DCFandome gave comic book folks plenty to get excited about while they endure a year without a proper Comic-Con, and the biggest news of the night was a first look at a trailer for Robert Pattinson’s turn as Bruce Wayne in The Batman. The dark look at a movie that’s less than a quarter filmed didn’t offer much narratively, but it did show some pretty brutal violence from the caped crusader and a bit of what Pattinson will sound like while in the costume.
There’s a lot to break down from the look we’re given, despite Pattinson’s reticence to speak about the movie and what’s included in it. But one thing fans immediately fixated on was a still that leaked early on Saturday, was quickly scrubbed from the internet and then indeed popped up in the trailer that was shown off to end the DCFandome event.
We get a look at this potential, well, look twice during the trailer. First, a pair of eyes watching a press conference from the shadows at the 1:05 mark. Later, there’s a scene where Pattinson arrives back at what’s almost certainly the Batcave and takes off his helmet to reveal a very dark look.
Many, including our own Kimberly Ricci, noted that it looked a lot like The Crow, the 1994 revenge film starring Brandon Lee. In the movie, Lee’s character is killed along with his fiancé, though he comes back from the dead to exact some very dark vengeance while sporting a visage that’s very similar to what Pattinson wears at times during the trailer.
thank you all for recognizing that eric draven from the crow (1994) IS indeed, the blueprint pic.twitter.com/azm5tp8xzQ
— mj. 𓄿 (@cntariogothic) August 23, 2020
This The Crow remake looks dope pic.twitter.com/JBm71BkgcX
— Fran – Englebert3rd (@englebert3rd) August 23, 2020
Seven was another movie that people pointed out as seemingly referenced in the trailer as well.
it’s like the crow meets dark knight in Seven https://t.co/0EsBmsNgKf
— Ah?Nah. (@You_For_E_Ugh) August 23, 2020
As the trailer spread online, “The Crow” started to trend on Twitter, as many made the comparison between Pattinson’s look and the jolt of nostalgia it gave. As many pointed out, the use of a haunting Nirvana tune could also be another hint that the movie will rely on the aesthetic from The Crow, as it also had a haunting and very good soundtrack.
1/ New Batman trailer—uses dark version of Nirvana “something in the way” + invokes The Crow—which still has one of most incredible soundtracks.
Also the answer to the riddle in the card at 0:44….
“What does a liar do when he’s dead?”pic.twitter.com/3OTGMqalqd
— Josh Wolfe (@wolfejosh) August 23, 2020
Others pointed out it’s not the first Batman movie to take some hints from makeup in The Crow, though the last time fans pointed it out it was for the bad guy, not Bruce Wayne.
Since The Crow and Joker are both trending. Check the influence on The Dark Knight #DCFanDome pic.twitter.com/hgTq7xpABP
— MDK1701 (@MDK17011) August 23, 2020
We’ll have to rely a lot more on influence and intuition to learn more about what’s in store for this version of The Bat as production on the film remains on hold due to COVID-19, but Saturday certainly gave fans a lot to think over. And in this case, maybe a 90s classic to re-watch in anticipation of the next Batman movie’s release.