The Batman is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Produced by DC Films and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. The film is directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig. It stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman, alongside Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Barry Keoghan, Jayme Lawson, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. The Batman is set during Batman’s second year of fighting crime and follows him as he explores Gotham City’s corruption and faces the Riddler, a riddle-obsessed serial killer.
Development of a DC Extended Universe (DCEU) Batman film began in 2014, with Ben Affleck set to direct, produce, and star, and co-write the script with Geoff Johns. After struggling with the script, Affleck stepped down as writer and director in January 2017 to focus on playing the character. Reeves took over directorial and scripting duties in February, and reworked the story to focus on a younger Batman and emphasize the character’s detective aspects more than prior films. Affleck left the project in January 2019, and Pattinson was cast that May. The film’s connections to the DCEU were subsequently eliminated. Principal photography began in London, England, in January 2020, and concluded in March 2021. Production was suspended between March and September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Batman is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 4, 2022. Its release was delayed twice from an original June 2021 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two sequels are planned, while a spin-off prequel television series is in development for HBO Max.
Premise
In his second year of fighting crime, Batman explores the corruption that plagues Gotham City and how it may tie to his own family, in addition to coming into conflict with a serial killer known as the Riddler.
Cast
- Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman:
A billionaire socialite and heir of Wayne Enterprises who dedicates himself to protecting Gotham City from its criminal underworld as a masked vigilante. Batman is around 30 years old in the film and neither an experienced superhero nor a beginner as a crime fighter. Director Matt Reeves stated: “I just felt like, well, what I’d love to do is to get a version of this Batman character where he’s not yet fully formed. Where there’s something to do in this context with who that guy would be in this world today, and to ground him in all of these broken ways. Because at the end of the day, this guy is doing all of this to deal with trauma in his past.” Pattinson described his Batman as flawed, unlike traditional comic book characters, finding the character’s lack of superpowers interesting, and said his voice was inspired by that of his co-star Willem Dafoe in the film The Lighthouse (2019). In preparation, Pattinson trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with instructor and John Wick alumnus Rigan Machado, and said that he wanted to “learn and achieve” something new with the role as a different character from himself and to undergo physical change, citing actors from superhero films including Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Evans as pioneers of this within the genre and an influence for taking the part in new ways. - Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman:
A cat burglar. Kravitz, who previously voiced the character in The Lego Batman Movie (2017), said that in contrast to Batman, who represents masculinity, Catwoman represents femininity, and “femininity represents power, and I think it’s a different kind of power than masculine power… slightly more complicated, and softer, too.” Kravitz drew inspiration from Michelle Pfeiffer, who portrayed the character in Batman Returns (1992), and read the “Year One” (1987) Batman story arc in preparation. - Paul Dano as Edward Nashton / Riddler:
A newly emerged criminal who is obsessed with riddles. In The Batman, the character is portrayed as a serial killer, drawing comparisons to the Zodiac Killer.According to Reeves, the Riddler will serve as the film’s primary antagonist. - Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon: An ally of Batman in the Gotham City Police Department. Wright is the first actor of color to portray the character.
- John Turturro as Carmine Falcone: A Gotham crime lord.
- Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson: Gotham’s district attorney.
- Barry Keoghan as Stanley Merkel: An officer in the Gotham City Police Department.
- Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál: A mayoral candidate in Gotham.
- Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth: Batman’s butler and mentor.
- Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot / Penguin:
A rising crime lord. According to Reeves, the film is set at a time when Cobblepot dislikes being referred to as the Penguin. For the role, Farrell gained weight and wore prosthetic-based makeup.
Additionally, Alex Ferns portrays Commissioner Pete Savage, while Rupert Penry-Jones, Gil Perez-Abraham, and twins Charlie and Max Carver have been cast in undisclosed roles.
Production
Development
In August 2013, Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne / Batman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), with plans to play the role in at least three films. He made his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and later appeared in Suicide Squad(2016) and Justice League (2017). In October 2014, Warner Bros. revealed plans for a standalone Batman film starring Affleck,and by July 2015, he was in negotiations to direct and co-write the screenplay with Geoff Johns. According to Deadline Hollywood, Affleck and Johns were expected to turn in a draft by October 2015, and that production would begin after Affleck finished work on Live by Night.
