In this section of our Colossus Movie Guide for The Batman, we will discuss the meaning behind the movie’s title.
Cast
- Robert Pattinson – Bruce Wayne / Batman
- Zoë Kravitz – Selina Kyle / Catwoman
- Paul Dano – Edward Nashton / Riddler
- Jeffrey Wright – James Gordon
- John Turturro – Carmine Falcone
- Peter Sarsgaard – Gil Colson
- Andy Serkis – Alfred Pennyworth
- Colin Farrell – Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot / Penguin
- Jayme Lawson – Bella Reál
- Peter Craig – Writer
- Matt Reeves – Writer and director
Why is the movie called The Batman?
The answer to this question might seem super obvious. But of all the Batman movies, The Batman probably has the most meaningful title. The definite article of “the” changes everything.
Think about the original Batman. Made in 1989 by Tim Burton, the first Batman movie’s title needed to be direct. Everybody knew about the Batman comics and the Batman TV show, so the very first Batman movie needs to carry the aura of Batman—plain and simple. From there, the next two sequels—Batman Returns and Batman Forever—simply add to the mystique with buzzwords. Then Batman & Robin introduces a new character.
Christopher Nolan then goes the origin story route with Batman Begins. That title announces the start of a new saga, leading to The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. That series was named after Frank Miller’s 1986 The Dark Knight Returns comic books, and those stories portrayed a much darker, more serious version of the Batman lore than the first four Batman movies—hence the grimmer title.
Batman vs. Superman: The Dawn of Justice is another simple title that blatantly captures what the movie is about, as Batman and Superman fight in the beginning. The addition of The Dawn of Justice marks a new era after Batman and Superman team up in the end. Justice League is even more straightforward.
But The Batman offers a twist on the origin story. Bruce Wayne is not Batman, but the Batman. That title has a very specific energy, and almost downplaying the mythology of Batman. It makes him seem more human. Without the definite article, “Batman” feels immortal, enduring, everlasting. But when you say “the Batman,” it becomes very specific—like he’s just some local nut job who dresses up as a bat and beats up criminals.
And that energy is conveyed at the beginning of the movie. Criminals are scared of a mysterious man who randomly shows up to fight; the police are wary of this local tough who dresses as a bat. He is an unknown entity, somebody who’s just starting out, who’s trying to find their footing, their identity.
It’s important for Batman to be undefined at the beginning of The Batman because Bruce doesn’t even know who Batman is until the very end. At the beginning of the movie, Bruce’s only motive for becoming Batman is retaliation—he wants to punish the criminals of Gotham for killing his father. He is filled with anger and frustration, leading him to roam Gotham’s streets with hatred and investigate criminals with vengeance, with malice, with cruelty.
Fittingly an original working title of the film was Vengeance—but that title would have only worked for the first two-thirds of The Batman.
The great thing about this movie is that Bruce tweaks his motives. After his father’s death, Bruce became sullen and was driven by hate. But that energy completely combatted what his father was all about. Thomas Wayne was a beacon of hope for Gotham, as he sought to use his wealth to improve government and clean up the streets. His motives were altruistic. Once Bruce realizes that he can carry his father’s energy while fighting crime, he then becomes spiritually centered. No longer driven by hate at the end of the movie, Bruce finds balanced perspective and resembles a human being once again—he truly becomes the Batman. With a more defined mantra, Bruce is ready to become part of the Batman lore and rebuild his version of Gotham.
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