Jeffrey Wright Discusses Ongoing Development of The Batman

Though we may still be a ways away from seeing production resume on Matt Reeves’ highly-anticipated The Batman starring Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse), star Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) has offered some new details on the upcoming reboot of the Dark Knight franchise. (Via The Hollywood Reporter)

In an interview with SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, Wright, who is set to portray Gotham City Police Department Commissioner James Gordon, revealed he and his fellow cast are still currently working with the co-writer/director to continue developing the “mood” and “tone” of the project, which he finds is helping to elevate the world of Detective Comics out from its past.

“This is the next evolution of Gotham,” Wright described. “So I am working off the stage (director) Matt [Reeves] is providing and also working off what (star) Robert [Pattinson] is doing. We are trying to create something together that is our own, but is also Batman.“

One of the best examples of this evolution that came to the 54-year-old star’s mind is the new Batmobile on display in the film, which special behind-the-scenes photos have revealed is more akin to a muscle car than that of a tank from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.”I read the script for the Batmobile and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s it,'” he said. “(Bruce Wayne) created the most badass muscle car you could imagine, but it’s grounded in Gotham. It’s grounded in Americana.“

Starring alongside Robert Pattinson’s Batman/Bruce Wayne is Zoë Kravitz (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Mad Max: Fury Road) as Selina Kyle; Paul Dano (Love & Mercy, 12 Years a Slave) as Edward Nashton; Jeffrey Wright (the Hunger Games films) as the GCPD’s James Gordon; John Turturro (the Transformers films) as Carmine Falcone; Peter Sarsgaard (The Magnificent Seven, Black Mass) as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson; Jayme Lawson (Farewell Amor) as mayoral candidate Bella Reál; with Andy Serkis (the Planet of the Apes films, Black Panther) as Alfred; and Colin Farrell (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Dumbo) as Oswald Cobblepot. Twins Max and Charlie Carver have also joined the movie in “sizable roles.”

Plot details are still being kept under wraps but The Batman is reportedly set to explore the Dark Knight’s younger years with Reeves further hinting at the film’s connection to the iconic comic book story arc “Year One” by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli which was published in 1987.

Reeves and Dylan Clark (the Planet of the Apes films) are producing the film, with Simon Emanuel, Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada and Chantal Nong Vo serving as executive producers.

The Batman opens in theaters on October 1, 2021.