Affleck and Johns finished the first draft in March 2016, with Johns implying that the film would explore the death of Robin which was hinted at in Batman v Superman. At CinemaCon in April, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara confirmed the film was moving forward, with Affleck directing. In the following months, Jeremy Irons and Joe Manganiello were confirmed to appear—with Manganiello playing Deathstroke—and Jared Leto expressed interest in reprising his role as the Joker from Suicide Squad. Affleck revealed the title of the film was The Batman in October, and in December he said filming was on track to begin in mid-2017 for a release date in 2018. That month, a planned Justice League sequel was delayed to accommodate The Batman. However, in January 2017, Affleck said the film had no script and that he may end up not directing it. While Affleck reaffirmed his commitment to direct in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, by the end of the month he decided to step down, though said he would still star and produce. By this point, Chris Terrio had turned in a rewrite of the script.
Affleck initially cited his intentions to step down as director were to focus more on starring as Batman, later acknowledging that after various attempts to get the script where he wanted it, it simply became “time to let someone else have a shot at it”. Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter added that Affleck’s film was “sidelined” after Warner Bros. began re-evaluating its approach to superhero films. Matt Ross, Ridley Scott, Gavin O’Connor, George Miller, Denis Villeneuve, and Fede Álvarez were considered to replace Affleck. After initial negotiations had broken down, Matt Reeves officially joined to direct and produce in February 2017, and production was delayed until 2018 so he could complete War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). By March, Reeves had begun working on a completely new script, and would not meet potential actors until at least July. In August, Reeves said the film would still take place within the DCEU, but that “it wouldn’t be filled with cameos servicing other stories”. After Reeves began rewriting the script, Manganiello said he was unsure if Deathstroke would still appear.
In August 2018, Reeves appeared on a Television Critics Association panel and revealed many details about the film. He confirmed that The Batman would be an original, noir-driven story and not an origin story. He also revealed that the script was nearing completion and that the film’s connections to the DCEU would be minimal. Reeves said that he was “working on getting our draft in the next couple of weeks and things are progressing,” hoping to begin production in early-to-mid 2019. Reeves submitted his first draft to Warner Bros. the following month. Affleck’s involvement was in doubt; Kim Masters of The Hollywood Reporter reported in July 2017 that Warner Bros. was looking to replace him. This was strengthened by further reports indicating that Reeves wanted a younger actor to play Batman. In August 2018, Affleck went to rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, casting further doubt that he would be reprising his role. In January 2019, Warner Bros. set a June 25, 2021, release date for The Batman, and Affleck confirmed that he was departing.Affleck revealed in 2020 that he stepped down due to a combination of factors, including his divorce from Jennifer Garner, the tumultuous production of Justice League, his personal lack of enjoyment in the role up to that point, and his alcohol problems. “I showed the Batman script,” he recalled. “They said, ‘I think the script is good. I also think you’ll drink yourself to death if you go through what you just went through again.”
Writing
When Affleck was writing The Batman, it was intended to be set after the events of Batman v Superman and Justice League. Affleck said his film featured a “mostly original” story that used elements of comic books for inspiration, like what director Zack Snyder did with Batman v Superman. According to Robert Richardson, who was attached as cinematographer early in development, Affleck’s script was primarily set in Arkham Asylum and dealt with insanity. Manganiello stated that Affleck’s script was “really dark and really hard”, featuring Deathstroke as a “horror movie villain” who killed everyone close to Batman in an effort to ruin his life—a story, he noted, bore resemblance to David Fincher’s The Game (1997). Justice League‘s post-credits scene, in which Deathstroke meets with Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), was intended to set up The Batman‘s plot, but Eisenberg’s dialogue was rewritten during post-production to make it seem as if the characters were talking about the Injustice League rather than Batman.
When Reeves took over writing duties, he reworked the story to focus on Batman earlier in his career as a vigilante and sought to explore the detective aspect of the character to a greater extent than previous films. Reeves stated in an interview that the film would feature “an almost-noir driven, detective version of Batman” emphasizing the heart and mind of the character and taking inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock. Reeves stated that he aimed to make a film that seemed believable, and said that Chinatown, The French Connection, and Taxi Driver were sources of inspiration. Another critical influence was Batman: Ego, a 2000 story by Darwyn Cooke and Jon Babcock that explores Batman’s psychology.
