Several eras of DC movies have seen Bob Kane and Bill Finger\u2019s Batman inspire audiences worldwide. Everything from the colorful comedy of Adam West\u2019s 1966 interpretation right up to Zack Snyder\u2019s Batfleck era has painted Bruce Wayne and his costumed alter ego in various shades. As Robert Pattinson\u2019s variation in The Batman is about to dawn on us all, the actor has singled out a specific movie that\u2019s closest to Matt Reeves\u2019 upcoming blockbuster, and it\u2019s a surprising choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking in an interview with Premiere France, Robert Pattinson threw one hell of a curveball when citing a key influence on The Batman. In his eyes, the 1993 animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the title that fans should be using as a reference for what to expect. According to Pattinson, his Batman is similar to the one that was presented in that cult classic thanks a very specific and comic based inspiration:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I sincerely believe that the tone of The Batman has nothing to do (opposed to the previous movies), it feels new. In the comics, Batman is someone more\u2026 unstable. If you read between the lines, it’s actually very sad. Whereas in the cinema, it is always his heroic side that is put forward. The Batman does the opposite, we capture the inner bubbling of the character. In my opinion, the only other to achieve this is the animated film Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm. When I saw it, it clicked: being Batman is a kind of curse, it’s a burden. But hey man, you decided that, right? \u2018No no no, I HAVE to be Batman. I was chosen, not the other way around.\u2019 I don’t think we’ve ever really seen that in a live film.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
We have seen the more morose side of Batman presented in other films, and through varying degrees. The Burton\/Schumacher films scratch the surface of Bruce Wayne\u2019s inner pain and his attempts at actual human relationships to counter such trauma. Meanwhile, The LEGO Batman Movie and the first LEGO Movie went as far as to use Master Wayne\u2019s grief as comedic gold. Those approaches fit the tone of the films they respectively originated from, but Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is possibly the most balanced portrayal of the man and the street myth; one that you can currently catch through an HBO Max subscription.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For The Batman to try and emulate that sort of story is really hopeful, as that \u201cheroic side\u201d Robert Pattinson mentioned has absolutely been a driving force in the most recent arc of storytelling. Between Christopher Nolan\u2019s stoic Dark Knight Trilogy and Ben Affleck\u2019s journey to believe in heroes again culminating in Zack Snyder\u2019s Justice League, the ideals of heroism are absolutely front and center. With the comparison to Batman: Mask of the Phantasm in the deck, we can expect a rougher Batman without the shackles of animated censorship. However, we can also assume that this Bruce Wayne is isn\u2019t exactly committed to his crimefighting career for life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s rather fitting that Mr. Pattinson\u2019s thoughts have arrived at this moment in time, as another piece of media seems to back his call. Recently, a single from composer Michael Giacchino\u2019s score to The Batman was released onto streaming music and video platforms. While he was given \u201ctotal freedom\u201d over the finished product, his work sounds like an admiring cousin to the style and tone of composer Shirley Walker\u2019s work on both Mask of the Phantasm and The Animated Series. Judge for yourself as you listen to \u201cThe Batman\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n