The Batman’s first trailer was packed full of eerie mystery.
DC’s FanDome event has been a non-stop rollercoaster of news and announcements. But the virtual convention was topped off by what many would consider to be the most anticipated event of the day: A first-look at the new Batman film by Matt Reeves. More than just concept art or behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, Reeves brought a full two-minute teaser trailer for The Batman.
With an eerie Nirvana song to set the tone, The Batman is already delivering on Reeves’ promise to be unlike any Batman movie we’ve seen before. It will dive into the Dark Knight’s second year under the cowl and feature the “origin story” of some major players from comic book history like The Penguin, The Riddler, and Catwoman. Reeves has emphasized that it will look more into Bruce’s work as the World’s Greatest Detective than Batman as a symbol of hope or peace.
We’ve broken the teaser down frame-by-frame to uncover 22 details and clues you might have missed for the movie.
The Batman is set to hit theaters on October 1, 2021. And be sure to check out more of our DC FanDome coverage, from news about James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad to a second trailer for Wonder Woman 1984
1. No More Lies
Someone is causing quite a stir in Gotham City. The trailer opens with the GCPD investigating a crime scene. There’s been a murder, and the victim had their face covered in duct tape, with “No More Lies” written across it.
2. New Jim Gordon
Jeffery Wright is playing Jim Gordon, who likely hasn’t become the commissioner of the GCPD just yet–actor Alex Ferns is on the docket to play Commissioner Pete Savage, a character invented for the movie. This Gordon is likely a detective still rising through the ranks.
3. The Riddler
It’s fairly easy to guess that the murderer is none other than Edward Nashton, aka The Riddler, who will be played by Paul Dano in the movie. Gordon narrates a note left for Batman at the scene: “From your secret friend. Who? Haven’t a clue. Let’s play a game, just me and you.”
Matt Reeves explained in the panel that this will be the first emergence of the Riddler, meaning that the GCPD has never encountered a villain like this before.
4. Clues in the card
A Riddler hallmark is leaving behind coded clues and messages and we get to see a few here in the card he left behind. It reads, “What does a liar say when he’s dead?” If we had to guess, we’d say “the truth,” maybe? Or “nothing?” The message is followed by a series of symbols.
5. Lies
One of the Riddler’s messages at the crime scene comes in the form of a wall of newspaper clippings–apparently the man he’s killed, named “Don,” was some sort of judge or DA, who had been getting quite a bit of good press. Though, according to Eddie, it’s all lies.
6. Maroni Drug Bust
The late Don was apparently behind, or somehow involved in, the bust of the crime lord Sal Maroni.
7. Not an origin story
It’s important to remember that this movie will not be an origin story. It’s set in the second year of Batman’s time in Gotham and he’s already established a working relationship with the GCPD. We can see that here, in the way that Bruce is allowed to freely walk onto the crime scene in costume, surrounded by cops. They know who he is, and though they may not entirely trust him, they’re certainly working with him.
And perhaps more ominously, The Riddler knows who he is, too, and is definitely trying to get his attention.
8. The commissioner
It looks like this is a shot of Alex Fern’s Commissioner Savage, likely giving some sort of briefing about the murder.
9. Bruce’s eyes
Bruce looks a little worse-for-wear here, eyes blacked and face half covered, as he watches this press briefing from afar before turning his motorcycle around and heading back to Wayne Manor. What happened to make him want to hide his face in broad daylight?
10. New Alfred
Andy Serkis’s Alfred Pennyworth doesn’t make a physical appearance in the trailer, but he does have a voice over, telling Bruce that he’s become “quite the celebrity.”
11. New Cave
We only get a brief glimpse of what must be the new Batcave–and it’s certainly less cave-like than versions we’ve seen in the past. It looks like it actually has pieces of Wayne Manor’s stairs reaching down into it.
12. Don’s funeral
If we weren’t convinced already that the late Don was some kind of major public figure, the scale of his funeral certainly provides a clue.
13. Message for Batman
The funeral is interrupted by a brutal attack, likely from Riddler again. An SUV covered in writing and symbols drives straight into the crowd before a suicide bomber with “To The Batman” written on his chest gets out. Bruce is in attendance, but not in costume.
14. Catwoman
Our first glimpse of Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyle is shrouded in shadow. She’s in the process of doing what she does best–cat burgling–from what looks like a museum or a mansion. Her costume looks homemade, with a mask that covers only half her face and two tiny corners that give us just the hint of a cat ear silhouette. According to director Matt Reeves, this movie will feature Selina Kyle before she officially adopts the Catwoman title and will function as a sort of origin story for her.
15. Penguin?
Reeves also explained that this version of Oswald Cobblepot, played by Colin Farrell, who he called “Oz,” is at an early point in his journey to becoming a kingpin of crime in Gotham–and that he actually hates being called Penguin. It’s tricky to tell–especially because if it is indeed Colin Farrell, he’s under some intense prosthetics.
16. “If you are justice”
Riddler voices over (with heavy editing effects), warning that if “you are justice, please do not lie. What is the price for your blind eye?” This could be a warning to Batman, but it could also be a warning to the justice system of Gotham City itself.
17. A fight in the GCPD
While the GCPD seems to work with and tolerate Batman’s help on cases, things aren’t always smooth sailing. We get a split-second look at what looks like an all-out brawl between Bruce and a slew of GCPD officers in an interrogation room.
18. Batman vs Catwoman
Unsurprisingly, Bruce and Selina don’t exactly get along at first. We see the two of them squaring off, presumably after Bruce interrupts Selina’s attempted heist.
19. Joker gang
We see Bruce go up against a gang wearing clown face paint. Now, as far as we know, no version of the Joker will exist in this movie, but it would certainly seem that the Clown Prince Of Crime has left a mark on the city–that, or this is some sort of criminal phenomena that will go on to inspire the Joker to emerge somewhere down the line.
20. Echos of the Zodiac
We get a brief glimpse of someone, presumably Riddler, going through his duct taping process–something we saw for a split second in the trailer as well. The costume is certainly a far cry from the bright green and purple suits we’ve seen on Eddie before. This version seems to skew more towards the Zodiac Killer with a baggy ski mask, glasses, and a bulky dark coat.
21. He’s vengeance
Reeves explained during the panel that, because of how early it is in Batman’s journey with Gotham City, most citizens are still afraid of him. He’s not a beacon of hope; he’s running around “putting the fear of god” into anyone he thinks is doing wrong. We see exactly how brutal he can be here as he goes after one of the Joker-like gang members with some bone-crunching punches.
22. New ride
The new Batmobile has been featured heavily in promotional material that Reeves has posted on Twitter, but we get to see it in action here, in all its turbo-charged glory.
We get a lot of footage of Zoe Kravitz in her Catwoman outfit, which seems very homemade and less of a costume per se. She even spars with Batman at one point, who seems surprised by her martial prowess. But as Reeves pointed out in the panel, she is not yet Catwoman in this movie, She will emerge as Catwoman.