out whether the trailer or the director told the true story.