The internet took storm on Feb. 13 when director, Matt Reeves, shared a short test footage clip of Robert Pattinson in full costume for the upcoming film, ‘The Batman’. The responses have been mixed; however, this is nothing new when it comes to comic book movies.

The clip is less than a minute long, but that is enough time to get me excited for this film. It is dimly lit with a shade of red and an incredible score assisting with the theme that the filmmakers are trying to go for.

There are several theories floating around on the internet on what the film’s plot will be. The main one that I have heard is this Batman will still be in his early years of fighting crime. This would make sense because the suit looks like it has stitching. Could Bruce Wayne have made this suit himself? I think that would be an interesting take that we really haven’t seen yet.

I have read numerous times on the internet that this film will focus more on the detective side of the Dark Knight. I really hope they do go this route. The filmmakers have a huge opportunity to make this a gritty thriller rather than a full on action movie as we have seen before.

Another theory states that the bat symbol on his chest could possibly be made from the gun that killed his parents. It certainly looks like this could be possible from what we see in the test footage. Another interesting theory that we have not seen yet.

Since the release of the test footage, there have been leaked pictures of the full Batman suit. I would guess that a paparazzi took these pictures from a distance, because they are not in great quality. However, I am excited about these pictures!

Users on YouTube have been quick to shun the Batman suit because it is different. They don’t like the way it looks, or they think that the bat ears on the cowl are too slim. My opinion: why would we want to see the same thing as before? That would not be interesting. Reeves is a phenomenal director that I trust to bring a great looking Dark Knight to screen.

I do have hurt feelings surrounding this film due to how it came to be. Originally, Ben Affleck was set to return to play the Batman. He even wrote a screenplay and was going to be in the directors’ chair. Affleck portrayed my favorite version of the caped crusader, so I was excited.

However, Affleck did not return, and his screenplay was scrapped. As I am confident in Reeves, I am curious about what Affleck wanted to bring to the table. 

Because of the behind the scenes drama, I was skeptical about Pattinson. I still have my doubts, but my curiosity outweighs that.

When Michael Keaton was cast as Batman in 1989, he was met with criticism. Affleck was told to stay off the internet because of the backlash he was facing when cast. Both Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix were met with criticism when cast as the Joker, but turned into two of the best performances in film history.

What most audience members think of when they see Pattinson is the horrendous Twilight saga. However, he has had great performances since in the last few years with ‘Good Times’ and ‘The Lighthouse.’ He is a talented actor who can play the gritty and quiet type of character that we want from Batman.

The Batman is currently filming with a 2021 release date. With the stellar cast of Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, Andy Serkis, and Jeffery Wright joining Pattinson, Reeves behind the camera, and the first looks at the bat suit… All I have to say is that this film is on my radar.