The Batman’s latest trailer is here, and with it has come a lot more reasons to be excited for Matt Reeves’ upcoming movie. More importantly, the footage shown at DC Fandome 2021 gave audiences an idea of what to expect with Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader, and man, is there a lot to love.
If Robert Pattinson’s performance as Batman is even half as good as these key moments from the latest trailer, I’m going to be thrilled. That’s mostly the hype talking, I’m sure, but to understand that hype, we need to revisit the most jaw-dropping moments of The Batman trailer.
Batman Standing Up Against A Gang Of Goons
I won’t go so far as to say that Batman directly facing off against a large gang of thugs is unheard of, but typically he’s going to approach that situation with a bit more tact. A sneak knockout here, a Batarang from the shadows there, and then hand-to-hand combat the rest of the way when the jig is up. That’s not what we see in this quick clip from The Batman, in which he’s up against eight guys in makeup who all look tough.
It’s not the smartest move, but it’s something that a young Batman would do. Given the fact that The Batman draws some comparison to Batman: Year One, it tracks that Robert Pattinson’s Batman would be less tactful, more sure of his strength, and even angry enough to not want to handle things quickly and easily. It’s something that says so much about this Batman if you sit and look at it, and I’m hoping we’ll see more signs like it throughout The Batman.
Batman Walking Out Of The Flames
The most memorable scene from The Batman trailer has to be Colin Farrell's Penguin thinking the Dark Knight is dead, only for the Batmobile to emerge from a wall of flames and ram the back of his car. Penguin’s vehicle is flipped; he’s dazed, and all he sees is Batman slowly walking towards him. Bruce knows he doesn’t need to rush over there. He has Oswald Cobblepot right where he wants him.
Honestly, this scene is just one of those that I think fans will ultimately think of when they think of The Batman years after its release. It’s just one of those super cool moments that so perfectly exemplifies why the Caped Crusader is one of the most popular DC heroes of all time. He’s out there in the streets of Gotham risking life and limb in a car just to get the answers to a much larger mystery. Surely, there are easier ways to do this, but Batman wouldn’t be terrifying to his enemies if he didn’t seem like some kind of unkillable psychopath.
Bruce Wayne With Eye Black On
Seeing Bruce Wayne in eye black may not seem like a big deal, but it’s the most important unspoken part of Batman’s costume. Realistically, if you’re trying to conceal your identity but also give yourself an ample field of vision, using makeup is a key part of the costume. And yet, The Batman is one of the first times we’ve seen it, and it’s totally in line with the vision Matt Reeves talks about for the character.
A smoky eye may not jive with the macho Batman actors of the past, but when a director describes his Batman as a “reckless rock star” in a “decaying manor,” that’s the guy we see. That’s the kind of Batman who isn’t afraid someone spotting him with makeup on his face is a direct challenge of manliness, especially after he just beat the lights out of an untold number of people the night previously. All of that, plus it’s just nice to know it’s now canon he wears it and there’s no weird tech that darkens the skin around his body.
Batman Watching The Sun Rise
Speaking of things we don’t see Batman do a ton on television, the shot of him looking down at Gotham City as sunrise approaches is perfect. The city wakes, people are safe, but do they know he’s watching on their morning commute? It’s little scenes like these that make me think about parts of Batman’s life that I rarely, if ever, thought about before, and that’s pretty cool.
I’ll add to that sentiment that it’s a welcome change for Matt Reeves to showcase new looks in The Batman and not the same tired shots we’ve seen in Batman films for decades. Much like watching the Wayne family murder, shots of Batman slinking in the shadows, choking a villain, and using the bat grapple appear far too often. In fact, I’m sure a lot of that is still present in The Batman, but at least this scene shows we occasionally get all that broken up with something new and inventive.
Batman Walking Down People Shooting Him
When you’re a superhero who doesn’t have any superpowers and has to rely on physical health, guns are bad news. Batman deals with guns daily, but I’d say he’s developed more than a few tricks to the trade to avoid a bullet before a villain even decided to pull the trigger. That’s clearly not a concern of Robert Pattinson’s Batman, however, who eats multiple gunshots straight to the armor and just keeps walking enemies down.
Even assuming that Batman doesn’t have a single bullet enter his body in The Batman, those shots would hurt like hell. Even a bullet absorbed with body armor can deliver an incredible amount of force and result in severe injury. I think this is just another show of the “reckless Batman” Matt Reeves described, in Bruce being a guy who doesn’t give a shit about the pain and is terrifying because of that. Not dodging bullets feels indicative of a guy who doesn’t think he’ll be doing this job all that long, so I’m curious to see that be apart of the incarnation of the character.
Batman Says “I Am Vengeance”
It sounds silly to say, but the voice of Batman is about the most important intangible trait to every Batman casting. It’s one of the first things fans comment on, and Robert Pattinson passed with flying colors. I think it certainly helped that The Batman star quoted an iconic line Batman is known to say so often: “I am vengeance.”
It’s such a small line and small part of the trailer, but that line just did so much to solidify Robert Pattinson as a valid Batman for me. Whether or not he actually will be is far from decided, but I think there are many already ready to welcome the era of The Batman with open arms. Part of that is thanks to the voice, which, as mentioned, is badass.
The Batman is set to premiere Friday, March 4, 2022. For more on the upcoming film, check out our What We Know So Far guide for the blockbuster.
