Where is The Batman trailer? Light up the Bat-Signal, because a new version of the Caped Crusader is ready to swoop into theatres very soon. Robert Pattinson is the next star to step into Bruce Wayne’s iconic boots on the big screen in an ambitious project from Cloverfield and War of the Planet of the Apes director, Matt Reeves. DCEU fans have been waiting for the film for a long, long time — nearly as long as it takes Batsy to work through his childhood trauma.
The Batman started as an action movie for Ben Affleck’s version of the hero after Justice League, and it would’ve seen him go up against Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke. But Affleck decided to step away from the project following his experience working on DC’s 2017 team-up movie, with Matt Damon, according to him, being a huge influence behind his decision to hang up his cape. It’s unfortunate, but bringing Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson on board is a great way of pushing the film in a stunning new direction.
The thriller movie isn’t quite an origin story. Instead, Bruce is already an established crime fighter. However, It’s an intriguing time in Gotham City because Batman is known to the police – but he’s still something of a mystery to the criminal underworld. Thankfully the film isn’t too far from release, so we already know a lot about what the new Dark Knight will be up against.
The Batman release date: WHEN IS THE BATMAN OUT?
Like most big blockbusters, The Batman has faced many delays in the last year due to, wait for it, the ongoing pandemic. It was initially set for a June 25, 2021 release before being pushed back to October 1, 2021. But as the pandemic continued, Warner Bros. pushed the film again to March 4, 2022.
Thankfully the situation is getting better as vaccination rates are on the rise and cinemas are thriving once again – so for the moment, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar confirmed that they are sticking to that date. But the road to a new Gotham City hasn’t been easy.
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Although most productions initially halted during the pandemic, The Batman continued for a short time before taking (what was meant to be) a brief two-week hiatus. That quickly changed when Matt Reeves confirmed that filming had halted completely – and it didn’t restart until September. Even then, Robert Pattinson himself tested positive, and the crew was quarantined for two weeks. Guess that’s what happens when your superhero mask doesn’t cover your nose and mouth!
Anyway, The Batman, which is rated PG-13, arrives in cinemas on March 4, 2022.
THE BATMAN RUNTIME: HOW LONG IS THE BATMAN?
The Batman’s 175-minute runtime makes it the longest Batman movie ever made and the second-longest superhero movie with a theatrical release (Avengers: Endgame clocked in at three hours and one minute).
Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League, which was made available on HBO Max after an extensive fan campaign, holds the title of the longest superhero movie ever made at four hours, two minutes.
The Batman Plot: WHAT happens IN THE BATMAN?
While Warner Bros is testing two possible cuts of The Batman, it seems like the overarching plot is the same. The story picks up in Bruce Wayne’s second year of being Batman, so he’s got the grip of leaping from buildings and fighting thugs every night. So hopefully, we won’t get another slow motion shot of Martha Wayne’s pearls hitting the floor in Crime Alley. He’s aided by his ever-faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth, as they work out of an old Wayne Industries building.
Corruption is rife within the city, and Bruce will discover that there are even ties to his own family. A mysterious serial killer called the Riddler starts targeting those in office who are only out for themselves, and his reign of terror has an explosive effect on Gotham.
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Don’t expect this version of the legendary villain to don a tight green jumpsuit with question marks all over it – no, this masked killer has an ex-military feel to him. Comics writer Nick Derington pointed out on Twitter that it’s an altered version of the ‘extreme cold-weather mask’ – well, it’s creepy, that’s for sure.
The Riddler’s sinister work has already begun, it seems, as eagle-eyed fans have spotted what appears to be hidden messages on posters for the movie.
He’s not the only Batman villain in the film, as Bats will also meet Catwoman, the Penguin, and the infamous mobster Carmine Falcone along the way.
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We’ve also had an official synopsis now courtesy of Collider that promises the film will be so much more than just a punch up between Batman and The Riddler.
“Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman, striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City,” it reads. “With only a few trusted allies—Alfred Pennyworth, Lt. James Gordon—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.”
“When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman, Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin, Carmine Falcone, and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler,” it continues. “As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.”
The Batman trailer: DOES THE BATMAN HAVE A TRAILER?
