Batman is called the Dark Knight after all. And it isn’t just because of his favorite time of day. But for all his darkness, Batman refuses to kill. His cardinal rule. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t feel blood lust. It just means he won’t act on it. At least according to The Batman‘s Robert Pattinson.
Our newest cinematic version of Gotham’s mysterious superhero, The Batman, heads to theaters soon. And Robert Pattinson recently sat down with Premiere to discuss his take on this rendition of Batman. Here’s what he had to say about the character. (Translated from French):
There is this rule with Batman: he must not kill. It can be interpreted in two ways. Either he only wants to inflict the adequate punishment, or he wants to kill and his self-control prevents him from doing so! I imagined it that way from the rehearsal of the first fight, I thought it was funnier: something in him just wanted to slit the guy’s throat! I told myself that if he spends his nights chasing criminals, it is impossible that he does not take pleasure in it.He suffers and it is a desire that overwhelms him. And by dint of knocking, his mind clears, he calms down, he reaches a state close to plenitude. I’m sure in this first fight, he manages to convince himself that every guy in front of him is the one who killed his mother (Laughs.) And so that allows him to vent all his rage.
Batman overwhelmed by desire for throat-slitting could make for a bestselling headline in Gotham. But it also sounds like something Pattinson put a lot of thought into. Could this moral quandary be at center of The Batman‘s story? What separates Batman from the killers he hunts… If he takes pleasure in hunting them. Even if he doesn’t actually kill them. Now there lies a riddle worthy of the Riddler. Who we assume won’t miss a chance to needle Batman.
Chances are the answer comes down to how much Batman’s desires also torture him. Although we have to say, throat-slitting as a limit feels pretty generous limit. Pattinson’s version of the Caped Crusader does seem particularly haunted.
We guess we’ll have to tune in to see if Pattinson’s Batman ever gives in to his deepest desires. If he does, his bangs may get even longer. And his eye makeup darker. We may even hear strains of My Chemical Romance playing in the background. We don’t know if the universe can handle that. Gotham or otherwise. Either way, The Batman releases on March 4. We’ll pack a flashlight so we can see anything amidst all this darkness.
