the batman (2022) dir. by matt reeves.

[ID: A series of fake tweets set in the universe of The Batman (2022), from the perspective of Gotham’s citizens. They read as follows:

Cedric C. (@/cedricccc): Ever since the flood last year, I’ve seen a few weird fringe theories about who the Batman is, but the craziest shit I’ve ever heard are the folks who think Bruce Wayne is the Bat. My man looks one dropped ice cream away from a mental breakdown.

Penny E. Larson (@/penny4urthots): i went to high school with bruce wayne at gotham academy. we got partnered together to dissect a frog and he started crying when he saw it. i had to do all the cutting. This man is #notthebat and we also need to protect him at all costs

R. Wilson (@/gothamtoaustin): I used to work for Wayne Ent. before I moved to TX. One day Wayne had to give my department a presentation and he was so awkward it hurt to watch. He dropped all his index cards, mumbled the whole time, zero eye contact. There’s no way. #notthebat

Javier Perez (@/itsjaviiiii): Bruce Wayne came into the 7-11 I used to work at, got an icee, realized he forgot his wallet as i was checking him out, then put the icee down and speed-walked away before i could get a word in edgewise. i would have given it to him for free. anyway yeah #notthebat

Alice Li (@/aliceingotham): Bruce is a regular at my grandparents’ restaurant. He gets take out a few times a month. I can’t tell you how incredibly soft-spoken this man is. My grandma always tries to take care of him but he shrinks away. Can confirm he is definitely #notthebat

Noah Crocker (@/gothamisnumba1): This poor bastard. Leave him alone. I was at that library charity thing last month and I saw him honest-to-God hiding behind a curtain. I went over to ask if everything was ok but a GCPD guy got to him first and pulled him out of the room. Cut him some slack guys. #notthebat

Libby H. Lewis (@/gothamlibby): Gotham, come on now. We can at least protect our boy Bruce Wayne from this nonsense. Are we all forgetting that time when he “ran away” as a teen and was found crying in a port-a-potty at an AFI concert? It was in the news for months. Leave him alone. #notthebat /End ID]

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And the most important factor? He gets the shit kicked out of him. He gets overwhelmed in the police station, he slams full body into the concrete after failing to catch the bus with his flight-suit, he gets the shit kicked out of him by Riddler's followers... but he keeps going. He is a genius and the world's greatest detective but his bias and mind space aren't always correct. He has trouble with the rat with wings riddle and he gets caught up in his grief and depression and humanity and I love it. He isn't an impenetrable wall of muscle and genius. And Selina even calls him out on his mistakes and bias and then we see several times how his mindset at the start of diving headfirst into his work affects those around him, he isn't there to get the bomb to protect Alfred, he misses several attacks by Riddler and only learns later on about them, he misses clues and the Bat-signal and neglecting the city as Bruce Wayne is just as detrimental as when he is Batman.

“this must be your favorite night of the year, huh, pal?”

“If only you knew how long I’d been waiting for this day. For this moment. I’ve been invisible my whole life. I guess I won’t be anymore, will I? They’ll remember me now. They’ll remember both of us. Bruce. Wayne.”