Things We Saw Today: Darkness Descends on Gotham in ‘The Batman’ Trailer

Lower your shades, turn off the lights, and squint closely at your laptop/phone screen: the trailer for Matt Reeves’ The Batman has landed and it is DARK. I mean that in both the literal and figurative sense, as the trailer mostly focuses on shadowy action as Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne/Batman prowls the streets in the dark of night. But darkness is present throughout the trailer in the tone and feel of Reeves’ Gotham, from Paul Dano’s Zodiac killer-like take on The Riddler to Pattinson’s grim intonation where he says, “Fear is a tool. And when that light hits the sky, it’s not just a call. It’s a warning.”

“We’d seen lots of origin stories,” said Reeves. “One place we hadn’t been was grounding it the way [the Frank Miller comic] Year One does.” Zoë Kravitz echoed his description of a more grounded Batman universe, saying “I don’t want her to be an idea, I want her to be a real human being in a real situation in a real city trying to survive and reacting to her own pain.”

Batman is a character built for darker, more complex material, as we’ve seen in the Nolan trilogy. But Reeves’ new trailer brings more elements of horror and brutality into the franchise in a way we haven’t yet seen on the big screen. His Batman feels dangerous, much like Affleck’s grim take on the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman, sans the lugubrious mythologizing that Zack Snyder imbued him with.

The trailer also gives us a look at Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and Alfred (Andy Serkis), and showcases a variety of looks and wig changes for Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle/Catwoman. We also get plenty of Batman and Catwoman sparring/flirting on the rooftops of Gotham. Kravitz’s effortless cool makes her a great pick for the role, and she seems to have solid chemistry with Pattinson. We also see Colin Farrell’s outsized take on the Penguin, as he tries to evade Batman’s pursuit.

All in all, it’s a strong debut for the highly anticipated film: a defined visual style, strong action, a cool new batmobile, and the broodiest of Batmen. What else is there to say? We’re all in.

The Batman hits theaters on March 4, 2022.

(image: Warner Bros.)

• Batman (Michael Keaton version) also made an appearance at DC FanDome in the new teaser for The Flash.
• We also saw a first look at the concept art for Batgirl.

First shot of the concept art of @lesliegrace as #Batgirl #DCFanDome pic.twitter.com/OHwxHYiG4I

— Reel Anarchy (@ReelAnarchy) October 16, 2021

• And here’s a sneak peek at the costume design for the upcoming live-action Blue Beetle.

First look at concept art for the live-action ‘BLUE BEETLE’ movie. #DCFanDome pic.twitter.com/XELefLPn7g

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 16, 2021

• Puppets, psychedelics, and Michelle Gomez appear in the mid-season trailer for Doom Patrol.
• Tag yourself, I’m pubescent frog:

Copyright schmopyright. pic.twitter.com/jPJPfAsN4b

— Amy Berg (@bergopolis) October 16, 2021

We’ll be back tomorrow with more DC FanDome coverage. What all are you seeing out there today, Mary Suevians?

(image: Warner Bros.)

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