The Batman stars address potential sequels: “I’ll be there”
Exclusive: Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright and Andy Serkis open up on where they’d like to take their characters in any future Batman films.
Gritty superhero reboot The Batman isn’t even in cinemas yet, but fans are already looking ahead to what could be next from the revamped franchise. Well, for this sort of movie it’s almost tradition to count your chickens before they’re hatched, right?
To be fair to those thirsty fans, writer/director Matt Reeves has already teased a follow-up – and when we caught up with some of the film’s stars they were all enthusiastic about returning, whenever and wherever it ended up happening.
"If I'm called back to Gotham, I'll be there," Riddler actor Paul Dano told RadioTimes.com.
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"This character has been around and in the culture for 80 years. And I think the only thing to do is to reinterpret it for the times that it's made in and reinterpret it through the artists who are making it and Matt [Reeves] brought something personal and emotional and psychological to the table that I am super impressed by."
"If they said 'we're gonna do another one' I think I would say 'hmmm yeah, okay, I'll try to find my way back to set and work on that,'" joked Jeffrey Wright, aka Gotham’s new Lieutenant Jim Gordon.
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"Yeah, of course. I would love to love to revisit it. And there's this rich history within the comics, as Paul described, 80 years of Batman."
"Definitely, if there were to be other films." agreed Andy Serkis who plays Batman’s butler Alfred. "And I think the idea is that there might be."
And some of the cast already have some ideas for where they’d like to see their characters go next, with Wright hoping for a complex take on his honourable police officer Jim Gordon.
"In some of the later versions of Gordon, he's always evolving," Wright said. "All of these characters are evolving from the beginning, which I think is wonderful.
"But one of the things that has been explored in the later versions of the story is Gordon's life away from the rectitude and the honourability. And you know, that inner life and the life behind closed doors, as opposed to his public persona, which I think is really rich.
"Matt's focus has been on the psychology of these characters and their internal dimensions. And so I think that might be might be super cool to explore."
Serkis, meanwhile, hoped to see a continued evolution in the relationship between Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) and his own character Alfred, with their traditional partnership only beginning to develop in the course of this first film.
"In terms of their relationship, it's on rocky ground, and not kind of traditionally where the Bruce Wayne/Alfred relationship is in terms of them being on song and facing the foe together," he told us.
"We begin to see the thaw in this film that that will lead them into other aspects of their relationship, and lead them to other adventures together. Hopefully, that that will be the case.
"But I really do love where Matt has chosen to drop anchor in their story and look at the complex, very nuanced, and sort of subtle relationship between them that isn't easy. I think that's the strength of this particular version."
Wright has also teased an appearance in the planned Gotham City police spin-off coming from Joe Barton – speaking of future plans, could we see Serkis in that show too?
"Who knows?" he laughed. "I mean, it's all early days, but, but I really loved playing this character, and I would love to continue playing with it. If it felt right, and it felt appropriate. And, you know, if that was that was an interesting ride ahead, sure."
Altogether it looks like the future’s bright for one Dark Knight – or at least, his eponymous film franchise. Batman, forever!
The Batman is in UK cinemas from Friday 4th March. For more, check out our dedicated Movies page or our full TV Guide.
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