It does indeed. The Batman trailer arrived at DC FanDome in September 2020, and it was met with plenty of love from fans. It’s a gloriously moody affair, with Nirvana’s Something in the Way setting the tone of this dingy take on Gotham City.
It very quickly establishes the Riddler as the villain, showing Paul Dano’s masked killer taping up a victim’s face with “No More Lies” written on the front. We also briefly meet Jeffrey Wright’s, Commissioner Gordon. He already has a working relationship with the Dark Knight Detective since the black-suited vigilante just strolls right into the crime scene.
From there, the trailer ramps up the pace, teasing more of the action scenes in the film as well as a great little scuffle between Batman and Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyle A.K.A. Catwoman. The Nirvana track and Michael Giacchino’s grand score swell together with a goosebump-inducing effect as the Riddler delivers a truly stunning line of dialogue. “If you are justice, please do not lie. What is the price for your blind eye?” Hopefully, Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin’s script delivers more lines like that.
Colin Farrell’s Penguin briefly shows up too, and his extensive prosthetics caught some fans off guard when the trailer first arrived online. But what’s most clear in the trailer is that Reeves’ Gotham City feels like a cross between David Fincher’s Seven and Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoner, and that’s not a bad thing.
A second, longer trailer dropped at DC FanDome 2022 which revealed a little more of the action, more classic Batman villains and showed the Dark Knight taking to the streets to help the people of Gotham.
As well as the trailers, composer Michael Giacchino has also unveiled a main theme for The Batman after most recently composing the soundtrack for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
But that’s not all — we also have a taste of what we’ll hear when Farrell makes his debut as The Riddler, with The Riddler Theme debuting on February 4.
With The Batman just a month away, the movie’s director, Matt Reeves, has been in a sharing mood. Not only has the filmmaker revealed a whole host of cool new character posters, but he also dropped some footage from the movie. If you’d rather wait, don’t watch the video below, but don’t worry, there isn’t much in the way of spoilers in this scene.
Many of you may have seen this scene from @TheBatman floating around online, so I decided to put it on my vimeo in 4k. #AdvanceTickets go on sale 2/10! In the meantime, hope you enjoy this sneak peak… #TheBatman comes out #OnlyInTheaters on March 4th!https://t.co/ZIA8RjHqen
— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) January 30, 2022
The Batman cast: WHO IS IN THE BATMAN?
Matt Reeves has assembled an incredible cast of stars for The Batman, and it gives the project an air of prestige that can only be rivalled by, well, previous Batman movies. Obviously, Robert Pattinson is the one donning the cape and cowl this time around, and no, we’re not using Twilight as the benchmark for his performances. In fact, Pattison revealed that he’s taking Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain as inspiration for his role, and already has ideas of where to take his version of the character next.
Instead, look at his work in projects like Cosmopolis, Good Time, The Lighthouse, and Tenet. He brings plenty of depth to his characters, so we’re definitely in for a treat with his Bruce Wayne. Pattinson will be up against Paul Dano’s Edward Nashton (not Nygma!), aka the Riddler, and his performance looks incredibly intense from the brief footage we’ve seen so far. But then this is the man who stunned audiences in There Will Be Blood and Prisoners.
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Zoe Kravitz joins them as Selina Kyle A.K.A Catwoman and their dynamic should be interesting given the two have a tumultuous romantic relationship in the comics. She will be tied closely with John Turturro’s Carmine Falcone as photos from the Liverpool set showed the characters walking arm in arm.
Colin Farrell’s Penguin was also spotted in the scene wearing his transformative prosthetics, and although his role isn’t a big one in the film, he’ll still bring something special to Oswald Cobblepot, with the actor revealing that his take on the villain is inspired by The Godfather. Star of the sci-fi series Westworld Jeffrey Wright is keeping things running at the GCPD as Commissioner Gordon, and Eternals actor Barry Keoghan joins him as Officer Stanley Merkel.
And last but not least, Peter Sarsgaard plays Gotham’s District Attorney Gil Colson – and he’s the one in the trailer with his mouth taped up, and a note to Batman strapped to his chest. Uh oh.