The following article contains spoilers for The Batman.
The Batman's massively successful premiere has left mostly positive impressions in both critics and audiences. However, Robert Pattinson’s Batman is not exactly like his predecessors in several ways, but among the most notable is the absence of Bruce Wayne’s romantic exploits.
While Matt Reeves' The Batman has been consistently hyped by the directors and its producers as the darkest and most realistic take on Batman so far, the presence of Zoe Kravitz' Catwoman might suggest Bruce still finds time for activities other than crime fighting. However, despite its runtime being almost 3 hours long, Pattinson himself has a very good explanation for why there’s simply no room for Batman's womanizing ways.
The actor’s confession came during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, alongside Kravitz, during which Pattinson explained that the lack of romantic ties “made the character almost make more sense.” He goes a bit deeper into the subject, noting that for someone to be able to juggle three radically distinct personalities and also switch them on the fly is borderline “sociopathic." However, the idea of Bruce truly having no control and simply being compelled to carry on his Batman duties without finding much time for anything in his life “made more sense with the grieving process."
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Pattinson's take is roughly that this Bruce is still somewhat of a broken child. "What he feels is himself, he thinks is an incredibly weak and vulnerable child, and he needs to have an entirely different alter ego to survive himself, let alone fight all the criminals of Gotham," said Pattinson. The actor’s comments will surely resonate with anyone who has already seen The Batman, as they will probably have come out of the theater noticing how little screen time Bruce Wayne gets in this movie.
While the decision to feature so little of Bruce may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s definitely consistent with the tone of the film, as almost every time Pattinson is seen without a mask he fully embodies the “emo Batman” many fans had feared when his casting was announced. Nevertheless, this broken Bruce works surprisingly well in The Batman, as the scenes with Alfred especially help convey the notion that he can barely handle his normal life.
Someone who certainly picks up on that behavior is the Riddler, who’s not afraid to tell Batman straight to his face that the supposed superhero facade is actually his one true identity. Those who didn't love this Bruce might have better hopes for The Batman sequel, as the caped crusader does appear to be more open to changing his ways once the credits roll.
The Batman is currently available in theaters.
Source: Entertainment Weekly