The Batman is a 2022 American superhero film directed by Matt Reeves from a screenplay he wrote with Peter Craig. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. Robert Pattinson stars as Bruce Wayne / Batman alongside Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. The film sees Batman, in his second year fighting crime in Gotham City, uncover corruption with ties to his own family while pursuing the Riddler (Dano), a mysterious serial killer and terrorist targeting the city's elite. Warner Bros. Pictures distributed the film, which Reeves and Dylan Clark produced for DC Films.
A Batman film for the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) franchise was announced in October 2014, with Ben Affleck starring as the titular character. He signed on to also direct, produce, and co-write The Batman by 2016, but had reservations about the project and stepped down in January 2017. Reeves took over the following month and reworked the story, removing the DCEU connections to focus on a younger version of the character earlier in his vigilante career compared to Affleck's portrayal. Reeves worked on the script with Craig and Mattson Tomlin, and sought to explore Batman's detective aspects more than previous films, drawing inspiration from the films of Alfred Hitchcock and the New Hollywood era, and comics such as "Year One" (1987), The Long Halloween (1996–97), and Ego (2000).
Following Affleck's departure as the star in January 2019, Pattinson was cast in May, and additional actors joined later that year. Filming took place from January 2020 to March 2021 and was halted for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The production occurred throughout the United Kingdom, with location shooting in England and Scotland, as well as on soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. Cinematographer Greig Fraser shot the film with Industrial Light & Magic's StageCraft virtual production technology, while Michael Giacchino composed the musical score. The film has over 1,500 visual effects shots and is one of the longest superhero films ever made. The Batman used an extensive viral marketing campaign during and after production.
After facing multiple delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Batman was theatrically released in the United States on March 4, 2022, three days after premiering at Lincoln Center in New York City. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for Reeves's approach, the performances of Pattinson and Kravitz, and the cinematography and score, although the tone, runtime, and third act received some criticism. Batman's depiction and characterization prompted critical analysis from several commentators, as did themes exploring class conflict and inequality. It was a commercial success, grossing over $772 million worldwide against a $185–200 million budget, making it the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2022 and Warner Bros.'s highest-grossing pandemic release. Its financial performance set several pandemic-era box office records, particularly for IMAX screenings. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and received numerous other accolades. The Batman is intended to start a trilogy and a shared universe called the "Batman Epic Crime Saga". A sequel, The Batman: Part II, is scheduled for release on February 18, 2028, while a spin-off television series starring Farrell, The Penguin, debuted on HBO in late 2024.
Plot
On Halloween, Gotham City mayor Don Mitchell Jr. is murdered by a masked serial killer, the Riddler. Reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne, who has operated for two years as the vigilante Batman, investigates the murder alongside Lieutenant Jim Gordon, much to the disdain of the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD); the Riddler leaves a message for Batman at the crime scene. The following night, the Riddler kills the police commissioner, Pete Savage, and leaves another message for Batman. Batman and Gordon discover that the Riddler left a thumb drive in Mitchell's car containing images of Mitchell's affair with a woman, Annika Kosolov, at the Iceberg Lounge—a nightclub operated by the Penguin, crime boss Carmine Falcone's lieutenant. While questioning the Penguin, who pleads ignorance, Batman notices that Annika's roommate, Selina Kyle, works at the club as a waitress. Annika disappears; while searching for answers, Batman and Selina discover that Savage and Mitchell were on Falcone's payroll, as is district attorney Gil Colson.
The Riddler abducts Colson, straps a timed collar bomb to his neck, and sends him to interrupt Mitchell's funeral. When Batman arrives, the Riddler calls him via a phone duct-taped to Colson and threatens to detonate the bomb if Colson cannot answer three riddles. Colson refuses to answer the third—the name of the informant who gave the GCPD information that led to a historic drug bust ending mob boss Salvatore Maroni's operation—and is killed. Batman and Gordon deduce that the informant may be the Penguin and track him to a drug deal. They discover that Maroni's operation was transferred to Falcone, with many corrupt officers involved. Selina inadvertently exposes them when she arrives to steal money and discovers Annika's corpse in the trunk of a car. Batman captures the Penguin after a car chase, but he and Gordon learn that the Penguin is not the informant.
Batman and Gordon follow the Riddler's trail to the ruins of an orphanage initially funded by Bruce's deceased parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, where they learn that the Riddler holds a grudge against the Wayne family for failing the orphanage. Bruce's butler and caretaker, Alfred Pennyworth, is hospitalized after opening a letter bomb addressed to Bruce. The Riddler leaks evidence that Thomas, who was running for mayor before he was murdered, hired Falcone to kill a journalist whom Maroni controlled and was writing a story about Martha's family history of mental illness. Bruce confronts Alfred, who maintains that Thomas only asked Falcone to threaten the journalist into silence; upon learning that Falcone had murdered the journalist, Thomas planned to turn both himself and Falcone over to the police. Alfred believes that Falcone had Thomas and Martha killed to silence them.
