Matt Reeves has a very impressive resume, having directed such films as Cloverfield, Let Me In, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and – most recently – War for the Planet of the Apes. So when it was announced that he would be helming Ben Affleck’s solo Batman outing, fans of the DCEU sighed a breath of relief. While information about The Batman has been scarce, rumors have been flowing like the waterfall in the Batcave. Despite all of these rumors however, it seems as though Reeves is only just getting started. During a press event in London for War for the Planet of the Apes, Reeves spoke exclusively to Comicbook.com about The Batman and its progress.
Look, I’m just starting Batman because literally, [War for the Planet of the Apes], as I just said, we finished about a week ago and now we’re publicizing it. So, we haven’t even begun on Batman. For me, what’s always important is to try and find a personal way in. In that way, I do feel like I relate to actors. It’s about understanding emotionally, the way something is. I see this parallel between Caesar and Batman, really, which is this idea of these characters who are grappling with their own struggle and trying to do the right thing in an imperfect world and, so, I do really relate it to that kind of idea.
Finding a personal way into Batman? That certainly is something new and somewhat unexpected, however it is a nice piece of reassurance that Reeves will be crafting a film that means a lot to him, and that is perhaps one of the most important aspects. Another interesting point is the comparison between Caesar and Batman; considering Reeves has made Caesar such an iconic character over his two Ape films, the fate of the Dark Knight could not be in safer hands. Amidst all of the speculations and negativity surrounding the film – and the DCEU as a whole – it’s nice to know that there is a bright future ahead of us. Reeves was always a good choice to helm The Batman, but this interview just cements it; this is going to be the Batman film we deserve.
