Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne looks like he’s already been through a lot at the start of his crime-fighting career in a pair of new images fromThe Batman. Set to be released in theaters in March, the new movie features Pattinson as a new incarnation of the Caped Crusader as he investigates the murders of a Zodiac-like Riddler. The stress of the job seems to be getting to the Dark Knight in the photos, which must also be why he pummels that poor henchman to a pulp in the first trailer when he introduces himself as “vengeance.”
“Bruce has been hiding away,” Robert Pattinson tellsEmpire, where the new photos were first published. “He’s not really a socialite at all. He’s building all these little contraptions and things, just with Alfred. And even Alfred thinks he’s gone insane!”
Implying that the Batsuit shows just how much Bruce has already been through the wringer, Pattinson adds, “He’s been out every single night for two years, getting beaten up and shot and stabbed and burnt, and it shows. There’s a bullet graze on the cowl, right at the beginning. I don’t think that’s been done before.”
A synopsis forThe Batmanreads, “Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters asSelina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.”
There’s plenty of Batman to come for every fan of the Dark Knight. While many are excited to see Pattinson take on a new version of the superhero, fans are also stoked for the return of Michael Keaton to the version he played in Tim Burton’sBatmanand its sequelBatman Returns. He’ll be back in that role forThe Flash, and better yet, fans will be getting two Batmans for the price of one with that movie. Ben Affleck, who has played the DCEU’s incarnation of Bruce Wayne, will also appear as his version. There are no plans for Affleck to return to the role afterThe Flashand this is expected to be his sendoff to the character whileKeaton is rumored to appear in additional movies as Batman.
Matt Reeves directsThe Batmanusing a screenplay co-written with Peter Craig. If it does well, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t, there will be sequels. At leasttwo spinoff shows are also in developmentat HBO Max.The Batmanis scheduled to be released in movie theaters on July 20, 2025.
