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 ofThe BatmanfromDCEU Batman star Ben Affleckin 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.
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In interviews,Matt Reeves has spokena great deal about the type of movie he is making inThe 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 likeThe French ConnectionandChinatown,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-knownstandouts likeThe Long HalloweenandYear 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?
Perhaps it’s a simple case of trying to put the most engaging moments in the advertising. If Reeves did manage to create a trueSilence of the Lambs-styledpsychological 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 attempt 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’sCloverfield,directed byReeves 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 Batmanis 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 bysingle 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 Batmanwon’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.
