The Batman Movie Storyline. Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of the criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — 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 (Zoë Kravtiz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka The Riddler (Paul Dano). 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 brings justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
The Batman is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Produced by DC Films, 6th & Idaho, and Dylan Clark Productions, and set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. The film was directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig. It stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman alongside Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. Set in his second year of fighting crime, the film sees Batman uncover corruption in Gotham City while pursuing the Riddler (Dano), a serial killer who targets Gotham’s elite.
Development began after Ben Affleck was cast as Batman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in 2013. Affleck signed on to direct, produce, co-write, and star in The Batman, but had reservations about the project and dropped out. Reeves took over and reworked the story, removing the DCEU connections. He sought to explore Batman’s detective side more than previous films, drawing inspiration from 1970s films and comics such as “Year One” (1987) and Ego (2000). Pattinson was cast to replace Affleck in May 2019, and further casting took place in late 2019. Principal photography lasted from January 2020 to March 2021 in the United Kingdom and Chicago.
The Batman is scheduled to premiere in New York City on March 1, 2022, and will be theatrically released on March 4. It was delayed twice from an initial June 2021 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film is intended to launch a Batman shared universe, with two sequels planned and two spin-off television series in development for HBO Max.
Cast and Characters
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman
A reclusive billionaire who obsessively protects Gotham City as a masked vigilante to cope with his traumatic past. Batman is around 30 years old and is not yet an experienced crime fighter, as director Matt Reeves wanted to explore the character before he becomes “fully formed”.
Reeves and Pattinson described Batman as an insomniac who cannot delineate between the Batman persona and his “recluse rockstar” public identity as Wayne, with Reeves comparing his obsession with being Batman to a drug addiction. Pattinson said the film would question the nature of heroism, as Batman is more flawed than traditional superheroes and unable to control himself, seeking to work out his rage and “inflect his kind of justice”.
Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman:
A nightclub waitress, drug dealer, and cat burglar who meets Batman while searching for her missing roommate; her moral ambiguity challenges Batman’s black-and-white view of good and evil. Kravitz said Catwoman is becoming a femme fatale and “figuring out who she is, beyond just someone trying to survive.” She described Catwoman as a mysterious character with unclear motivations, who represents femininity in contrast to Batman’s masculinity. She said the pair are “partner in crime”, drawn together by their desire to fight for vulnerable people. Kravitz focused more on Kyle than her Catwoman persona because she did not want to distract from the character’s emotional journey.
Paul Dano as Edward Nashton / Riddler
A serial killer who targets elite Gotham citizens and livestreams his crimes. The Riddler seeks to “unmask the truth” about Gotham, taunting Batman (whose identity he has deduced) and law enforcement alike with riddles. Reeves said the Riddler’s attack on Gotham gives the character a “political agenda” as a terrorist-like figure. He likened the Riddler to the Zodiac Killer, whom he felt was the “real-life” Riddler for his practice of communicating with ciphers and riddles,[13] while Dano said his performance balanced the real-life basis with the Batman franchise’s theatricality.
Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon
An ally of Batman in the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD).[27][28] Similar to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), Gordon begins as the GCPD lieutenant in The Batman, allowing his progression to commissioner to be depicted in subsequent films.[4] Wright described Gordon as “relative to Gotham City, to the Gotham City Police Department, to Batman, to justice and to corruption”.
John Turturro as Carmine Falcone
A Gotham City crime lord.
Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson
Gotham’s district attorney, who Sarsgaard described as untruthful and “distasteful”.
Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth
Batman’s butler and mentor, though they have a hostile relationship and rarely speak. Pattinson described Pennyworth as Batman’s only confidant, even though Pennyworth “thinks he’s gone insane!”
Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot / Penguin:
A disfigured, rising crime lord and Catwoman’s employer. Cobblepot is not yet the crime kingpin he is depicted as in the comics, and dislikes being referred to as the Penguin. Reeves explained that Cobblepot is a “mid-level mobster guy and he’s got a bit of showmanship to him, but you can see that he wants more and that he’s been underestimated.”
Additionally, Jayme Lawson portrays Bella Reál, a mayoral candidate for Gotham City; Barry Keoghan portrays Stanley Merkel, a GCPD officer; Alex Ferns portrays Commissioner Pete Savage;[40] and Rupert Penry-Jones portrays Don Mitchell Jr., Gotham’s mayor. Jay Lycurgo has a minor role as a criminal, while Gil Perez-Abraham,[44] twins Charlie and Max Carver, and Con O’Neill have been cast in undisclosed roles.
The Batman (2022)
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, Jayme Lawson, Elena Saurel, Alex Ferns, Iana Saliuk, Mark Killeen
Screenplay by: Matt Reeves, Peter Craig
Production Design by: James Chinlund
Cinematography by: Greig Fraser
Film Editing by: William Hoy, Tyler Nelson
Costume Design by: David Crossman, Glyn Dillon, Jacqueline Durran
Art Direction by: Grant Armstrong, Oliver Benson, Trinity Tad Davis
Music by: Michael Giacchino
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: March 1, 2022 (New York City), March 4, 2022 (United States)
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