Jeffrey Wright bonded with Matt Reeves on the set of The Batman over Adam West. Wright is appearing in The Batman as Commissioner Gordon, which Reeves is directing. Wright will co-star alongside Robert Pattinson (Bruce Wayne), Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman), Paul Dano (The Riddler), and Colin Farrell (The Penguin).
Batman really started becoming more prevalent in pop culture once Tim Burton’s Batman came out in 1989, starring Michael Keaton. Keaton returned to the role for Batman Returns but was replaced by Val Kilmer in Batman Forever and George Clooney in Batman & Robin. Only the first two of these Batman films were widely accepted by fans and critics, but Christopher Nolan brought the character back into the spotlight for The Dark Knight trilogy starting in 2005. Before all of these though, there was Adam West. West starred alongside Burt Ward (Robin) for 120 episodes of Batman between 1966 and 1968. The series is often considered cheesy by today’s standards, but West’s Batman has continued to be cherished by fans, including Wright and Reeves.
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CNET recently interviewed Wright about his many projects, including Westworld season 3, No Time to Die, and The Batman. When asked if he was a fan of the Batman comics as a kid, Wright said that he was more enthralled by West’s Batman series. Wright’s full quote can be read below:
“I was a bit of a fan of Batman comics, and comics generally, growing up. But I was a lunatic Adam West Batman fan. And Matt Reeves, who is directing the movie, was as well. And we were talking about it and he said, “In my mind, that wasn’t camp.” Now, this is not to say that we’re doing an Adam West Batman in any respect. But that for me was my early dive into the Batman cosmos. Matt and I agree it wasn’t camp for us, it was deadly serious for an 8-year-old kid. Deadly serious with the most tricked-out heroic technology and bells and whistles this side of James Bond. If you look back at it within context, man, it was as Batman as anything. The pastel tones harken back to the original Bob Kane/Bill Finger stuff. That was my early and much appreciated introduction into Gotham.”
Wright commented that Pattinson’s Batman isn’t based on West’s version, and that certainly seems to be the case. The Batman looks to be a more grounded and realistic Batman movie, which has been teased by some leaked set photos and officially released stills. When photos of Pattinson’s Batsuit were revealed, it became clear that the movie was taking inspiration from the Batman: Arkham game series. Even the photos of the Batmobile make The Batman seem more realistic since it appears to just be a suped-up muscle car.
Since Reeves and Wright were both born in the ’60s, it makes sense that they grew up watching West’s Batman. Many comic book fans were thrilled when Batman came on the air, and fans today still adore the iconic portrayal of the character. That being said, Reeves is smart enough to know that he couldn’t make a Batman movie like West’s character. Even if it wasn’t campy when he was a kid, most people agree that it is today based on the other variations of Batman moviegoers have seen of the character. West’s Batman series will always be loved, but Reeves is no doubt going with a darker and more serious approach with The Batman.
Source: CNET
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