The Batman may be over a year away, but we have plenty of information about the upcoming superhero movie.
A good Batman story never goes out of style and while the project Ben Affleck had been circling once upon a time is now long dead, a new one has stepped up to take its place. Director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, War for the Planet of the Apes) has joined forces with Robert Pattinson (Twilight) for a brand new take on the Dark Knight, due out next year.
Though there’s still over a year’s worth of waiting to do for the new movie, plenty of information has been made available to us thanks to Reeves’ active presence on social media and various interviews given by the cast. We now know exactly who will star as major Gotham City characters like The Penguin, Catwoman, and The Riddler. We’ve also gotten a good look at Pattinson’s Batsuit and all-new Batmobile. We’ve even been given some clues as to what we can expect from the story and, suffice to say, it sounds like something completely and totally new for the modern era of Batman films.
We’ve broken down everything we know about The Batman and will continue to update as new information trickles in.
It’s been delayed
Originally scheduled to hit theaters in June of 2021, COVID-19 related production shutdowns have pushed the release date back to October 1, 2021.
The cast is loaded with A-listers
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman
Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin
Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
Paul Dano as Edward Nygma/The Riddler
Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth
Jeffery Wright as Commissioner James Gordon
It will be more “detective-focused” than other Batman movies
Not much is known about the specific plot details of the new film, but director Matt Reeves has given some hints in interviews. Namely, he’s confirmed that the story will place more emphasis on Batman as the world’s greatest detective than fans have seen before.
It will focus on the second year of Bruce Wayne’s time as Batman
Though this doesn’t mean the movie will directly adapt the Year Two storyline from the comics, Matt Reeves has been open about the relative timeline the movie will work in, saying it will cover the second year of Bruce’s time as Batman.
It features a new Bat Suit
Reeves took to Twitter to share a camera test of Pattinson in costume, showcasing a brand new Bat Suit.
And a new Batmobile
Reeves also shared photos of the new Batmobile, which looks like it draws inspiration from classic muscle cars more than high tech military vehicles.
The Riddler was nearly played by Jonah Hill
Before Paul Dano was confirmed for the role of Eddie Nygma, comedian Jonah Hill was reportedly in the running. He dropped out of the running for reasons unknown.
Pattinson believes this Batman to be more “emotional”
In an interview, Pattinson explained that his take on the Dark Knight is more akin to the feeling and vibe of a concert than a gothic drama, relating Bruce Wayne to the band The Pixies as an example. We’re not totally sure what that means, but we can’t wait to find out.
Ben Affleck will not return, we’re not sure if it’ll be part of the shared universe
Personal issues made filming features like Batman vs Superman and Justice League challenging for Ben Affleck, who recently opened up about why he abandoned his own solo Batman project. Affleck will obviously not participate in this film, which means it likely will not connect to the greater shared universe of the DCEU. But whether or not that means it will be as disconnected from the bigger DC picture like Joker was last year remains to be seen.
Alfred and Bruce’s relationship will be key
Andy Serkis recently explained in an interview that Alfred and Bruce’s emotional connection will be a foundational part of the film, and that his performance is not based off any of the Alfreds who came before him.
