“The Batman” Official Synopsis Hints at a Desperate Vigilante

We’ve known ever since it was first revealed that writer/director Matt Reeves had a script about a younger Batman that the reboot was going to give us a different version of Gotham’s iconic Caped Crusader. As Reeves’ project came more fully to light, especially after he described it as a noir detective story, excitement grew. Then, the casting of Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne cemented, at least in the mind’s eye, of a very different Batman indeed. Pattison has become one of the most interesting actors of his generation, and the idea of him portraying a young, raw Batman was compelling.

Now, we have even more information about the tone and tenor of The Batman, courtesy of a new synopsis on the Warner Bros. United Kingdom website. As we’ve seen in the trailers, but here spelled out in black and white, The Batman will reveal a young Bruce Wayne just at the beginning of his work as Batman, but in a bad mental state and battling a very bad man. Crucially, The Batman isn’t in an origin story, per se. Yet, as the new synopsis makes clear, it will reveal the origins of Bruce Wayne’s torment, and why his journey takes him to places as dark as the mind of the man he’s hunting, Paul Dano’s The Riddler.

Here’s the new synopsis:

THE BATMAN is an edgy, action-packed thriller that depicts Batman in his early years, struggling to balance rage with righteousness as he investigates a disturbing mystery that has terrorized Gotham. Robert Pattinson delivers a raw, intense portrayal of Batman as a disillusioned, desperate vigilante awakened by the realization that the anger consuming him makes him no better than the ruthless serial killer he’s hunting.

That serial killer, we’ve known for a while, is Dano’s Edward Nashton, aka The Riddler. The last trailer revealed not only Batman’s dark side—we see him manhandling people with evident rage—but the worry he’s causing others, like Alfred (Andy Serkis), and Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz). Pattison can do raw and intense with the best of them, and it will be very interesting to see his Bruce Wayne contend with the anger that’s devouring him, from the murder of his parents to the ruthlessness of The Riddler.

Considering the wealth of talent on both sides of the camera, this new synopsis will only make the curious and the committed alike more excited. The Batman hits theaters on March 4, 2022.

For more on The Batman, check out these stories:

“The Batman” TV Spot Pits the Dark Knight Against The Riddler

“The Batman” Behind-the-Scenes Featurette Promises Radically Different Dark Knight

“The Batman” Trailer Reveals Robert Pattison’s Dark Knight

“The Batman” Drops a New Teaser Ahead of DC FanDome

New “The Batman” Footage Revealed in DC FanDone Trailer

“The Batman” Star Zoë Kravitz on How She Won the Catwoman Role

New “The Batman” Photo Teases Upcoming Trailer

Featured image: Caption: ROBERT PATTINSON as Batman in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “THE BATMAN,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/ ™ & © DC Comics