1 The Batman Costume Detail Is Deeper Than You Realized

The Batman's costume design details further reveal Bruce Wayne's inability to effectively separate himself from his Dark Knight persona.

One The Batman detail reveals more about Robert Pattinson's caped crusader than many viewers may realize. Matt Reeves took the Dark Knight in a completely different direction with his 2022 hit, The Batman, which was the highest-grossing film of the year until it was surpassed by Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness. Rather than the traditional superhero film, The Batman is closer to a thriller, and draws on Batman's detective side more than any previous adaption. One of The Batman's biggest strengths is its attention to detail, evidenced in everything from Joker's deleted scene where he steals a paper clip, to the Riddler's cards, which hint at other Batman villains throughout the film.

The Batman presents the titular character in a very different light than previous iterations, showing a more reserved - and often clumsy - Bruce Wayne compared to his suave billionaire playboy persona previously displayed in Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. The Batman's Bruce Wayne wants nothing to do with Wayne Enterprises and throws himself completely into his work as Batman. He sees being Batman as his legacy, and it's clear that he is having trouble keeping that side of his life in check, with Bruce Wayne all but disappearing.

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The inability to establish a distinct line between his egos is seen with Bruce Wayne's eye makeup, something that has been prominent in almost all live-action Batman films, but never so much without the cowl until The Batman's version of Bruce Wayne. The make-up serves a very important purpose visually, as when Bruce takes off the cowl, it remains - a reminder of what he has become, and how even without the suit, he is Batman. Bruce doesn't like being himself, as it's stated by Falcone that Bruce is the "Only man in this city more reclusive than me". This tracks, since Bruce has been doing two years of "nights" as the Batman, he hasn't had time to be Bruce - and judging from his actions, he doesn't want to be Bruce. The make-up is just a visual confirmation for the audience to really see how committed The Batman's Dark Knight is to his superhero role, and how much it comes at the expense of his identity as Bruce Wayne.

The Batman's Bruce Wayne is often shown using something to hide or conceal his eyes. Throughout the film, he's seen covering them either with his long hair, motorbike helmet, or sunglasses. While this could simply be a result of his nocturnal nature, it's also seemingly a way to show a sense of discomfort while outside of the Batman costume - with Robert Pattinson's Batman either trying to play it safe by making sure his civilian face isn't made too recognizable, or trying to conceal the discomfort he feels having to walk Gotham's streets while not dressed as its protector.

Overall this Batman costume detail shows that Bruce Wayne is just as much Batman without the mask as he is with it. Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne is Batman far more than he is his civilian self, and he's too far gone to be convinced in the value of anything otherwise. Bruce has found something that gives him purpose, as well as a place to put all of his passion and anger. By the end of The Batman that passion turns from being an avenger against those who commit injustice, to becoming a savior to victims of injustice - but either way, Bruce Wayne is the one living in the shadow in The Batman, not the other way around.

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