Batman and Catwoman may have spent decades in DC Comics lore as adversaries (albeit flirtatious ones), but in recent years, these two are more often depicted as allies at the very least. That looks to be the case for Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which sees Robert Pattinson playing Bruce Wayne and Zoë Kravitz playing Selina Kyle. Just in case it wasn’t clear from previous trailers for the upcoming DC Comics movie, the latest preview spotlights the partnership between these two, alongside plenty of other new goodies to enjoy.
Subtitled “The Bat and The Cat,” this latest The Batman trailer gives us a taste of Batman and Catwoman teaming up against Paul Dano’s Edward Nashton, a.k.a. The Riddler, a serial killer who is targeting Gotham City’s elite citizens. Naturally the Caped Crusader’s just a tad different from the “strays” Selina Kyle usually picks up, but their interests will mesh enough to warrant them working together to bring down this serial killer. From there, it’s only a matter of time before that romantic spark between them ignites something larger… right?
But as previously mentioned, Batman and Catwoman’s dynamic is just one element of this new trailer. This collection of new footage kicks off with mayoral candidate Bella Reál, played by Jayme Lawson, approaching Bruce Wayne out in public and telling him he could more given his family’s history of philanthropy. If only she knew how he spends his nights. The Batman takes place two years into Bruce’s crimefighting career, and while he seems to have a good handle on dealing with ordinary criminals in Gotham City, The Riddler is anything but ordinary. In fact, just like in the international trailer released earlier this month, this preview makes it seem like our main antagonist knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman.
It also looks like Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne and Andy Serkis’ Alfred Pennyworth relationship will be tested in that movie, with the former accusing the latter of lying him about something. What that is isn’t made clear, but Serkis says they all have their “scars” and tells Bruce that he’s still a Wayne. Between that and The Riddler’s MO, perhaps Bruce will learn something unsavory about his parents, if not the entire Wayne family. Meanwhile, let’s not forget that despite his alliance with Jeffrey Wright’s James Gordon, Batman is still a vigilante not officially sanctioned by the GCPD, leading Alex Ferns' Pete Savage, the GCPD commissioner, to wonder if the hero is involved with the crime spree.
So yeah, this trailer for The Batman showed off a lot of new scenes, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the final trailer we get before the movie premieres this spring (though you can be sure there are a lot of TV spots on the way). Between this and both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck reprising their versions of Bruce Wayne in The Flash, November is shaping up to be a Batman-tastic year. Let’s also not forget that in addition to sequels naturally being planned for The Batman, this particular DC universe will be expanded upon through HBO spinoff shows centered on the GCPD and Colin Farrell’s The Penguin, respectively.
The Batman casts its shadow in theaters on March 4, 2022, and will arrive on HBO Max April 19 of the same year. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on this and other upcoming DC Comics movies.
