Sparks fly between Caped Crusader and Catwoman in latest The Batman trailer

Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson), aka Batman, should grapple with a taunting serial killer and his household’s potential hyperlinks to long-standing corruption in Gotham Metropolis within the newest trailer for The Batman. However he is nonetheless obtained time for some closely flirtatious fisticuffs with Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), which ought to delight “Bat/Cat” shippers all over the place. The studio has helpfully titled the trailer “The Bat and the Cat,” lest anybody miss the meant focus.

As I’ve written beforehand, the unique plan was to set the movie inside the DCEU, after the occasions of Justice League. However as Warner Bros. was rethinking the shared-universe mannequin for its superhero movies in favor of standalone movies and franchises, Ben Affleck introduced he was stepping down as director, and the studio changed him with Matt Reeves. Affleck would finally withdraw from the mission altogether, following his divorce from Jennifer Garner and a stint in rehab for alcohol abuse.

Reeves stated that the plot would observe a sequence of murders, revealing the historical past of corruption in Gotham and the way Bruce’s household is linked to that corruption. The traditional dangerous guys—the Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman—are additionally within the early phases of their growth into full-fledged villains. Reeves has cited Alfred Hitchcock as a serious affect on the general appear and feel of his movie, in addition to Chinatown, The French Connection, and Taxi Driver.

Along with Pattinson and Kravitz, the forged contains Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as Commissioner Jim Gordon; Colin Farrell (Improbable Beasts and The place to Discover Them) as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin; Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) as Bruce Wayne’s butler and mentor, Alfred Pennyworth; John Turturro (Barton Fink, The Huge Lebowski) as crime boss Carmine Falcone; Paul Dano (Okja, 12 Years a Slave) as Edward Nashton/Riddler; and Peter Sarsgaard (Dopesick) as Gotham DA Gil Colson.

Per the official synopsis:

Two years of stalking the streets because the Batman, putting concern into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham Metropolis. “With just a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth, Lt. James Gordon — amongst the town’s corrupt community of officers and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the only real embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow residents.

The primary teaser dropped throughout final yr’s DC FanDome, and the Warner Bros. CinemaCon panel this previous August featured a short sizzle reel of latest footage. A full trailer dropped in October, during which we obtained a bit extra footage of Batman beating up avenue goons, some critical sparkage with Selina/Catwoman, a fiery confrontation with Oswald Cobblepot, and our first temporary glimpse of the Riddlers.

This newest trailer opens with a number of the motion footage we have beforehand seen, interspersed with Pattinson in his buttoned-down Bruce Wayne persona. He is approached by Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson), a mayoral candidate for Gotham Metropolis,  who appears to be focusing on him as a possible donor. “, you actually might be doing extra for this metropolis,” she tells him, laying the guilt journey on thick, as we see scenes of his nocturnal crime-fighting adventures flash by. “Your loved ones has a historical past of philanthropy however so far as I can let you know’re not doing something.”

Bruce/Batman has different issues to fret about, specifically a killer that retains leaving cryptic messages for him. It is the Riddler, who desires Batman to “unmask the reality about this cesspool we name a metropolis.” That features the Wayne household’s legacy. Bruce additionally encounters Selina Kyle, who appears to have quite a lot of cats (“I’ve a factor about strays”). Quickly Batman and Catwoman are buying and selling blows and sexually charged quips. “The Bat and the Cat—it is obtained a pleasant ring,” Catwoman says in a single clinch.

The Batman hits theaters on March 4, 2022.

Itemizing picture by YouTube/Warner Bros.