Robert Pattinson’s The Batman was a game-changer for DC and Warner Bros.; it became one of the highest-grossing movies of 2022 and a commercial success. People loved the dark and gloomy portrayal of the billionaire superhero.
Matt Reeves, the director of the movie, revealed how he was highly inspired by the music of Nirvana during the making of the movie. Not only music, but the lead guitarist, Kurt Cobain, also inspired him to create a fresh template for Batman. He modeled various aspects of the rock star’s troubled life for his protagonist. Essentially, recreating the iconic DC superhero as a different version of the singer but with a more vicious addiction.
The Dark Knight meets grunge: Batman 2.0
Ben Affleck’s role as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was his most successful film, at least financially. But every other movie after was hated either by critics or fans, sometimes both. DC needed a change, and so they hired Matt Reeves to give the caped crusader a much-needed makeover.
It worked, and fans loved how the Twilight star portrayed the dark hero, but the journey to making the film was long and inspired. In an interview with Esquire, the director revealed that he wanted a standalone movie and did not want to focus on stuff that had already been done.
We’ve seen it [Batman’s origin] so many times; it’s been done too much. I knew we couldn’t do that.
This is when Reeves went back to the classics and comics for inspiration, and he found it in Batman: Year One. The tone was detective noir, just what he needed. Reeves then revealed a peculiar inspiration, which he included in the movie.
Early on, when I was writing, I started listening to Nirvana, and there was something about [Nevermind song] ‘Something in the Way’, which is in the first trailer, which is part of the voice of that character.
The Cloverfield director was also struck by Kurt Cobain’s struggles and troubled life; it came to him suddenly that the young DC hero was quite similar to the singer.
Is this guy some kind of wayward, reckless, drug addict?’ And the truth is that he is a kind of drug addict. His drug is his addiction to this drive for revenge. He’s like a Batman Kurt Cobain.
But while the rockstar was very much embroiled in his addiction to cocaine, Batman’s drug was something else- vengeance. This comparison compelled him to include some characteristics of the legendary singer in his version of Batman.
A haunting parallel: Robert Pattinson’s Batman
Reeves had drawn parallels between Cobain’s addiction and Bruce Wayne’s all-consuming desire for revenge. While the latter’s demons aren’t fueled by drugs, his obsession with vengeance becomes an equally destructive force. This character insight helped give more depth to Robert Pattinson‘s Batman.
The people who were excited, I knew it was because they knew Rob’s work post-Twilight. The people who weren’t excited, I knew it was because they didn’t know Rob’s work post-Twilight.
Reeves was excited and dead-set on casting the actor as his lead; he believed in Pattinson’s acting prowess. If fans were not convinced earlier, then his performance in the movie removed all doubts.
I’m very proud of it. I felt it was the best version of the story that we could possibly do to justify having another Batman.
The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes director successfully completed what he set out to do, redefining the Batman franchise. He injected a fresh perspective into an already iconic character by making use of music and a real-life troubled rockstar.
Watch The Batman on Amazon Prime Video.
