Imagup General Magazine 2024
Though the new Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson is scheduled on June 25, 2024, every DC fan (and Batman fans in particular) are excited to get the news about this. Partly it is inspired by unexpected casting, partly by vast success of the 2019’s Joker.
The unconditional point of view can really revive classics. This article also shows an unconditional view: the speaker for Batman will be his motorcycle. Thanks to the experts from yourmotobro.com who have done a huge job on analyzing the issue.
The Movie Leaks
Bruce Wayne is trying hard to keep his second identity secret, but his covert activity always gets disclosed by some other characters. So it is with movies. Warner Bros can do its best to hide the movie until it hits the cinemas, but leaks are like a puzzle: they form the picture until there is little to guess.
The details, though, keep leaking. The principal shooting has started in London, in public places, and this means that some camera inevitably caught the cast. So it happened.
The New Batman’s Motorcycle
On January 6, Wade Gravett posted some pics on Twitter, probably of the filming of the new Batman. At least, what we see in one of the pictures is Robert Pattinson, not wearing the Batsuit yet, taking his helmet off. It’s not even clear whether he is in Batman’s or Bruce Wayne’s hypostasis. But the motorcycle is quite eloquent, and it reveals a lot to a professional’s eye.
In his analysis, Max Farmer highlights some details that only pro or a real fan can notice and get right. It turns out that the motorcycle tells a lot about the setting.
First of all, it tells the time. The dating can be made by what can be seen: its engine is a four-cylinder DOHC, and its appearance quite coincides with the way it was made in the late 1970s or early 1980s. The same can be told about the overall style.
As for the tank, it equally reminds of Suzuki GS1000 (1978) and of King Sportster models that hit the stores a bit later. Anyway, it defines the era that could as well be shown in Tim Burton’s take on Batman.
Its wheels quite correspond with the era, and that’s the only thing we know for sure. We cannot even say whether they are stock or modded. The line shows no trace of mags that were common those days, so this can be a custom model. Even assuming it’s customized, this motorcycle still doesn’t look hi-tech enough to be the primary Batman’s ride. But probably it doesn’t have to.
The exact model cannot be recognized, though it may be for a reason. First, we don’t know yet whether this is Batman or Bruce Wayne riding this motorcycle. The former would rather ride the Batbike modified to the bone. The latter would prefer a car (not a Batmobile, of course). Second, we don’t know what postproduction will add to these shots (if they ever make it to the final cut).
Finally, the filmmakers might just want to avoid direct product placement – at least until they have an agreement. So it could be Yamaha XS1100, Kawasaki KZ1000, Honda CB900 or CB1100, any of them looking retro enough, and all the vendors still present on today’s market. Maybe some of them would want Batman to ride something particular?
The Expectations
The analysis done by Max Farmer confirms some expectations from the upcoming movie (or even the trilogy). First of all, if the action is set in the early 1980s, it sets the overall aesthetics of the movie. It would be logical to make it a big tribute to the 1980s action movies. And, as comic book stylistics hadn’t really made it to the big screen by that moment, the setting would be more realistic than ever.
Unlike Nolan’s works, the new Batman won’t be that ultra-hi-tech. And, unlike Burton’s dilogy, Gotham won’t be that gothic. As for Schumacher’s works, we hope the new movie doesn’t share a damn thing with them.
As the casting assumes, Pattinson’s Batman is at an early age, maybe just establishing his alter ego. That may result in relaunching the entire franchise, introducing its classical elements (from Batcave to Joker and other villains) consequently and explaining them. It might be similar to what MGM did to James Bond in Casino Royale (but please, no Quantum of Solace then!)
This is also confirmed by leaks about the Batmobile Batman will drive. It won’t look so astonishingly military as in Nolan’s works and will rather remind a regular car. This also fits the concept of “The Rise of Batman.”
What Next?
This is a movie set in the 1980s, and Robert Pattinson is starring, so most of the movie will unfold in this period. But what about the next movies of the planned trilogy? It’s too early to guess, with no concept published, and with no sequel officially confirmed yet. But it might seem logical that they will be set soon after The Batman.
The reasons are the following. Pattinson has agreed to play Batman in three movies, and probably the producers want them to be made in a reasonable time one after another. Letting Pattinson age will also mean they will have to shift the year of the story. Well, we have seen the examples of franchises that neglected any sort of logic to reintroduce the iconic actor who had aged seriously between the movies.
The saddest example is The Terminator, which it is still hurts to see. Of course, Batman, unlike T-800, Luke Skywalker or Indiana Jones, can be played by various actors; it’s an even more flexible character than James Bond. But Pattinson is already in.
Last but not least: if the producers do want to connect the new Batman to the recent Joker movie, the setting is quite right. Well, if Arthur Fleck is somewhere around, not trying to be funny anymore, it shifts the time a bit later, letting Bruce grow up; but the motorcycle can just be old. We’re not sure whether this retcon is worth it, but if they don’t destroy it, let it be.
