The Batman General News & Discussion Thread

[Fincher]

Clearly Batman's true archenemy isn't The Joker after all, it's unbroken glass.

 

[Mindreaper21]

Clearly Batman's true archenemy isn't The Joker after all, it's unbroken glass.

Glass. The real threat to Gotham City. It must be stopped.

 

[Wheels]

WB could easily make an Elseworlds style R-rated Batman movie, they don’t need to make the mainstream films R.


He punches out the Batmobile TV screen.

1 Billion dollars is pretty mainstream but I get your meaning.

 

[BRGomes]

According to Batman on Film, Batmobile will be used in the Liverpool shoot, beginning March 16.

 

[Boom]

Moar Batman photos.

 

[DKDetective]

Moar Batman photos.

Wut? Where?

 

[Boom]

Wut? Where?

In a couple weeks when the Batmobile comes out to play.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Possibly, but it's hard to say for sure given the daunting amount of success that the studio had just months ago with Joker.

The studio was banking on BoP being a hit because of Harley Quinn, but failed to account for how a massive chunk of her fanbase skew towards the younger side and I've noticed in recent years that a fair number of adults have a more mixed opinion on Harley- with only a select part of the adult community even aware of who the titular "Birds of Prey" were supposed to be. Plus the film wasn't quite generating excitement enough for the remaining older demographic that it was made for.

In contrast, practically everyone knows and loves Batman, much like with Joker. Obviously there's some financial risk at play with making an R-rated live action solo Batman film, but a lot of that comes down to the budget. Supposedly The Batman is working with a budget of around $110 Million, which is quite a bit more than Joker's budget ($62.5m)... but it's also less than half of the budget for Batman v. Superman ($250-300m), which was originally made and designed as a Rated R film and given an Uncut Edition on home release.

We'll see what happens. I'm not expecting it to be rated R right now... but it is starting to feel like that might actually be on the cards, given what we know so far. And that's a very exciting possibility to consider, if it proves to be accurate. Not because I want more violence for the sake of violence, but because I'd be excited to see what Reeves can bring to the table with his Fincher-inspired live action vision of Batman in that sort of sandbox.

EDIT: Let's also not forget the previous success that Batman: Arkham Knight had with its sales as a Rated M game.

All this, but also; think of the publicity and dialogue that this film will garner if it turns out to be the very first R rated Batman movie!

 

[C Prometheus]

All this, but also; think of the publicity and dialogue that this film will garner if it turns out to be the very first R rated Batman movie!

Yeah, I remember there being a ton of hype and excitement surrounding the release of Batman: Arkham Knight for being the first Rated M Batman video game back in 2015. Not to mention the previous hype for Joker a few months ago or the excitement behind Logan and the Deadpool movies for being rated R.

There's absolutely an audience for a Rated-R Batman film. Up to now, I've just assumed that when we get one, it'd be a Black Label one-off type film with a smaller budget, similar to Joker. And while I still lean towards the thought that Reeves is making a PG-13 film, it is starting to feel like an R rating might possibly be in play here.

I'd certainly be game if that happens.

 

[Invader Joker]

An R rated Joker movie making more money than PG 13 Disney Star Wars is sure as hell a good incentive to make WB start rethinking their position.
I think the decision will be up to Matt Reeves.

And I'm not sure he'll go for it, I mean, he seems like the type of dude that'd like his kid to fall in love with Batman same way he did when he was a kid.

 

[cryptic name]

Honestly, if the movie builds hype, kids are gonna see it whether it’s R or not, and then it’ll seem taboo and forbidden and they may fall in love with it all the same. I think what would be the clincher for WB wanting to keep it PG-13 is the desire to sell toys. Not Saying that in a pejorative way, I want some cool The Batman toys, just being pragmatic.

 

[thangaran]

But should it be R rated?? Do you guys want the violence and gore to be as much as the Raid, punisher or daredevil? i want awesome action scenes but I’d prefer for it to be an uber creepy pg-13 intense detective mystery. If they do R rated, then I’d prefer it due to the intensity of it rather than gore and violence which I’m honestly a little fed up with

 

[Wheels]

But should it be R rated?? Do you guys want the violence and gore to be as much as the Raid, punisher or daredevil? i want awesome action scenes but I’d prefer for it to be an uber creepy pg-13 intense detective mystery. If they do R rated, then I’d prefer it due to the intensity of it rather than gore and violence which I’m honestly a little fed up with

I'm good either way as I do like exploitative media but R rated material does seem unnecessary for Batman . Not really unwelcomed by me though as I can go in for some material that is considered tasteless.

 

[emielaen]

But should it be R rated?? Do you guys want the violence and gore to be as much as the Raid, punisher or daredevil? i want awesome action scenes but I’d prefer for it to be an uber creepy pg-13 intense detective mystery. If they do R rated, then I’d prefer it due to the intensity of it rather than gore and violence which I’m honestly a little fed up with

r ratings aren't only attributed to violence and gore.