Selina reveals to Batman that Falcone is her father. After discovering that Falcone killed Annika because she learned he was the informant, Selina attempts to kill him, but Batman and Gordon arrive in time to stop her. Gordon arrests Falcone, but the Riddler kills Falcone with a sniper rifle moments later. The Riddler gives himself up and is unmasked as forensic accountant Edward Nashton; he is incarcerated in Arkham State Hospital, where he tells Batman he took inspiration from him when targeting the corrupt. Batman learns that Nashton has planted car bombs and cultivated an online following that plans to assassinate Mayor-elect Bella Reál. The bombs destroy the seawall around Gotham and flood the city. Nashton's followers attempt to kill Reál at her victory celebration in an arena, but Batman and Selina stop them. Batman saves the crowds in the flooding arena from electrocution and leads them to safety. In the aftermath, Nashton befriends another inmate, while Selina deems Gotham beyond saving and leaves. Batman continues to aid the city's recovery efforts and vows to inspire hope in Gotham rather than exacting vengeance.
Cast
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman:A reclusive billionaire who obsessively protects Gotham City as a masked vigilante to cope with his traumatic past. Batman is around 30 years old and not yet an experienced crime fighter. Director Matt Reeves wanted to explore the character before he becomes experienced. Reeves and Pattinson described Batman as an insomniac who cannot differentiate between the Batman persona and his "recluse rockstar" public identity as Bruce, with Reeves comparing his obsession with Batman to that of a drug addiction. Pattinson said the film questions the nature of heroism, as Batman is more flawed than traditional superheroes and unable to control himself, seeking to process his rage and inflict his perceived justice. Reeves considered The Batman a story about Batman learning that he must not exact vengeance, but inspire hope. Oscar Novak portrays a young Bruce, while Rick English was Pattinson's stunt double. Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman:A nightclub waitress, drug dealer, and cat burglar who meets Batman while searching for her missing roommate; her moral ambiguity challenges Batman's black-and-white view of good and evil. Kravitz said the character is gradually becoming a femme fatale while discovering herself and surviving. She described her as a mysterious character with unclear motivations who represents femininity in contrast to Batman's masculinity. She said the pair are partners in crime, drawn together by their desire to fight for vulnerable people. Reeves saw Selina as allowing Batman to be aware of his sheltered upbringing and change his mind regarding preconceived assumptions he had about Gotham's corruption. Kravitz focused more on Selina than her Catwoman persona because she wanted to focus on the character's emotional journey. She also interpreted Selina as bisexual, which the character is depicted as in some comics. Paul Dano as Edward Nashton / The Riddler:A forensic accountant inspired by Batman to become a serial killer. He targets the elite of Gotham and live-streams his crimes. An orphan raised in abject poverty, the Riddler resents Gotham's affluent people for ignoring the less fortunate. Nashton seeks to expose Gotham's corruption by taunting Batman and law enforcement with riddles. Reeves said Batman inspiring the Riddler reflects the idea from the comics that he creates his own enemies and that the Riddler's attack on Gotham gives the character a political agenda as a terrorist-like figure. He found the similarity between Batman and the Riddler's goals unsettling. He likened the Riddler to the Zodiac Killer for their practice of communicating with ciphers and riddles. Dano wanted his performance to balance the real-life inspirations with the Batman franchise's theatricality. Joseph Walker portrays a young Nashton. Due to citogenesis, the Riddler uses the alias "Patrick Parker". Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon:An ally of Batman in the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD). He is the only GCPD officer whom Batman trusts, and they work together to solve the Riddler case. Similar to director Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), Gordon begins as a police lieutenant in The Batman, allowing his progression to police commissioner to be depicted in subsequent films. Wright felt that starting Gordon as the lieutenant enabled him to play a larger role than previous film iterations. Reeves felt that Batman and Gordon's partnership was emphasized more than in previous Batman films, and he compared them to Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) from All the President's Men (1974). John Turturro as Carmine Falcone:A Gotham crime boss who maintains substantial control over Gotham's affairs, he is the Riddler's primary target as well as Selina's father. Turturro described Falcone as dangerous, while Reeves said he appeared to be a "genteel mobster", but has a dark history, comparing him to Noah Cross (John Huston) from Chinatown (1974). The Batman implies that Falcone played a role in Batman's origin story by ordering the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Falcone wears vintage sunglasses throughout the film, as Turturro felt the character needed a "mask". Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson: Gotham's district attorney, whom Sarsgaard described as untruthful and "distasteful"