The film is set during the same timeframe as “Year Two”, a 1987 Detective Comics storyline written by Mike W. Barr and illustrated by Alan Davis, Paul Neary, Alfredo Alcala, Mark Farmer, and Todd McFarlane. At this point, the characters are still early in their character development. During the virtual DC FanDome event in August 2020, DC Films president Walter Hamada confirmed that the film was no longer part of the DCEU, but took place in a different universe within DC Films’ multiverse; The Hollywood Reporterreported this would be known as “Earth-2”.
Pre-production
Robert Pattinson (pictured in 2017) was cast to replace Affleck in May 2019.
By May 2019, Robert Pattinson, Nicholas Hoult, Armie Hammer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were on the shortlist to replace Affleck as Batman, Pattinson being the frontrunner. Reeves began to consider Pattinson early in development, but was unsure if he would want to take the part and did not contact him. Pattinson had avoided “big studio franchise films” since his work on the Twilight series, wanting to avoid paparazzi and finding those roles to be dull; with his avoidance, this meant he had not appeared in any of rival Marvel Studios’ projects, which made him desirable to Warner Bros. Hoult was the other major contender for the role. While Hoult had appeared in the Marvel Comics-based X-Men films, those did not take place in Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and, as Kit noted, “Hoult spent large chunks of those movies unrecognizable” due to his makeup.
Reeves “spent hours poring over the two actors’ work”, and in April met with them both. By May 20, they were the only contenders, and both flew to Burbank, California for a screen test. Reeves, who “wanted very specific things” for the role, chose Pattinson, and on May 31, Pattinson was cast. Pattinson signed on to play Batman because he was interested in the character’s lack of superpowers. News of Pattinson’s casting leaked shortly before he screen-tested, with Pattinson recalling: “I was fucking furious. Everyone was so upset. Everyone was panicking from my team. I sort of thought that had blown up the whole thing.” The casting was also met with backlash from Batman fans—with some setting up a Change.org petition to have it reversed—but Pattinson said he found responses “less vitriolic than I was expecting it’s much more fun when you’re an underdog. There’s no expectation of you.” Christian Bale, who played Batman in The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), supported Pattinson, encouraging him to “make his own” and ignore critics. Pattinson also received advice from The Dark Knight Trilogy‘sdirector, Christopher Nolan, whom he worked with on Tenet (2020).
Jeffrey Wright entered negotiations to play James Gordon in September, and Jonah Hill entered negotiations to play either the Riddler or the Penguin. In October, Wright was cast, but Hill exited negotiations. According to Variety‘s Justin Kroll, Hill wanted to be paid $10 million—more than double the amount that Pattinson would make—while Kit wrote that Warner Bros. and Hill could not decide which role he would take. Also in October, Zoë Kravitz was cast as Selina Kyle / Catwoman, after previously voicing the character in The Lego Batman Movie (2017), following a screen test with Pattinson; Kravitz was chosen over a number of actresses, including Ana de Armas, Ella Balinska, and Eiza González, who also auditioned for the role, and Zazie Beetz and Alicia Vikander. Paul Dano was cast as the Riddler shortly afterward. It was also revealed that Mattson Tomlin had joined the project to co-write the screenplay with Reeves. In November, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, and John Turturro were cast as Alfred Pennyworth, the Penguin, and Carmine Falcone, respectively. Jayme Lawson also joined the cast as a politician, while Peter Sarsgaard was cast in December.
Filming
Principal photography began in January 2020 in London, under the working title Vengeance. Later in the month, Warner Bros. confirmed the main cast; Gil Perez-Abraham was revealed to have a role in February, as were Charlie and Max Carver in March. Greig Fraser is serving as cinematographer, reuniting with Reeves after they worked together on Let Me In (2010). Scenes at a cemetery were filmed at the Glasgow Necropolis in mid-February. In March, Warner Bros. decided to move production to Liverpool, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike other studios with films in production, Warner Bros. did not plan to suspend shooting on The Batman, but eventually did so for two weeks on March 14.
On March 25, Reeves announced that filming had been suspended indefinitely, with plans to resume once it was safe to do so. Shortly afterward, the production’s dialect coach, Andrew Jack, died from COVID-19. Variety reported that production was unlikely to restart until around mid-May, and that the release date was expected to be delayed as a result. In April, Warner Bros. pushed the release date back to October 1, 2021. Reeves stated that around a quarter of the film had been shot prior to suspension, and that he had been taking time to look over what had already been shot and think about “what’s to come.” Reeves said that he was not planning to perform script rewrites in the meantime, but was using the opportunity to explore the film’s tone. On May 12, the British government gave the green light for high-end television and film productions to resume shooting, as soon as employers put coronavirus safety measures in place, and The Batman was given permission to restart production around July. By August, production was expected to resume in early September at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, England.
