Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, is such a popular hero that it seems almost impossible any film could say something new about the caped crusader. Despite that, Matt Reeves' upcoming movie The Batman looks like it might provide an entirely different view of Batman and the whole of Gotham, including Batman's well-known future enemies.
Played by Robert Pattinson, this Batman is still a young man who's only discovering what kind of a masked hero he wants to be — and he has to deal with the criminal underworld at the same time. The premiere is still far away, but the trailer for the film has already included some hints and comic book references. These clues might help the audience guess what the film will be about, especially if they're fans of the comics.
7 The Court Of Owls
The Court of Owls is a somewhat obscure villainous organization that hasn't had the chance to shine on the big screen just yet. It's somewhat surprising, considering that they basically control all of Gotham and when they decide to kill someone, they do it.
The initial scene of the trailer sees a man who looks a bit like he could belong to the Court, leaving a message on a dead body. If the movie decides to follow the story in which the Court had orchestrated the death of Bruce's parents, it could very well pit Batman against them, making the Court the main villains of the film.
6 Harvey Dent Exists
Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face, is one of the most prominent Batman villains. The trailer makes a subtle hint at his existence when it features a clipped newspaper article with the title: Maroni Drug Bust!
As comic book readers will know, Maroni was the man who got his revenge on Dent by throwing acid in his face and causing him to turn into Two-Face. It's unclear whether Harvey Dent will play any part in the movie (most likely not), but if Sal Maroni, the criminal boss, exists in this Gotham, Harvey Dent probably does as well. However, just like Bruce Wayne, he's still very young and thus probably hasn't become Two-Face just yet.
5 The Green Envelope
Even though the man in the trailer initially looks a little like someone from the Court of Owls, he turns out to be the Riddler. He then later leaves a letter for Batman, on whose envelope he has simply written, "To the Batman."
The envelope's green hue is a nod to the comics. The Riddler usually likes to sport green clothes, more specifically a green suit and a green hat, and almost always has a cane. Many villains have their favorite color schemes, but the Riddler takes this to a whole new degree. Perhaps this green is an indicator that he'll play a role in the film.
4 The Hidden Owl
The Court of Owls makes yet another subtle appearance when Batman opens the envelope from the Riddler, which contains a greeting card with a picture of the owl. This indicates a likelihood that the Riddler is aware of the existence of the Court of Owls. Based on the trailer, he's letting Batman know that somebody else is controlling Gotham, pulling its strings from the shadows.
As his name shows, the Riddler thrives on riddles, so even if he knows and stands against the Court of Owls, he will never tell Batman about their existence directly. Instead, he will keep him guessing what's going on. That corresponds well with the already confirmed fact that The Batman will also put emphasis on Bruce Wayne's detective skills — if the Court of Owls plays a role, it'll be up to him to figure out exactly what they're about.
3 The Empty Batcave
Every superhero has to start somewhere, and by the time the trailer starts, Bruce Wayne has only been Batman for two years. As a result, his Batcave is almost empty, lacking all of his iconic later souvenirs, such as the huge dinosaur.
That makes sense considering Batman has only accumulated various crime souvenirs for his collection over the years in the comics. If he manages to solve the crises in the film, he could very well start building his collection in The Batman. His first souvenir may very well be the Riddler's iconic cane if the Riddler is going to be using it in the film.
2 The Joker Has Henchmen
Even though the film will focus on several iconic Batman villains (such as the Riddler, Catwoman, or the Penguin), the Joker most likely won't be one of them. However, there's a group of criminals in the trailer that wears make-up strangely similar to the Clown Prince of Crime.
Perhaps they're his men, or maybe they're just following in his footsteps. After all, the movie Joker (2019) with Joaquin Phoenix suggested that Arthur Fleck's new persona inspired countless others. However, it's unclear whether The Batman has any connection to the film. Either way, it wouldn't be the first time someone drew inspiration from the Joker, since it happened in the comics as well.
1 The Way To Fly
Unlike his Justice League colleague such as Superman or Martian Manhunter, Batman can't fly. However, he more than makes up for it by moving rapidly among buildings using his grappling hook.
It's a small detail, but when Batman uses his grappling hook in the trailer, it no doubt proved satisfying for all comic book fans who know of his popular tool in the comics as well. In this particular case, it seems to save Batman from angry policemen who are shooting at him. Hopefully, fans can look forward to some more grappling-hook action in the film as well.