Robert Pattinson- The Emo Batman We Didn’t Know We Needed
The internet is buzzing about the new Batman movie, and not just because heartthrob Robert Pattinson is the newest Bruce Wayne. A lot of chatter is centered around the appearance of Bruce Wayne, specifically his emo makeover.
In The Batman, Wayne is portrayed as a recluse. This is a far cry from the playboy status of the former Bruce Waynes. Being a loner is not the character’s only emo quality, however. Fans immediately took note of the dark eye makeup Wayne (played by Pattinson) dawned when removing his mask. Director Matt Reeves explained to Esquire that “You can’t wear a cowl and not wear that. All of the Batmen wear that, ... I just loved the idea of taking off [the mask] and under that there’s the sweating and the dripping and the whole theatricality of becoming this character.” The smudged, charcoal makeup around the eyes adds not only an element of practicality, but an element of grunge.
While Pattinson’s physical appearance in The Batman gives off My Chemical Romance vibes, Matt Reeves drew inspiration from rock band Nirvana when developing the character of Bruce Wayne. Reeves started playing Nirvana as he sat down to write, soon realizing that creating a Batman inspired by Kurt Cobain and his music would be a new approach to an old character. Explaining his writing process to Esquire, Reeves stated, “I started thinking, ‘What if some tragedy happened [ie: Wayne sees his parents murdered] and this guy becomes so reclusive, we don’t know what he’s doing? 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.”
The scene of Bruce Wayne sitting in his Batcave, messy eyeliner circling his eyes, Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” playing, encapsulates the character’s emo-ness. If you’re intrigued by this new character development of Batman, or simply want to see an emo Robert Pattinson, we recommend watching The Batman.
