The Batman Preview, Breakdown and Theories

    Welcome back to HLS Entertainment! I have been doing Marvel shows and movie previews for a while on this site, but I am excited to finally get to do a DC one. I grew up a huge DC comics fan, so I am very excited to talk Batman, previously I chose not to do a Peacemaker or The Suicide Squad previews because those were just the deepest of cut info that I did not feel confident in making sure fire predictions. We did not need the blind leading the blind. But here we are with the caped crusader, and I cannot wait any longer to dive into this movie, so be sure to follow me on Twitter @HaroldLStokes and let us skip to previewing and breaking down this movie!

    So much of the Batman universe has just become common knowledge so I am going to assume that going forward, which means SPOILERS just for all Batman media including this movie. Treat this entire thing as spoilers if you do not want anything spoiled for yourself as I have had a very strong track record at predicting this kind of thing and you are welcome to check out my other previews on this site to prove that. On to the breakdowns!

Locations

Gotham City

    Obviously. Outside the neighboring areas around Gotham this movie should be sticking to just Gotham.

Characters to Know

Bruce Wayne / Batman - Robert Pattinson

    I cannot wait to see Robert Pattinson's take on the iconic character, I personally think he is absolutely perfect for the role from an acting standpoint. If you just still think of him as a sparkly vampire or the Hufflepuff who did not live, here is a list of movies to watch to remove that image of him from your mind: Tenet (HBOMax), The Devil All the Time (Netflix), The King (Netflix), The Lighthouse (Prime), Good Time (Netflix). He is an incredible actor whose style tends to lean darker which helps make him perfect to put on the cowl. 

    This movie seems to be skipping past the "Batman Year One" story we have seen many times into more of a year 2, still young and establishing himself as Batman in Gotham. So not a novice Batman but learning curves are definitely in the road ahead. 

Alfred Pennyworth - Andy Serkis

    Andy Serkis seems to be playing still the same loving Alfred, but it feels like there is a dark past to his character, as well as they obviously leaned younger. Hopefully that is because they want to continue this film franchise for awhile.

Selina Kyle / Catwoman - Zoe Kravitz

    Selina seems to be working for or intimate with Carmine Falcone. Do not be surprised if that is all a part of some plan of hers to rob the crime family.

Edward Nashton / The Riddler - Paul Dano

    Our main antagonist in this film, he will have very heavy Zodiac vibes in this movie. I am very interested to see if he is seemingly just a random person or if he will have connections to the GCPD like he has in other iterations of the character recently.

Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin - Colin Farrell

    Cobblepot owns and runs the Iceberg Lounge as well as being a crime lord, I feel like is our sub plot villain showing the depth of Gotham and that there are more villains out there than just this movie. I imagine his "business enterprise" is a rival of the Falcone's so he could be in their crosshairs as well.

James Gordon - Jeffrey Wright

    Detective James Gordon, man I love Jeffrey Wright I cannot wait to see his portrayal of one of the most famous allies of our caped crusader. It seems to be at the start of this movie he and the Batman already have an understanding and work together on occasion. 

Carmine Falcone - John Turturro

    Head of the Falcone crime family assumed rival of Cobblepot's, and seemingly having some sort of reletionship whether it be intimate or familial with Selina Kyle. Falcone could be a big cog in this story, or a side character who is the excuse for Catwoman to be there.

Don Mitchell

    Gotham Mayor and Riddler's first victim

Gil Colson

    District attorney and Riddler's second victim

Pete Savage -

    Police Commissioner and seemingly Riddler's third victim. He seems very distrusting of the Batman, and that seems to be because he is a corrupt cop who has been taking bribes for years.

Bella Real - Jayme Lawson

    Mayoral Candidate and Riddler's fourth target. Maybe the one clean target? But that raises the question why is she even a target? We do not know yet but she is a target for a reason.

Officer Stanley Merkel - Barry Keoghan

    We have not seen an image of him in any trailers. He is listed as "officer Stanley Merkel" on IMDb but there have been heavy rumors that he is actually going to be revealed to be the Joker in this movie

Plot Breakdown

HEAVY SPOILERS - Just a reminder this is just based on how I see the plot happening not based on any leaks, so SPOILERS because I believe I will get a lot correct, but I will not know for certain until I see the movie just like you.

    Movie opens with Batman stalking the group of people wearing the white makeup in the trailer, we see whatever crime they commit and then hop on the subway where he follows them up to the platform and beats them in the rain.

    We then cut to the Riddler torturing (or we skip that part) and then killing and duct taping Mayor Don Mitchell. This is where the Gotham City Police Department have dozens of officers at the crime scene and Detective Jim Gordon brings in the Batman because the message left with the body is addressed to him, in this message is a clue about the next victim. They go over the message before GCPD commissioner Savage arrives and accuses Batman of being a part of this and orders him arrested. Batman fights his way to the stairs, grapples to the roof where he leaps from the building gliding away safely. 

    I imagine this is where we first see Catwoman breaking into the crime scene later on to steal something out of the now deceased Mayor's safe for Falcone. Batman arrives to investigate or assumed the Riddler could return to the scene of the crime. They fight, she reveals she is trying to stop whatever is happening as well, and she either escapes or he lets her go (possibly planting a tracker on her).

