In The New ‘Lego Batman’ Trailer, Batman Doesn’t Want To Deal With You, He Prefers To Be Alone [Video]

Batman doesn’t want to deal with you. You see, Batman’s a bit of a loner. Perhaps that’s an understatement. The new LEGO Batman trailer mocks the Dark Knight’s habit of brooding by himself, along with a parody of the dour tone in Batman v Superman.

In the official synopsis posted by Warner Brothers along with the trailer on YouTube, it says a large focus of LEGO Batman will be this comically depressed version of the iconic Batman character learning to work better with other people.

“In the irreverent spirit of fun that made The LEGO Movie a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.”

Posted earlier today, the video has over 93,000 views on YouTube as of this writing.

Trailer Breakdown, With Screenshots

Previous trailers for LEGO Batman focused more on the comedy. While there are still plenty of chuckles here, it is clearer in this trailer that this new movie will also touch on the inherent sadness within the Batman character.

The trailer opens with a clip of a newscaster, with the leading story being another publicly celebrated Batman success. The news anchor exclaims, “It must be great to be Batman,” while crowds of cheering fans are shown.

The trailer quick cuts to the vast emptiness of the Batcave. We’re then treated to a humorous montage of absurd activities Batman indulges in, while totally alone (including dining on lobster on a jetski in a private marina).

We also catch a hilarious glimpse of Batman struggling to find the correct AUX input for his massive, movie-theater-sized HDTV. Anyone who has had a hassle with these devices will likely get a laugh from the scene. It plays out like The Office, very grounded, quiet, and awkward.

Alfred gets to the real heart of the matter when he confronts Bruce.

“Your greatest fear is being a part of a family again.”

This appears to be the emotional core of LEGO Batman, an otherwise goofy movie. After losing his family in such a tragic way, could Batman ever accept anything other than total isolation? He is afraid to reach out and connect.

We’re then introduced to the LEGO Batman version of Dick Grayson, alias Robin. Keeping with the absurd tone of the movie, the origin story for this Robin’s costume is a modified version of a Batsuit variant Lego Batman has called “Reggae Man.”

Another scene from the trailer that’s catching viral attention is the parody sequence of Batman v Superman. Confronting the Joker, the villain pridefully calls himself Batman’s “greatest enemy.”

Lego Batman responds, “Superman is my greatest enemy,” followed by a pitch-perfect recreation of the Zack Synder iconography.

The Joker – “Superman isn’t a bad guy!”
Lego Batman – “Then I’d say that I don’t currently have a ‘bad guy.’ I am fighting a few different people… I like to fight around.”

Writer for the A.V. Club Esther Zuckerman jokes about how that last line “basically breaks The Joker’s heart,” and how the entire moment is an interesting (and very funny) deconstruction of the seriousness of the non-Lego Batman films.

“…a brief recreation of the infamous BVS showdown, only with Legos instead of grumpy Ben Affleck and sentient Ken doll Henry Cavill… You can read this whole interaction as a call out to DCEU movie—also made by Warner Bros.—or you can read it as a sly dig at the inherent silliness of the BVS concept. “

It seems that the loner mentality extends beyond Lego Batman, and even to Lego Bruce Wayne. At an event where Gotham Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon proposes cooperation between Batman and the police, Wayne is disgusted. He spits out his drink and mutters, “I hate everything you just said.”

LEGO Batman arrives in theaters in February 2017. Did you enjoy the tone of the trailer, or does it go too far in parodying the character of Batman? Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts below.

[Featured Image by Warner Brothers]