The Super Powered Fancast

DC FanDome ended this weekend with a bang when director Matt Reeves and stars Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz unveiled the new trailer for the upcoming return of the Dark Knight to the big screen, ‘The Batman’.

The trailer was a Batman fans dream with some impressive visuals and the tease of a dark, gritty noir epic. The trailer itself delivered some beautiful imagery and revealed some interesting things that make this upcoming Batman film intriguing. So here are some of my favorite takeaways from ‘The Batman’ trailer.

1. The Look

Dark and gritty are not new concepts, especially when dealing with a dark character like Batman, but the look of Reeves’ upcoming film is interesting in many ways. There are some great shots throughout the trailer that showcase the darkness of the city and its characters, but there are also uses of color that beautifully contrast that darkness. There are some beautiful shots of either sunrise and sunset throughout that hit the city scenes in amazing ways. Also the red in Penguin’s club is stark and ominous. There’s also a scene brilliantly illuminated by a flare that is eye-catching. Reeves is definitely using the color pallet of an action thriller in this film and I’m excited to see it on the big screen.

2. Gotham City

When done right, Gotham City is always another character in the Batman universe. The trailer reveals some great shots of the city and it has a tangible feel to it that makes it both engaging and ominous at the same time. There are some definite David Fincher’s Seven vibes with the rain and darkness and Reeves uses the city as more than just background. The city feels like its a living entity beating with a dark heart.

3. An inexperienced hero

Some are speculating that this story is based off of Frank Miller’s Batman Year One with elements of Batman: The Long Halloween included. True or not, both stories feature a younger Bruce Wayne/Batman honing his mission in Gotham City. From the trailer, this is definitely a younger, inexperienced Batman navigating the streets of Gotham and learning that there is more to protecting the city than just beating up street gangs. You can see from the trailer that Batman jumps into harms way without regard for his own life and it looks like something Andy Serkis’ Alfred will confront him about.

There are several scenes where he runs straight into danger including bullets and even says “I don’t care what happens to me.” This is definitely an inexperienced hero at the start of his career and at the edge of his sanity. The risks he takes by just wading into danger without a plan are thrilling and I’m interested in seeing how he evolves in the story.

4. Batman/Catwoman Dynamic

One of the other great standouts in this trailer is the intricacy of Batman’s relationship with Catwoman. There is a great level of tension between the two of them and hints at their romantic relationship from the comics. What’s even better is that Selina is not beholden to Batman in any way and it looks like she will operate with her own rules and personal mission. Something that will definitely put her in conflict with Batman in the film. Zoe Kravitz definitely looks like she can hold her own with Pattinson’s Batman both in intensity and physicality.

5. Riddler

Some of the most intriguing moments from the trailer are the ones involving Paul Dano’s Riddler. Not only do we never see his face in the trailer, but his presence is both chilling and unique. There is a quiet menace to him and that menace begins in the first shot when Gordon and the GCPD arrest him without a fight. The trailer seems to show that having the character in custody is not the end of the story, but just the beginning of the bigger mystery at the heart of it. As iconic as the Batman/Joker confrontation in The Dark Knight, I am seriously looking forward to seeing Batman square off with Riddler face to face. I’m also excited for this different and admittedly more scary version of the character.

So those are just five things I took away from the new The Batman trailer. What were some of yours? Let me know in the comments below.

The Batman will premiere in theaters March 4th 2022.