 

[thangaran]

I'm good either way as I do like exploitative media but R rated material does seem unnecessary for Batman . Not really unwelcomed by me though as I can go in for some material that is considered tasteless.

I defn watch a lot of media with gore and violence but just more recently I’ve been really just not into shows or movies that show a gratuitous amount with no context or just do it for show. So many shows and movies overdo it now a days

 

[cryptic name]

But should it be R rated?? Do you guys want the violence and gore to be as much as the Raid, punisher or daredevil? i want awesome action scenes but I’d prefer for it to be an uber creepy pg-13 intense detective mystery. If they do R rated, then I’d prefer it due to the intensity of it rather than gore and violence which I’m honestly a little fed up with

I don’t really need or want an R-rated Batman movie, but I’d be curious to see one. I’ve been pretty thoroughly sold on Reeves’ take from pretty early on just based on what he’s had to say and his previous work, so if he decided on an R-rated movie and the studio backed him I’d be into it.

 

[thangaran]

I don’t really need or want an R-rated Batman movie, but I’d be curious to see one. I’ve been pretty thoroughly sold on Reeves’ take from pretty early on just based on what he’s had to say and his previous work, so if he decided on an R-rated movie and the studio backed him I’d be into it.

Agree. I wouldn’t necessarily mind it if it’s more of an R rating due to the emotional intensity, craziness and creepy factor to the film rather than bone breaking over the top violence. I think the intensity of violence in the Bane vs Batman batcave scene or the warehouse fight would be acceptable.

 

[Wheels]

Bewbs are worse than someone getting their head blown off anyway, or so American society says. Seems legit to me.

 

[Marvel united]

I don't think an R is necessary at all. All of Reeves' Apes movies were emotionally intense and mature and none facilitated an R rating. I don't see why Reeves would push for an R rating, I know WB would likely be opposed to it

 

[Blind Bat]

Hard no on an R rated Batman film. I don't need to see a Bruce/Selina sex scene, or over-the-top brutal violence, or someone shooting up heroin, or hear someone drop multiple F-bombs to know the stakes are high and this is a serious film. The PG-13 rating is more than enough to encompass anything that should be in a Batman film. Just my opinion and you're more than welcome to disagree.

 

[flickchick85]

I personally don't think Reeves is out to make an R-rated film.

 

[Invader Joker]

A closeup of people with bad teeth could be a closeup of homeless people or junkies.

 

[cryptic name]

I personally don't think Reeves is out to make an R-rated film.

Yeah I don’t think so either, just something to chat about.

 

[C Prometheus]

I personally don't think Reeves is out to make an R-rated film.

I'm not expecting it to be rated R, but I could see why Reeves might potentially opt to go for an R-rating.

Obviously an R rating isn't needed on the Batman side of things, but I do think there's an argument to be made that such a rating allows Reeves more space to really establish the Rogues Gallery as dangerous individuals and what sort of horrific crimes they might commit. Moreover I think Gotham City itself could arguably be more fully realized as the hellish city that it is with such a rating too.

Obviously an R rating isn't needed to make a good Batman film. We've got several great Batman films already made within the confines of PG-13 and even one great PG film, not to mention the first three Arkham games being rated Teen. But there's something about the R/M rating that I think both Joker and Arkham Knight benefited from.

 

[Invader Joker]

I do think that people are understimating the value that an R rating has and the freedom that it could give to Batman.
Gotham City has always been this dumpster fire of a city filled with the worst people you could possibly imagine.
Batman is a hero that constantly has to deal with the horrors of the world, trying to remain with his moral code, mission and values even though he constantly sees horrors.
If you want to represent a terrible Gotham and terrible people in the most crude and honest way possible, you can't always sugarcoat it with the PG 13 limitations.
There's gonna be blood. There's gonna be horrible crime scenes. There's gonna be cases of sexual assault, pedophilia, drug abuse, etc. There's gonna be disturbing **** in Gotham if it's really a terrible place and Batman is someone that really deals with terrible people

And you can absolutely tell a good story about Batman that has those mature elements. Batman as a character-He's a mature and dark person. He deals with this stuff. Even on the PG 13 content we've gotten it's always been implied he deals with these sort of situations.


To actually see a story where we as an audience see the same horrors he does can be really impactful and used to tell not only a good Batman story, but a very honest one. I know because we've seen R rated Batman stories that work. The Killing Joke, The Dark Knight Returns, Night Cries, etc.
Heck. It might even be more inspiring and hero-like to see Batman directly dealing in front of the audience eyes all the Gotham City **** and still somehow find it within himself to keep going and fighting.

I've always been struck by that line Batman said in the JL cartoon:
"My mind is not a nice place to be"

And probably not a PG 13 one, either.