The Batman Trivia: 8 Facts About This Gritty Dark Knight Reboot
Warner Bros.
Robert Pattinson wowed audiences worldwide in The Batman – a gritty new take on the Dark Knight’s world. Here are 8 pieces of trivia about the movie…
1) Pattinson lied to Christopher Nolan to attend the audition
When the opportunity to audition for The Batman came up, Robert Pattinson was actually at the rehearsals for Christopher Nolan’s movie, Tenet. To get away for the day, Pattinson told the director that he had a family emergency he had to attend to. However, because Nolan is so connected to the world of The Dark Knight, he already knew where Pattinson was going.
2) The Zodiac killer was an inspiration for The Riddler
When Matt Reeves was working on the character development for his own gritty take on the Dark Knight universe, he drew inspiration for the movie’s main villain, The Riddler, from a very dark place. The Zodiac killer operated in America in the late 1960s. The killer wrote a number of letters to national newspapers, often including cryptic clues or ciphers.
3) Colin Farrell used his Penguin make-up to get a Starbucks unrecognised
A huge Hollywood star, Colin Farrell can’t often go out in public without being recognised. After being dressed up in The Penguin’s fat suit and prosthetics for one of the first times, Farrell decided to test out how good the disguise was by going and getting a Starbucks. He was totally unrecognised, although he did get some funny looks.
4) Pattinson wore Kilmer’s bat suit for the audition
For his audition, Pattinson suited up in Val Kilmer’s suit from Batman Forever. However, his head didn’t fit in Kilmer’s cowl, so he wore George Clooney’s cowl from Batman & Robin. He wanted to treasure the memory, just in case the audition didn’t go well and this was his last chance to don the suit, so he quickly took a selfie of himself when no one was looking.
5) Michelle Pfieffer gave Zoe Kravitz some great costume advice
Michelle Pfieffer played Catwoman in Tim Burton’s 1992 sequel Batman Returns. When talking to Zoe Kravitz about her role in The Batman, Pfieffer told her to make sure she’d be able to go to the toilet whilst in costume. Pfieffer famously donned a tight leather bodysuit, which would have been a nightmare for going to the bathroom.
6) There’s a Shakespeare reference to 1966’s Batman series
In Wayne Manor, we see a bust of treasured playwright William Shakespeare. This is actually a nod to the fun and zany Batman TV series from the 1960s, starring Adam West. In the series, the caped crusader would have to tug on a bust of Shakespeare the reveal the entrance to the bat cave.
7) The Zorro connection
At one point in the movie, we hear Batman referred to as ‘Zorro.’ But there’s more to this throw-away line than you might think. In lots of adaptations over the years, the Wayne family have been leaving a showing of a Zorro movie whilst being gunned down outside the cinema. Not only this, but the original creators of Batman have also said that Zorro is an inspiration for their character.
8) Affleck wrote a script for The Batman
Affleck was originally set to star in and direct The Batman, due to his role in the DC Universe. However, the actor hung up the cowl due to the terrible time he had making Justice League. However, he had already written a script. When Matt Reeves landed the role of director, he did read the script Affleck had written, and enjoyed it. However, the new director ultimately wanted to create his own version of the Dark Knight’s world.
There you have it – some trivia about this gritty, masterful entry into Batman lore!