A few weeks before the highly anticipated release of “The Batman”, we learn that it will be the duration of the film. Matt Reeves did well with a feature film close to three hours.
Return of the Dark Knight
The character of Batman is one of the most rooted superheroes in the collective unconscious. Whether you are a child or an adult, in general, his name always evokes something. It must be said that in addition to having been popular through the comics, it has been at the forefront of many films and series in very different styles. The major works that we remember the most are probably the films of Tim Burton on one side, and Christopher Nolan’s trilogy on the other.
The first had an original approach with a gothic aesthetic and a pronounced taste for the strange while being very marked by the era (late 1980/early 1990). As for Nolan’s trilogy, it presented the superhero universe in a more realistic and modern way. It is obviously this version that we first thought of for The Batman by Matt Reeves, which promises to be particularly dark and violent.
For this new film, Bruce Wayne will be played by Robert Pattinson. A character previously embodied by Michael Keaton, Christian Bale or even Ben Affleck. We know that the film will take place in the early years of batman in a Gotham full of dangerous criminals. Among them, the Riddler (Paul Dano) will be the Dark Knight’s main threat. We will also find Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) and the Penguin (Colin Farrell), without forgetting the butler Alfred (Andy Serkis) and Lieutenant Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) on the side of the good guys.
How long will it last The Batman ?
Inevitably, all these beautiful people will need to have time on the screen. Which implies that the movie will have to be long enough to introduce the whole universe and properly develop its story. We know from the American media (including Deadline) than The Batman will last 2 hours and 55 minutes! A feature film of almost three hours, which is among the longest Batman films.
For comparison, 1989’s Batman was just over two hours long. Then, Nolan’s trilogy was entitled to 2h20 (Batman Begins), 2h32 (The Dark Knight) and 2:45 (The Dark Knight Rises). Even Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman is “only” 2:33 in its cinema version. A long version nevertheless increased the feature film to more than three hours. But in the category of solo Batman movies, Matt Reeves’ proposal will therefore be the longest.
Finally, if it isa record duration for Batman, remember that in the superhero genre, Marvel has exceeded three hours with Avengers: Endgame (3h01). Thus, if from a purely profitability point of view, logic dictates that films be shorter in order to be able to increase the number of screenings and therefore potentially admissions, Hollywood has understood that when it comes to superheroes, it’s just the opposite that works. It remains to be seen now if the duration of The Batman will be justified. Answer on March 2 in theaters!
