The Batman Trailer Breakdown: 20 Things You Must See

By Danny Meegan / October 18, 2021

For obvious reasons, we've been saying this about a ton of movies lately, but The Batman has truly been a long time coming.

Matt Reeves was first announced as director in - brace yourself - February 2017. By the time the movie hits cinemas next March, it'll have been in the oven for over five years, which, even for a movie of this scale, is a really long time (for comparison, the entire Dark Knight trilogy released over seven years, between 2005 - 2012).

On the plus side, Reeves (along with star man Robert Pattinson) has had all the time in the world to make the best movie possible, and oh boy, if this new trailer is anything to go by, then he's definitely got a winner on his hands.

Just released at DC Fandome, The Batman's main trailer shows us cool action, classic villains, a weird Bat-voice, and numerous hints at a mystery that could rock Bruce Wayne to his core. There's so much to talk about, so let's break it down shot-by-shot, starting with our introduction to one of Batman's longest-serving foes...

20. Time For A Riddle

The trailer opens with the Gotham City Police Department capturing the Riddler, played by actor Paul Dano.

Dano's previous movie credits include Looper, There Will Be Blood, and Swiss Army Man. He's one of those actors who hasn't quite achieved AAA stardom levels, but people will still recognise whenever he pops up.

This dinghy, unkempt area of Gotham he's lurking in is reminiscent of the Narrows from Batman Begins - a more dangerous, less desirable part of the city that's inhabited by the lower classes. Perhaps Reeves is going for a similar thing here.

Riddler's capture also feels a little too easy, so it's possible he's pulling one of those "villain gets captured on purpose" schemes that will result in him busting out of prison later on, just like the Joker in The Dark Knight.

Either way, he also wastes a delicious-looking, frothy cup of coffee, so he definitely deserves to be locked up.