Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Well, no one can say that DC FanDome didn’t go out with a bang, with director Matt Reeves using the final panel of the night to do something no one expected going in. – dropping a full trailer for his “year 2” saga of the Caped Crusader, THE BATMAN. While some of its thunder was stolen by an image leak earlier today than had some tweeting “emo-Batman” after the full trailer dropped I don’t think anyone had that particular term on their lips. While you can see the full thing above, here are some notes on the footage we saw along with more from the panel:

• Only 25% has been shot.
• We get a full look at Robert Pattinson as Batman. 
• Looks gritty and tough – kinda like Todd Phillips’ JOKER in some ways. 
• First glimpses at Paul Dano’s The Riddler, who’s a terrifying character here, Selena Kyle (Zoe Kravitz) as a “cat” burglar, and most impressive of all, a totally unrecognizable Colin Farrell as The Penguin. Very grounded, very real looking.
• A glimpse at Batman’s hand-to-hand combat, which may be the best Batman fighting I’ve ever seen? Less like BATMAN, more like THE RAID. This is gonna be nuts.
• Matt Reeves: “he isn’t a superhero in the traditional sense. He doesn’t have a cape, he doesn’t fly.”
• It’s about Batman learning on the job. We’re in year 2. He’s trying to figure out what he can do that will change this place (Gotham City) and he’s not having any effect. And then, murders start to happen that open up a whole new world of corruption.
• While it’s not an origin story, these murders do play into his history and how his family is related. It’s a personal story.
• Paul Dano plays “a version of the Riddler that no one’s seen before.”
• Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, “touches on all these iconic things from the comics” but, again, unlike anything you’ve seen before.
• “I guess the one thing about the rogues’ gallery. This is their origin. Neither Selina, Riddler or Penguin are those iconic characters yet. Penguin, “Oz” hates being called Penguin.”
• On the HBO Max series – “we go back to year one and the appearance of this masked vigilante that terrifies people. We see it through the eyes of one cop, it’s about a fight for his soul.”
• On the suit, Bruce Wayne makes it himself and the cowl has gashes and damage on it, to make it grounded and authentic.
• Pattinson talked to Christian Bale, who warned him that “you need to be able to relieve yourself.”
• On Gotham City: “I wanted it to feel like an American city you’ve never been to.” They made an effort to make it look wildly different. 
• On how the citizens of Gotham perceive him as a vigilante: he’s not yet a symbol of hope for the city. They’re afraid of him. 
• On Pattinson: “he looks like Batman but he has the soul of someone who could play a Batman-like you’ve never seen before.”
• He makes mistakes – as Batman. He’s not necessarily his best self. They put you in his shoes, and also acknowledge the detective side of himself.
• Which non-Batman movie inspired him? CHINATOWN was a key one how Jake Gittes uncovers the depth of corruption in his town. THE FRENCH CONNECTION was another one. TAXI DRIVER, a lot of seventies, grounded, street stories. 
• Matt Reeves – loved Ben Affleck as Batman and psyched to see more of him in Zack Snyder’s JUSTICE LEAGUE. 

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