    Next up should be the funeral of Mayor Don Mitchell, there seems to be protests outside. I imagine we get scenes of Bruce with Alfred here before the funeral, possibly showing off the contact tech straight from the Court of Owls Scott Snyder run. But back to the funeral, it is possible the Riddler has been spreading his "propaganda" about corrupt city officials for some time now and some citizens think of him as doing the right thing. This is where we see Bruce arrive, as well as other big names of Gotham including Selina Kyle arriving with Carmine Falcone. Also, where we see Bella Real confront Bruce about his lack of charitable help.

    Bruce uses his tech spying on people picking up intel before hearing a commotion happening outside as a car bursts through the doors hitting people and Bruce saves someone, guessing here but it seems like the Riddler is already in the church on the Balcony. We have seen this in the trailer, once the car crashes out comes District Attorney Gil Colson duct taped and with a bomb around his neck. The Riddler is on the phone duct taped to his hand, the GCPD clears everyone out and Gordon goes to call in the Batman. Bruce leaves with everyone else but rushes to get in his suit and returns. He has a conversation with the Riddler, he gives him a clue about the next victim.

 

    The Riddler's next victim is going to be police commissioner Savage. Something weird that has been I think hidden from the audience is the "clues" so far that we have seen have primarily been puns or jokes about someone already dead. Unless this version of the Riddler leaves his riddles just to rub in what he did already, not for what he is going to do. The note on the mayor's body answer is "he lies still" aka the funeral, and the one we hear said in the trailer is you get ahead or a head, as the DA's neck has a bomb around it. This second act I believe is going to be filled with Batman working to find out who the Riddler is, eventually working alongside Catwoman to do so. A big part early in the second act will be Batman going to the Iceberg Lounge to confront Cobblepot to try to get information out of him. I think Catwoman could be doing the same on behalf of Falcone, maybe because Falcone worries he could be on the Riddler's list. This is where we get a fight in the Iceberg Lounge and Cobblepot trying to escape and Bruce tracking him down in the big Batmobile chase scene.

    Maybe whatever information he gets from Penguin helps find the Riddler's home, but I think in actuality we see Savage killed as well and then I think this is where the Riddler gives himself up and is tracked down to a diner just down the street. They arrest him and take him in they find out who he is. This is where they find his home is filled will all sorts of clues, I think rubbing it in further what is next in his plan. We see the giant Gotham map clue of all the bombs placed around the city on the sea walls. I think this is a big part of Riddler's plan to expose where the corrupt officials would primarily help out.

    So many times, I want to say "and sprinkle in a scene or two with Alfred" but it feels redundant though I do feel like towards this part of the movie a reveal will come from Alfred. Batman comes to the GCPD to talk to the Riddler. Riddler gives him a bunch of clues, sets up his big plan, angers Bats saying his plan to kill more and more people to reveal the wrongdoings of corrupt officials is already in place. Finally, he gives him a clue pointing towards the orphanage he grew up in. Gordon joins the Batman in going there. I said previously the map was in his home, it very easily could be here in the orphanage and then they blow up and Batman rushes back to the heart of the city to help. We see Batman lead citizens through the water, trash, mud and sewage to safety.

    But the Riddler is not done there, probable now Mayor Bella Real is having a big rally, and this is where our "final" big showdown against all of the Riddler goons is. But something happens after this, and I have absolutely no idea what. So much of my process for previewing and predicting movies comes solely off trailers and rumors, but this movie I was able to derive so much more based off the score setlist. Pieces really fell into place with it, but then there is a section of about 15 more minutes at least before credits roll, and that is assuming the music plays straight through it could be 30+ minutes. Maybe this is where we get reveals setting up future movies? Maybe this is when the Barry Keoghan Joker rumors pay off, no telling. I am just so excited to find out. I would lose my mind if it is a Court of Owls reveal setting up the second movie.

Theories

No Charity Work

    Bruce does not give to charities because he is already investigating the corruption in the city, and this is setting up the Court of Owls storyline. Mayoral candidate and maybe now mayor Bella Real confronts Bruce at the funeral asking him why he is not doing anything to help the city. She says as far as she can tell he is not even donating to charities, while this all could easily be incorrect information, I think it could possibly be setting up the idea that Bruce already is questioning things. Maybe Bruce has been seeing the signs for a while about the corruptions, so he has withheld Wayne donations. But of course, that does not have to be because of some giant hooting conspiracy it can just be normal Gotham corruption.

The Joker 

    Barry Keoghan is coming off a breakout performance in Marvel Studios Eternals, so when people realized that he is also in The Batman they immediately started theorizing about who he could be. Some rumor flames were fueled by his brother on social media about his role in this movie possibly being the Joker. I do not think that is going to end being the case. Remember this movie was supposed to come out last year but was pushed to this year, that means prior to his "breakout" Eternals role. While being an incredible actor who has played big parts in some excellent movies prior to this, getting the role of the Joker at this point is unlikely.

The Riddler Knows Who the Batman is

    I think Bruce Wayne is the final target of the Riddler. I believe the "black and blue and dead all over" is the Riddler taunting him because his "target" is Bruce Wayne, but he knows that is who is Batman. "The sins of my father??" is Thomas Wayne's failed promise to help the orphanage Riddler grew up in. Maybe this is a key part of the movie because it ends with Bruce fulfilling that promise and possibly adopting a Robin from there.

Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know your thoughts for this and the movie as a whole on Twitter @HaroldLStokes !