At DC FanDome in August, it was revealed that Peter Craig had contributed to the script and that Barry Keoghan was portraying Stanley Merkel. By September 3, filming had resumed for three days at Leavesden Studios, only to be put on pause again after Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19. The filming crew then entered a two-week quarantine, after which filming was set to resume, while construction on the sets and props at Leavesden Studios continued. Filming resumed on September 17, after Pattinson was cleared to return. At this point, the film had approximately three more months of filming and was expected to finish by the end of 2020. Filming was limited to England, and crew members were required to live close to the production area and not leave to the surrounding community.
In early October, the film’s release was pushed back to March 4, 2022, due to the production delays. Filming resumed with Pattinson for scenes of a funeral at St George’s Hall in Liverpool during the following week, with the location doubling for Gotham City Hall. Set photos of the shoot revealed Rupert Penry-Jones had a role in the film. Lawson resumed filming her scenes during this time. Later, filming also took place within Liverpool at Anfield Cemetery and the Royal Liver Building. Industrial Light & Magic began providing the same virtual production technology that Fraser developed and used on the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian for the visual effects backgrounds to be rendered in real time during shooting for certain scenes in the film, with a wall of LED panels surrounding already built practical sets in the United Kingdom constructed to use the technology. The ILM team worked with Fraser for these scenes. Exterior shots and stunt scenes for Gotham City were filmed in Chicago in the middle of the month. Later that month, Farrell said he would film the remainder of his scenes “on and off” until February 2021. Filming wrapped on March 13, 2021.
Music
In October 2019, Reeves announced that his frequent collaborator Michael Giacchino would be composing the film’s score. Later that month, Giacchino confirmed that he had already finished writing the main theme because he was so excited to do so. In film production, the music is not written until later, but since Giacchino wrote the music early on, he and Reeves were able to use it in promotional materials. Giacchino said he “felt total freedom to do whatever I want. Matt always agreed, this is our Batman, this is our vision. In the same way that I always loved, what I still do about Batman comics and graphic novels is that each of these artists, each of these authors, they take their own crack at what they want this to be. It’s their version of Batman.”
Marketing
Still frame from test footage showing Robert Pattinson in costume as Batman
On February 13, 2020, Reeves released “moody, red-saturated” test footage revealing Pattinson in his Batman costume and Giacchino’s theme. The one-minute video generated a great deal of speculation and discussion of what approach the film would take in depicting Batman’s world. Chris Evangelista of /Film thought Pattinson “looks much different than any onscreen Batman we’ve seen before”,while Richard Newby of The Hollywood Reporter identified the Batsuit’s various references to previous incarnations. Newby also noted that the bat emblem on the costume’s chest bore a resemblance to a pistol, and wondered if it was the pistol used to kill Batman’s parents in his origin story. The footage’s use of the color red also led to discussion of how The Batman would differ tonally from previous Batman adaptations. On March 4, 2020, Reeves released an image of the film’s Batmobile. Dino-Ray Ramos of Deadline Hollywood opined that it “seems sexier and more streamlined than Batmobiles from the past” and “gives off some serious James Bond-meets-Fast and Furiousenergy and seems right on point for Pattinson.”
Reeves released a teaser trailer on August 22, 2020, during the virtual DC FanDome convention. The trailer featured a remix of the Nirvana song “Something in the Way”, combined with Giacchino’s score. CNET wrote that the trailer “set the internet on fire” and was noted for its somber, grim tone. Spinand The Ringer respectively described the depiction of Gotham City as “dystopic” and “nightmarish”. Adam Chitwood of Collider praised the trailer for showing off “the genuinely refreshing approach” the film seemed to be taking in depicting the world of Batman, and The Ringer wrote that it made The Batman look more like a detective film than a standard action-oriented superhero film. Vox opined that the film seemed to have more in common with the R-rated Batman spin-off Joker (2019) than other contemporary DC films. While noting that some critics disliked the trailer’s dark tone since previous Batman films were similarly dark, Vox said that The Batman could “show that carte-blanche reactionary violence, retribution rewarded with material wealth, and a soulless existence driven by bloody, bone-snapping ambition isn’t actually something regular people want to emulate.”