Between Adam West and Christian Bale, there’s a Batman for everyone by now. Each version of the character and his story has something to offer (yes, even Batman & Robin) but it’s widely agreed that Christopher Nolan’s take on the caped crusader is one of the most respected interpretations of Bruce Wayne’s life. It’s been nine years since we last watched Nolans' Batman on a big screen and fans are clamoring for more footage of Matt Reeves’ new film, The Batman.
Fans’ emotions have been up and down about the upcoming film ever since it was first announced. There were doubts about Robert Pattinson’s ability to play Bruce Wayne, thanks to Twilight, but most have come around to the idea after taking note of the diverse acting roles he's taken on. Even though Nolan's trilogy is highly admired, there are a lot of ways The Batman can improve on the few things Nolan didn't quite nail. Namely, the clunky and awkward dialogue.
There are a few ways that Nolan's dialogue failed to tie seamlessly into the film. Most notably, the auditory clarity is sometimes garbled beyond the point of being able to recognize words. Christian Bale's gritty Batman voice was sometimes so deep and gravelly that it forced the audience to strain to hear each word. Did anyone fully understand every word Bane said in The Dark Knight Rises? Tom Hardy's garbled dialogue beneath his colossal mask was so hard to hear that it inspired Twitter accounts, memes, endless mockery from fans, and plenty of commentary from critics.
It was impossible not to notice the lack of clarity. Nolan's movies are known for being noisy, loud, and having dialogue that is difficult to hear. In particular, his last film in the trilogy struggled with that problem. Heath Ledger may have made a lot of creative choices with his tone and cadence when he played Joker, but the audience could still understand him for the most part. To Nolan's credit, he's aware of what his films sound like. He makes these choices deliberately to immerse the audience further into the characters' world and experiences.
The other issue that stands out in the trilogy is the dialogue itself. Movies adapted from comic books certainly have more wiggle room for cheesy monologues or conversations. After all, the dialogue in comic books is oftentimes over the top in a way that works better on a page than it does out loud. Still, the hallmark of Nolan's trilogy was the realistic feel he brought to Batman's otherwise outrageous world. So the dialogue for important scenes, like Talia al Ghul's (Marion Cotillard) villain reveal in Dark Knight Rises, which sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the tone of the film. The biggest culprit of this was any scene where Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) spoke. Her lines felt consistently forced, unnatural, and stiff, all of which are the opposite of the impression Catwoman is supposed to leave.
After the last Ben Affleck solo Batman movie was scrapped, the trailer for The Batman already has many fans impressed. The prospect of certain casting choices have heightened expectations along with the fact that a new director will be at the helm of the film. This clean slate means that Reeves has the space to improve the quality of the dialogue in a way that creates a better impression than Nolan's ever did.
Reeves has already proven from his work on the Planet Of The Apes franchise that he can handle delving into the grey areas of Batman's morality. Aside from directing, Reeves has also worked as a writer on War For The Planet Of The Apes and Let Me In, the latter of which even won a Saturn award in the Best Horror/Thriller Film category. This is good news considering that he's also credited as a writer on The Batman script. Giving him the opportunity to both direct and write means he'll have creative control from all angles, which, by evidence of his past resume, can only work in the film's favor.
Along with Reeves' talent, the cast of the film is full of actors who have a reputation for making the most of their dialogue. In particular, Paul Dano is known for his standout performances in critically acclaimed films like There Will Be Blood and 12 Years A Slave. He was equally as memorable when he spent 90% of his onscreen time completely silent for Little Miss Sunshine, so he knows how to make the most of both silence and discourse.
Zoë Kravitz is also a natural with dialogue and is poised to finally give fans a standout version of Catwoman they've never seen before. She's tackled roles in hits like X-Men: First Class and Mad Max: Fury Road, but she also managed to do the most with the lackluster script from the short-lived High Fidelity show. Colin Farrell, Peter Sarsgaard, and Andy Serkis have all also proven time and time again that they are masters at shaping performances through dialogue.
There will always be a lot of positive things to be said about Nolan's Batman trilogy. His stamp on the character will live on as one of the most memorable in the long line of Batman films that exist. But it's becoming clearer and clearer that The Batman is shaping up to knock it from its throne and take over as the most favored version of the character - starting with the dialogue.
The Batman is scheduled for theatrical release on March 4, 2022.