The Batman: Release Date, Cast And More

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The Dark Knight returns yet again in The Batman, the latest big-screen take on the Caped Crusader. This is a whole new take on Batman, separate from the DCEU and completely unrelated to the Christopher Nolan trilogy. This time, Robert Pattinson puts on the suit to punch his way through Gotham City. While we still have a while to wait for The Batman, here's everything we know so far.

The Batman is headed to theaters on March 4, 2022. It was initially set to open this year, but delays due to COVID-19 changed that. The 2022 release date will also keep the film from being part of Warner Bros.' current method of simultaneously releasing all their 2021 titles in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day. That means The Batman will be exclusive to theaters.

Don't you mean "Who is The Batman?" Ha ha ha, but seriously, folks. The Batman is yet another movie about Batman, and while it seems kind of silly to reboot this character yet again, Warner Bros. knows Batman is a big moneymaker. And to be fair, the movie does look pretty damn cool. At one point, The Batman was going to be part of the DCEU, with Ben Affleck both directing and starring in the project, as well as working on the script. Eventually, Affleck stepped back from directing – and then left the project altogether. It will now be a standalone film completely separate from the DCEU continuity, similar to 2019's Joker.

While the film is introducing us to a new Batman, it won't be an origin story like Batman Begins. Instead, the film is set in the second year of Batman's crimefighting mission. He's been around in Gotham for a year now, and while people in Gotham are aware of him, he's still a bit of a mystery. As director Matt Reeves explained during DC FanDome, this film drops us into Batman's world as he's taking part in a "criminological experiment to figure out how to change Gotham."

There isn't a full synopsis available just yet. But we know the film finds Batman dealing with The Riddler, who appears to have been turned into a creepy Zodiac-like serial killer here. The plot involves a murder mystery that "blows the lid off of how deep the corruption in Gotham really goes – and how it connects to the Wayne family." Matt Reeves has also said that the film will have Batman still trying to figure out what his real mission is. In his second year, he's become almost like a mythological figure in the city, with many Gothamites fearing him. The plot will also show Batman becoming the world's greatest detective – a character detail the live-action Batman movies haven't really explored that much before.

Matt Reeves, who helmed two of the three recent Planet of the Apes films, directs The Batman. Reeves also co-wrote the script with Peter Craig. Reeves and Dylan Clark are producing the film, with Simon Emanuel, Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, and Chantal Nong Vo serving as executive producers. Director of photography is Greig Fraser, who also shot the upcoming Dune. Production designer is James Chinlund; editors are William Hoy and Tyler Nelson; VFX supervisor is Dan Lemmon while SFX supervisor is Dominic Tuohy. Stuart Wilson is sound designer, while Jacqueline Durran is costume designer along with Glyn Dillon and David Crossman. Makeup designer is Naomi Donne. Michael Giacchino handles the score.

Robert Pattinson stars as Batman/Bruce Wayne. The rest of the cast includes Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle; Paul Dano as Edward Nashton; Jeffrey Wright as the GCPD's James Gordon; John Turturro as Carmine Falcone; Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson; Jayme Lawson as mayoral candidate Bella Reál; Barry Keoghan as Stanley Merkel, an officer in the Gotham City Police Department; with Andy Serkis as Alfred; and Colin Farrell (buried under heavy makeup) as Oswald Cobblepot.