The Batman is the latest cinematic reboot of the iconic DC superhero from Warner Bros., and the countdown to its release has begun. The Dark Knight, starring Robert Pattinson, will be released in less than a year, and there is plenty of details to whet your appetite in the meantime.
We’re here to bring you the most up-to-date information on The Batman, including the fact that shooting is now complete and post-production is underway. We’ve also included information on the film’s all-star cast, storyline, and release date, among other things.
You don’t want to keep anyone like the Caped Crusader waiting, so get to work and learn what there is to know about the batman.
The Batman movie will be released in March 2022.
The Batman will be released on March 4, 2022, marking the second time the film’s release has been postponed. This wasn’t the first time the film had been delayed, as it had been for several others in the past year. The initial release date was scheduled for June 25, 2021, with the first postponement due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, which caused filming to be postponed. When Dune’s release date was moved back to October 1 as part of a larger Warner Bros. reshuffle, the writing was on the wall for The Batman.
There’s no hint that its release date will be pushed back, so we’re crossing our fingers and toes that it will remain on the calendar. However, we do know that principal photography on the film has wrapped, as Reeves confirmed on Twitter.
Batman’s trailer
The Batman trailer shows Matt Reeves’ take on the Caped Crusader in a gloomy, moody light. We see Pattinson as a decidedly emo Bat, James Gordon visiting a crime scene, and our first glimpses of The Riddler, Penguin (a very different-looking Colin Farrell), and Catwoman in action at the virtual DC FanDome event in August 2020. Tonally, The Batman is reminiscent of the Nolan films, with Nirvana’s mournful voices supplying the soundtrack, but it looks shockingly good all things considered.
Non-comic book fans could learn everything they wanted to know about The Riddler thanks to a fun, interactive segment of the trailer. “What does a liar do when he’s dead?” the criminal genius wrote on a card for Batman, leaving a cryptic note. It came with a set of symbols that corresponded to the riddle’s solution, and it was easily solved on Twitter. It was always a good touch, and it fits with Reeves’ wish for Bats to return to detective work. One of the Riddler’s victims is strapped in duct tape with the words ‘No More Lies’ written on it, implying that lies and lying are a main theme.
The Batman cast: Bruce Wayne is played by Robert Pattinson.
As previously said, Robert Pattinson will play Bruce Wayne/Batman, and Andy Serkis will play his loyal butler Alfred. The villains of the film are The Riddler (Paul Dano) and The Penguin (Colin Farrell), as well as crime lord Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz).
Here’s a rundown of the ensemble cast that has so far been confirmed:
- Bruce Wayne/Batman is played by Robert Pattinson.
- Alfred Pennyworth is played by Andy Serkis.
- Selina Kyle/Catwoman is played by Zoe Kravitz.
- The Riddler is played by Paul Dano.
- Edward Nashton
- Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobblepot/The Penguin is played by Colin Farrell.
- Bella Reál, played by Jayme Lawson, is a mayoral candidate.
- Jim Gordon is played by Jeffrey Wright.
- DA Gil Colson is played by Peter Sarsgaard
- Carmine Falcone is played by John Turturro.
- Stanley Merkel is played by Barry Keoghan.
- Alex Ferns has been appointed as the Commissioner of Police (Pete Savage)
Max and Charlie Carver, twin actors, have also been cast in the film in unknown roles. There are a variety of DC roles that the actors could portray: Tweedledee and Tweedledum are the most well-known ‘twin’ characters in Batman history, but no formal announcement has been made in the front yet.
Gil Perez-Abraham and Rupert Penry-Jones and others have also been cast in unspecified roles in the film, and we’re waiting for clarification – if any is forthcoming – on their roles.
The Batmobile of Batman has been unveiled.
Reeves has unveiled the Batmobile, both to generate excitement for the film and to prevent paparazzi images of the vehicle from leaking while shooting is still underway. It resembles a sports car with a rocket engine, in stark contrast to recent Batmobiles, which were more tank-like in the Nolan and Snyder films. In the trailer further up this list, you can see it in action.
A pistol is welded into the Bat emblem on
Batman’s Batsuit.
Reeves showed the Batsuit in a brief piece of moody test footage, which featured noir-ish music written by the film’s composer, Michael Giacchino. The Bat symbol on Pattinson’s chest is a handgun that has been cut in half and made into the famous logo, which is the most important thing to take away from this video.
This pistol, according to speculation and common sense, was used by Joe Chill to murder the Waynes. If that’s the case, it’s very gothic – and very Batman-like.
Here’s what we know about the Batman story so far.
According to The Wrap, The Batman is set during the second year of the Caped Crusader’s career. That should remove the need for another Batman origin film, as Christopher Nolan’s films definitively covered the subject in Batman Begins.
The inclusion of Catwoman, the Penguin, and the Riddler in this film indicates that we’re far into DC Comics territory. This will most likely be a Batman film with some real detective work. “It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman story,” Reeves told THR, describing the film as “thrilling” yet “emotional.”
“It’s a more detective-like Batman than we’ve seen in the movies. That has a long history in comics. He’s supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, but that hasn’t always been the case in the movies. I’d like for this to be one where, as we track down criminals and attempt to solve a crime, his character will have an arc and undergo a transformation.”
That does sound very different from previous Batman films, and the Batsuit test footage gives you a good sense of the film’s noir flavour.
What happened to Ben Affleck’s version of Batman?
The making of this Batman film has taken a long time. Ben Affleck was set to co-write and direct a film with that title back in summer 2015, reprising his role as the Caped Crusader from Batman Vs Superman. Deathstroke was supposed to be the villain in the film, and Affleck even posted the test footage above on Twitter.
Deathstroke appears in the Justice League movie’s post-credits sequence, played by Joe Manganiello, as seen in the video above. In January 2017, Affleck stepped down as director of The Batman, and his association with the film was formally finished in early 2019.
Due to his alcoholism, Affleck eventually dropped out of the picture. “I showed someone the script for ‘The Batman,'” Affleck told the New York Times. “‘I think the script is fine,’ they said. If you go through what you just went through again, I believe you’ll drink yourself to death.'” The article also states that the turbulent Justice League shoot “sapped his enthusiasm” in playing Batman, which is understandable.
According to Deadline, while Affleck will not star in a standalone Batman film, he will reprise his role in Warner Bros.’ upcoming Flash film. Despite the Snyder Cut’s relative success since its March 18 release, Warner has confirmed that they would not be going ahead with Zack Snyder’s expected Justice League sequels, as Variety reports.
Is there a need for another Batman film?
This latest iteration focuses on Batman as a young detective, which is a major departure from Affleck’s previous depiction of the role. The choice of villains instantly brings to mind Batman Returns from 1992, but expect The Batman to have its own distinct feel.
With so many different interpretations of Batman on screen over the last three decades, it’s understandable that Reeves will want to set his adaptation apart from the rest. The world definitely doesn’t need another Batman film, but a noir-infused film with such a strong cast would certainly put an end to the Justice League version of the character, which can’t be a bad thing.
Will there be a sequel to Batman?
It’s too early to say if The Batman will get a sequel. However, given the character’s success, we believe it will happen. There will be more stories for Reeves to tell if he chooses to return, and there’s a good chance that the director has set the stage for potential instalments in this film.
However, it is Jeffrey Wright who has provided the most clues about future sequels. On March 13, the actor tweeted that he was done with Jim Gordon… for the time being. This could suggest that further reshoots are likely, depending on how the film is edited, but it could also indicate a sequel or two down the line.
