With the most recent DC Fandome in the books, fans have been left with many fun, new teasers and trailers to sink their teeth into. One trailer that got these fans incredibly excited is for Matt Reeves’ new movie, The Batman. With this trailer there were more scenes of Batman yelling in anger, beating bad guys to a pulp, and chasing down baddies in his batmobile. While there were a lot of action scenes showcased in this trailer, there were also some important details that may reveal more about what the upcoming film will feature.
Initially announced to have a standalone movie back in 2014, The Batman has been in the production pipeline for quite some time. While Ben Affleck was initially set to produce, direct, and star in the film, this was walked back after the less-than-stellar response to 2017’s Justice League. It was later announced in 2017 that Matt Reeves, a longtime Batman fan, would be directing the new movie. Reeves went back to the drawing board, working on a new script and changing the story to be about a younger Batman in only his second year of donning the cape and cowl.
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The first trailer released in late 2020 showcased much of what there was to fear about The Riddler. His monotone voice, various clues, and scarily loud duct tape made an impression that is sure to be heightened in the finished film. This new trailer on the other hand showcases much more of the new Batman as played by Robert Pattinson. As shown in the initial trailer, and expanded upon in this one, this is a much more angry Batman than most that have graced the silver screen. At several points it seems as though this version of Batman is quickly deteriorating, both from the plotting of his villains and deciding who he is as Batman. Bruce is at one point even shown saying that he doesn’t care what happens to him.
In addition to all this mounting anger, Batman is also shown to have some new additions to his batsuit. At one point, while beating up several thugs, Batman is shown using some form of taser gauntlet to nullify a threat. While new to the films, this type of gauntlet has actually been used several times in the comic and in the massively popular Arkham Asylum games.
This Batman also seems to be sporting a batsuit that is almost entirely bulletproof. At several points in this new trailer, Batman shrugs off multiple gunshots that bounce off his armor. One cool sequence even seems to be set in a hallway that is only lit by the gunfire of bad guys trying to stop Batman’s onslaught. While Batman has sported bulletproof suits before, most often these are specialized and his main suit has only the symbol on his chest be completely bulletproof. This new addition, while making for some cool scenes, may lead audiences to question the dangers presented to this Batman if guns don’t work on him. Perhaps the biggest dangers will be psychological?
There is also shown in this trailer some of Batman’s detective skills at work, as shown with the assembled case files sorted out on his floor. This scene contains the many elements of Riddler’s plan that Bruce seems to be trying to solve. Included in this scene are the names of some major players for this new story, including the murdered Gotham Mayor, Don Mitchell. Mitchell can be seen playing a big role in this mystery, as Bruce is seen reading a newspaper covering Mitchell’s death as well as attending his funeral wherein a car sporting the letters “DOA” explodes. A woman who appears to be Mitchell’s wife is also shown being interviewed on the news, eliciting a response from Alfred who then addresses Bruce and warns him about where his path will lead.
Considering the other elements of this scene, it seems the Gotham DA is also involved seeing as his name, Colson, is surrounded by multiple photos and the statement “No More Lies” which some may remember from the first trailer. This version of the Riddler is supposedly working on rooting out the corruption present in Gotham, and one of the branches stating “The Sins of My Father??” could be pointing to Bruce’s father Thomas Wayne possibly having had some involvement with the criminal underworld of Gotham.
The word savage is also seen on the floor, which may point to the Riddler questioning this Batman’s methods. While Vandal Savage is a character in the Batman mythos, it's unlikely this points to him seeing as that character doesn't quite fit the tone of this film. Both in the first trailer and this new one, Batman is shown beating bad guys mercilessly, even to the horror of Selina Kyle. It’s possible that the Riddler is attempting to expose all the dark parts of Gotham’s protectorates, and this includes Batman.
Although not much has actually been shown of Paul Dano as the Riddler, despite it appearing as though his face is readily shown while masked up, there are some new pieces to this revamp of the villain revealed in this trailer. In the opening, he is shown being apprehended while putting up no fight. There is an interesting cut in this sequence in that fully geared up officers approach the Riddler in a diner, however it’s regular officers in uniform led by Gordon that actually make the arrest. There is likely some exchange in this moment that allows for the bigger force to be withdrawn and soon angers the officer that slams Riddler’s head into the counter.
Another, harder to see, detail is that after being apprehended Riddler apparently is not sent to prison, but instead to Arkham Asylum. In the short sequence where Batman interrogates Riddler, as the metal partition rises, Riddler seems to be sporting a striped jumpsuit with the words Arkham Hospital on it. This points towards Riddler actually having been sent to Arkham Asylum after being apprehended, rather than just to prison. Not only does this confirm the existence of Arkham in this film, but it also leans towards Arkham playing a bigger role in this film and the following films.
There is a lot to unpack with this new trailer and it looks as though this movie is shaping up to be a very dark, noir-esque thriller centered around the character many know and love. While it’s uncertain how many of these elements will play out in the final film, there is a good chance that fans will at least get to see some epic Batman action. If this trailer is anything to go by, perhaps audiences will have nothing to fear when they finally sit down to watch.
The Batman is set to release in theaters on March 4th, 2022.