A new batch of images for the upcoming movie The Batman reveals a couple more details about its main characters but without spoiling anything. The Caped Crusader has had an interesting history on the big screen with some big hits and some unforgettable failures as well. It all began in the 1940s with two serial movies and continued in the 1960s with an adaptation of the Batman series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. Next came Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns, and after that, the character went through a rough patch with Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
Batman, Gotham City, and its residents got another chance in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and later joined the DC Extended Universe with Ben Affleck playing the role in Batman v Superman. Ben Affleck returned for Justice League, but before he signed on to return alongside Michael Keaton in The Flash (2022), Affleck's presence in the DCEU then came under question and led to a spin-off reboot of Batman's universe to be created. While the role in The Batman originally intended to go to Affleck, the young Bruce Wayne is now being played by Robert Pattinson. The Matt Reeves directed movie is set to see Wayne in his second year of crimefighting as Batman and will explore the corruption that rules Gotham City and its connection to his family. The Batman will see various villains from DC Comics, such as Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin (Colin Farrell), but his main threat will be Edward Nashton, best known as The Riddler (Paul Dano).
The Batman has come across some problems during production, with the coronavirus pandemic putting filming on hold for a while, and as a result, its release date had to be pushed back. The Batman was originally scheduled for a June 2021 release and was then delayed to October 2021 before landing a March 2022 date. Details on the plot, each character's role in the story, and more are being kept under wraps, and not even the first teaser gave much away. However, some details can be learned from the images that have been released, and the newest batch is no exception. Here’s what the new images from The Batman reveal about the movie.
A Closer Look At Pattinson’s Batsuit
Every version of Batman on the big screen has had his own suit – some were very comic book-ish, like George Clooney in Batman & Robin, and others were more stylish and realistic, as was Christian Bale’s. A lot has been said about Pattinson’s Batsuit in The Batman purely based on leaked images and the little of it that can be seen in the teaser, as he’s mostly shown in the shadows, and there hasn’t been a clear photo of it yet. Now, images from a new calendar from The Batman have made their way to the web, and one of them gives a better, closer, and more detailed look at Pattinson’s Batman suit.
As mentioned above, this Batman is still fairly new in the “Gotham City’s vigilante” job, and as such, he’s still getting the hang of it, of the tools he needs, and what he needs to change and improve. The armor in Pattinson's Batsuit is less polished and has a rougher, more handmade look than previous Batman versions, and what’s especially interesting about it (and has made way for many theories) is the symbol on his chest, which is carved into the suit and filled in with pieces of metal believed to be the gun Joe Chill used to kill his parents – which, if true, could hint at this Bruce being driven by revenge more than a sense of justice. The cowl also has a DIY look, and the stitches can be seen, showing just how early in Batman’s career as a vigilante the movie will be set in and how much he still needs to learn and improve in order to become his best version.
Robert Pattinson’s Batmobile
The Batmobile is another element that reveals more than many think. Instead of being a unique design made just for Bruce to use when fighting crime around Gotham, Pattinson’s Batmobile appears to be an enhanced muscle car with an exposed rear engine and some extras on the exterior added for functional and aesthetic reasons. Just like the Batsuit, the Batmobile has a DIY vibe, showing a bit of that realness that Matt Reeves is aiming for with this movie. The images from the calendar show the Batmobile, though not in detail; it does confirm that the Batmobile wasn’t made from scratch and instead took another car as the base.
A New Look At Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman
Of course, The Batman calendar pays a lot of attention to the title character, his suit, car, and the main villain, the Riddler, but it also dedicated one image to another antagonist: Zoë Kravitz's Selina Kyle. Details about her role in The Batman are unknown, and she was only seen briefly in the teaser trying to steal from a safe and later coming face to face with Batman, but aside from that, not much is known about this version of Selina Kyle. The calendar image shows Selina on a bike and covered in black from head to toe, matching one of the set photos where she was seen on a bike next to Batman on his Batcycle (of course). It’s unknown if the simple, also DIY look she wears on the teaser’s footage is her final cat costume or not, but there surely is a reason why the team behind The Batman is keeping the look of Kravitz’s character a secret – and that could also hint at Catwoman having a much bigger role in the movie than it's believed.
The Riddler’s Mask & Inspirations
With details like the Batsuit, Selina Kyle’s costume and arc, and big plot details being kept under wraps, it’s not surprising that everything about the Riddler is also a mystery. Paul Dano’s Riddler made his debut on the first The Batman teaser, where he was shown torturing (and eventually killing) mayor Don Mitchell, but he’s very far from previous campy, comedy-oriented versions. Instead, Dano’s Riddler is more violent, cruel, and menacing, and as such, he doesn’t show his face, wearing a mask and glasses and with no question marks covering his clothes.
The calendar includes three images related to the Riddler, with only two showing his face and only one gives a better look at his mask. Just like Batman’s cowl, The Riddler’s mask has a handmade style, with his mouth covered and with holes only for the nose and eyes. It has been pointed out that the Riddler’s mask in The Batman seems to be taking inspiration from none other than the Zodiac killer, which is entirely believable as they do have some similarities when it comes to how they operate. The mask further shows that the Riddler is a serial killer and a criminal mastermind to fear and fits with the darker and more grounded vibe that Matt Reeves wanted to achieve with The Batman.
Batman's New Grapple Gun
One image that didn't come from the calendar image leak was posted (via Twitter). When celebrating Batman Day 2021, Matt Reeves took to the social media website to celebrate with a shot of him working on The Batman. In the image, a scene of Batman using a grappling gun is visible. on the monitor. The grapple gun gained traction for the character after its appearance in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, seeing wider implementation in the comics and appearing in some form in every live-action adaptation since. While The Batman is diverging a lot from previous adaptations to attain its particularly dark style, long-time fans will be glad to see this staple gadget making a comforting comeback in the new movie.
All of these reveals further show how different Matt Reeves’ take on the Dark Knight will be, which also makes it one of the most exciting projects from DC Comics in recent years. With a huge number of actors lined up to play Batman in upcoming releases, The Batman has to do something special to make sure it stands out. Even though not much is known about the plot and its characters, that only makes the anticipation and excitement even bigger. That anticipation is likely to be paid off soon: the movie wrapped filming in March, and with its March 2022 release date, another trailer and further behind the scenes images are likely to be released as part of DC FanDome 2021 in October.
