The Batman first trailer breakdown

Charlotte Whyatt • 25 Aug 2020 Features

The highly-anticipated project is expected to hit cinemas in October 2021.

This weekend saw DC and Warner Bros hold a virtual event called DC Fandome which treated fans to a couple of new trailers and further news on many of their upcoming projects. 

The most exciting clip was the first trailer for Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman film which stars Robert Pattinson as a younger version of the Caped Crusader. 

Bleak, gritty and quite sinister, it thankfully seems to be moving in a much different direction to Christopher Nolan’s take into the realm of a dark detective drama like Se7en.  

Check out our breakdown of the clip below.

The trailer opens with a scene set in a dark apartment as one man is suffocated by another in a mask and goggles. Could this be our first look at Paul Dano’s Riddler?

As Gotham City police arrive, a torch illuminates these words painted on the victim’s face.

It’s a little dark, but here we get our first look at Jeffery Wright’s Commissioner Gordon.

The film is set during Batman’s second year of crime-fighting meaning that Gordon also won’t have the same kind of experience he had in other versions.

“LIES” is again spray painted across a collage of news articles on Gotham’s mayoral race. We don't know for certain what it means, but there’s plenty of theories floating around. 

The film will see Batman investigating the city’s widespread corruption so could The Riddler, with a twisted sense of justice, be taking down those he thinks are to blame for the city’s ills? Or, as in Joker, have these ills contributed in some way to him becoming a criminal?

In a blink and you’ll miss it moment, we’re briefly show the front of the card that’s been left for Batman. Is the owl motif a reference to The Court Of Owls? 

It could just be an Easter egg for fans (the film already has three villains and there’s been no mention of The Court of Owls so far) but the reveal that there’s been a secret society of the rich and powerful running Gotham for decades definitely fits in with the corruption angle.

Gordon opens the card to reveal the message inside. A take on The Riddler as a smart, sophisticated serial killer taunting Batman is definitely a very interesting one.

During the FanDome, Reeves said that the film will see Batman uncover “new things about his family’s place in Gotham city". Could this be what the liar thing is about? Could Thomas and Martha Wayne have been caught up in the city’s corruption?

Batman gets on his motorbike (batbike?) and drives back to a Batcave that is sparsely populated by technology. 

A funeral scene which is interrupted by a car smashing through the church. Bruce Wayne pulls a young boy out of the way before the driver steps out looking like he has a bomb. 

The handwriting is the same as on the previous card and for the second time we hear loyal butler Alfred’s (Andy Serkis) cockney voice over the top “why is he writing to you?”

Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman is busy doing what she does best and breaking into what appears to be the same apartment from the beginning.

Catwoman has always leaned more toward an anti-hero rather than outright criminally insane villain so it’ll be intriguing to see how she fits into all of this. 

An unrecognizable Colin Farrell rounds out our trio of villains as crime lord Ozwald Cobblepot who unfortunately resembles everybody's favourite flightless bird. 

Although this Batman seems to be working much more closely with the Gotham PD, being called to the crime scene like a consultant, he’s clearly not above disagreeing with them. 

A voiceover from The Riddler is also heard again fixating on the idea of lying. 

There’s also clearly some kind of gang war going on in Gotham as Penguin and his men (birds?) have a shootout.

We get a slightly better look at Kravtiz’s Catwoman here as she briefly fights with Batman. The small pointy cat ears on her balaclava is a cute touch. 

Back in the Church from earlier, there’s either another memorial or Batman’s investigating from the wreckage before. DOA (Dead on Arrival) is clearly seen spray painted on the van, the Riddler’s message to those he sees as liars?

“Who the hell are you supposed to be? “ the leader of a group of thugs, dressed strangely in what looks like Joker makeup, asks Batman before getting a savage beatdown. 

“I’m vengeance” he growls in response. Nice to see Pattinson’s got his batvoice down.

We normally think of Batman being fuelled by justice but this younger version seems driven by anger and the desire for revenge. Like there’s no boundaries he won’t cross in his quest.

It’s hidden in shadow, but check out the brand new Batmobile with a blue flame!

Batman is again shown in conflict with the police. Maybe his need for vengeance has caused him to do some things they don’t agree with. 

Batman returns to the Batcave and we hear a tense exchange between him and The Riddler.

“How am I part of this?” the Batman asks. “You’ll see” the latter replies. 

The trailer finishes with this shot of Bruce Wayne without his mask on. Plenty of memes are already circulating about his emo eye makeup but apparently every Batman actor has worn it under the cowl since 1989.