The Batman’s latest trailer featured Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight tasering a clown gang member, which might make some wonder if this version of Batman kills his enemies. Batman is famous for his rule of never killing criminals. Most incarnations of the character adhere to this rule without exception, but others are inconsistent or completely disregard it. Matt Reeves’ The Batman is set to be one of the most unique takes on the iconic Caped Crusader, so perhaps this version will be one of the rare iterations with a different stance on killing.
In his earliest appearances, Batman would often use lethal force on criminals, sending them careening off of rooftops to their doom or inflicting lethal injuries in hand-to-hand combat. Batman once remarked that he hates taking lives, but he’s willing to do so on rare occasions. As Batman comics became more lighthearted and family-friendly in the post-war 40s, Batman soon had a rule against killing his opponents, something that remained part of his character even when the late 70s comics began telling darker and more violent stories. Batman believes that taking a life will make him no better than the criminals he fights, so he doesn’t kill or permanently injure his enemies, no matter how dangerous and morally reprehensible they might be.
In the first trailer for The Batman, Robert Pattinson’s titular hero beats down a clown gang member, repeatedly striking him well after the criminal was down and out. In the second trailer, Batman takes a gunshot to the chest and retaliates by tasering the clown gang member in the neck for several seconds while pressing him up against a wall. While it’s not clear quite yet if this version of Batman kills, he most likely didn’t kill the two clown gang members. Instead, he most likely brutalized them, and more so than most other versions of Batman.
The classic Adam West Batman of the ‘60s and the Christian Bale iteration from the critically-acclaimed Dark Knight Trilogy both refused to kill their enemies. These Batman versions only used as much force as necessary to incapacitate their opponents, sometimes using sedatives to bypass physical fights entirely. Whether or not Pattinson’s Batman kills criminals, he’s far more brutal than West or Bale’s incarnations.
The iconic Tim Burton version of Batman, played by Michael Keaton, and the DCEU’s Batman, played by Ben Affleck, both killed criminals—albeit for different reasons. Keaton’s Batman avoided killing unless necessary, like the earliest comics, while Affleck’s tied his instances of killing into his character arc in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, reinstating his no-kill policy after the events of the film.
As a new and unique iteration of Batman, Pattinson’s Dark Knight, fittingly, seems to take a different approach from the previous live-action versions. While he doesn’t appear to be killing criminals per se, this Batman is far less restrained than the previous iterations, using excessive amounts of force. This is exemplified in The Batman’s second trailer when Pattinson tasers the clown gang member. While this Batman probably doesn’t kill, he certainly brutalizes his enemies.
In his earliest appearances, Batman would often use lethal force on criminals, sending them careening off of rooftops to their doom or inflicting lethal injuries in hand-to-hand combat. Batman once remarked that he hates taking lives, but he’s willing to do so on rare occasions. As Batman comics became more lighthearted and family-friendly in the post-war 40s, Batman soon had a rule against killing his opponents, something that remained part of his character even when the late 70s comics began telling darker and more violent stories. Batman believes that taking a life will make him no better than the criminals he fights, so he doesn’t kill or permanently injure his enemies, no matter how dangerous and morally reprehensible they might be.
In the first trailer for The Batman, Robert Pattinson’s titular hero beats down a clown gang member, repeatedly striking him well after the criminal was down and out. In the second trailer, Batman takes a gunshot to the chest and retaliates by tasering the clown gang member in the neck for several seconds while pressing him up against a wall. While it’s not clear quite yet if this version of Batman kills, he most likely didn’t kill the two clown gang members. Instead, he most likely brutalized them, and more so than most other versions of Batman.
The classic Adam West Batman of the ‘60s and the Christian Bale iteration from the critically-acclaimed Dark Knight Trilogy both refused to kill their enemies. These Batman versions only used as much force as necessary to incapacitate their opponents, sometimes using sedatives to bypass physical fights entirely. Whether or not Pattinson’s Batman kills criminals, he’s far more brutal than West or Bale’s incarnations.
The iconic Tim Burton version of Batman, played by Michael Keaton, and the DCEU’s Batman, played by Ben Affleck, both killed criminals—albeit for different reasons. Keaton’s Batman avoided killing unless necessary, like the earliest comics, while Affleck’s tied his instances of killing into his character arc in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, reinstating his no-kill policy after the events of the film.
As a new and unique iteration of Batman, Pattinson’s Dark Knight, fittingly, seems to take a different approach from the previous live-action versions. While he doesn’t appear to be killing criminals per se, this Batman is far less restrained than the previous iterations, using excessive amounts of force. This is exemplified in The Batman’s second trailer when Pattinson tasers the clown gang member. While this Batman probably doesn’t kill, he certainly brutalizes his enemies.