Get Tickets THE BATMAN opens March 4th

While most of the heroes in the DCEU are continuing on with their individual franchises — from Aquaman (Jason Momoa), the Flash (Ezra Miller) to Shazam! (Zachary Levi) — a key member of the core superhero franchise is starting over. Ben Affleck’s services as Batman no longer were needed, so Warner Bros. and DC are going in a new direction. Younger and already established in Gotham as a fighting force for good, so not quite an origin story, as you might assume.

THE BATMAN will arrive in theatres soon, so let’s catch you up on everything that you need to know about the newest installment of THE BATMAN, before it opens at an AMC near you.

The Batman Director

The Caped Crusader has had some incredible collaborators over the years, from Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan to the visionary Zack Snyder in his most recent run. That streak will continue, as THE BATMAN is being directed by the brilliant Matt Reeves.

Reeves broke onto the scene with the mystery-box monster movie CLOVERFIELD, which very cleverly told its entire story using a handheld camera and the POV angle of the main characters, to comment on our use of social media technology in the face of chaos. He’s most notably known for his boundary-pushing work on THE PLANET OF THE APES trilogy, where he and Andy Serkis made us rally behind an ape named Caesar, thanks to eye-popping motion-capture work.

The Batman Heroes

It’s always one of the biggest questions when a new Batman movie happens. Who will play the Dark Knight? This time around, because he was looking to start over with a younger version of the classic DC hero, Matt Reeves went with Robert Pattinson of the TWILIGHT saga.

But to condemn Pattinson merely as "that kid from TWILIGHT" is to totally miss out on the incredible performances that he has been delivering as of late. Since playing the famous vampire, Edward Cullen, Pattinson has challenged himself by accepting difficult roles with talented directors. THE BATMAN is the closest thing to a Hollywood franchise that he has sniffed in years, and his ability to play a convincing Bruce Wayne probably helped sell Reeves on the casting choice.

Batman has significant allies as he wages war on crime in Gotham City, and for THE BATMAN, Reeves has recruited some amazing character actors. He’s reuniting and leaning on his APES lead Andy Serkis to step into the role of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce’s trusted butler. As for Commissioner Gordon, Reeves is going with Jeffrey Wright, most recently seen as Felix Leiter in NO TIME TO DIE.

Friend or Foe?

WB has been teasing fans with media promoting the Bat and the Cat, which has fans guessing whether or not Catwoman will be an ally or trick Bruce Wayne and reveal herself as the main villain. Zoë Kravitz, who has been most recently in another WB franchise, FANTASTIC BEASTS, will be Selina Kyle, the Catwoman. From the footage and images promoting the movie, THE BATMAN may serve as an origin story for Catwoman as we see her costume evolve from a homemade mask to the iconic suit from the comic books.

The Batman Villains

But who is Batman going to match wits with in his latest adventure? In the most recent movies, Ben Affleck’s Batman had a grudge against Superman (Henry Cavill), which led to a showdown with Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). For THE BATMAN, Reeves is going deep into Batman’s traditional band of villains, and he’s lining up some tantalizing casting choices.

From what has been seen in the trailers, there are at least two major villains on screen in THE BATMAN, and possibly more. There is speculation with DC fans that THE BATMAN might be adapting a graphic novel called "The Long Halloween," where the hero has to work his way through his full rogues gallery as he’s tracking a killer who follows the calendar.

We have no indication if any of these names will be the main villain, but Paul Dano has been cast as the Riddler, John Turturro will be the crime boss Carmine Falcone, respectively and an unrecognizable Colin Farrell will be the iconic villain Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin. Those would line up with "The Long Halloween," but they could also be used in any form in an original Batman story.

The Batman Trailer

Action, suspense and a tease of dark humor, THE BATMAN trailer has it all. The haunting voice of Paul Dano's The Riddler speaking directly to Bruce Wayne illustrates the madness that will ensue on the big screen when the Batman confronts his families past and his enemies. If you want justice, watch the trailer for yourself.

Get Tickets THE BATMAN opens March 4th

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