The second trailer for The Batman reveals new details on Matt Reeves’ upcoming take on the Dark Knight, including how his version of Gotham City compares to that of Christopher Nolan’s and Tim Burton’s famous depictions. Every adaptation of Batman features a different vision of the classic DC Comic character, some more stylized and others more realistic. With every new version comes a new take on the character's home city of Gotham, whose realism, artistic style, or comic accuracy reflects its respective Batman. Burton’s iconic take in the 1990s came with a distinctive version of Gotham, as did Nolan’s more modern, critically-acclaimed Dark Knight Trilogy. The question is, how will Reeves' vision of Gotham in The Batman stack up to its live-action predecessors?
The culture of New York City is intrinsic to most superheroes, and Batman is no exception. In his earliest comic books, there was no Gotham—Batman and Robin simply fought crime in New York. As their adventures became more outlandish the comics soon reflected this. New York became the fictional Gotham City, heavily influenced by the real-life City That Never Sleeps, while being geographically situated in New Jersey. Within the various DC Comics continuities, Gotham tends to be one of the most dangerous cities in America, with organized crime and widespread corruption running rampant until Batman, Robin, and their allies provide its populace with hope and safety from those who prey on the innocent.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman appears to be taking a realistic approach to Batman, his supporting characters, and Gotham City itself. The Batmobile is no longer an experimental military vehicle or stylized drag racer, but now a simple sedan with heavy modifications. The Riddler is based on real-life serial killers, using his Riddler symbol and cryptic messages as his calling card and a way to taunt Batman and the police. Gotham itself appears to be on the more realistic side, as shown in the trailers, appearing to be a Northeastern, New York-influenced city with few stylized elements. This makes it far more similar to Nolan’s Gotham than Burton’s.
Tim Burton’s classic Batman films created a macabre, Gothic, expressionistic take on the iconic DC location. Thanks to Burton and fellow visionary Anton Furst, Gotham was a highly stylized and bleak setting, described as saturated in crime and ugliness. Furst famously painted Gotham “as if hell erupted through the pavement and kept on going.” This vision of the Gotham, deservedly, won the hearts of countless fans and viewers, but could hardly be considered a realistic depiction of a major city. The Batman’s Gotham seems to have little in common with Tim Burton and Anton Furst’s incredible Batman vision, looking far more realistic. The trailer’s opening shot of a diner, however, suggests some similarities to Burton’s version, creating a bleak and industrial atmosphere.
Christopher Nolan went in the opposite direction in his Batman films, grounding his Dark Knight in realism. Nolan’s Gotham was heavily based on New York, like its comic counterpart, as well as Chicago, but there were nevertheless few stylized elements, outside of the nightmarish alleyway where Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered and the crime and poverty-ridden area known as “The Narrows.” Reeves’ take on Gotham looks to have far more in common with this version, appearing to be a realistic Northeastern American city.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman will release while the DCEU shared universe is still DC’s main movie universe. The DCEU’s Gotham has far more in common with Burton’s version than Nolan’s. While not quite as stylized as the Tim Burton films, it puts comic accuracy front and center, trading style for realism if need be. With the Burton and Nolan Batman film franchises having concluded, their respective visions of Gotham have their spiritual successors. The Burton Batman movies’ comic book style has its modern counterpart in the DCEU, while Nolan’s realistic version of Gotham City appears to be continued in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
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