The Batman is on the radar of DC and comic book movie fans everywhere, as it gets set to show The Dark Knight in a new light come March 4, 2022. Robert Pattinson will be putting on the cowl of the Caped Crusader for the first time in his acting career, and he will be joined by Zoë Kravitz portraying Selina Kyle, better known as the villain/anti-hero Catwoman.
The film is directed by Matt Reeves and will follow Bruce Wayne in his early years as Batman. He will be going up against the puzzles of Paul Dano's Riddler and will also have to navigate through other villains such as Collin Farrell's Penguin.
Full-scale trailers and short TV spots have already been released for The Batman. Many fans feel that it has a chance to be one of the best Batman flicks to date, showcasing the darker side of the troubled character as he is just getting his footing as Gotham's protector and finding his place in the world following the loss of his parents.
With Batman being one of the most popular superheroes of all time, the movie is expected to perform extremely well at the worldwide box office, which is still being affected by COVID-19.
However, it seems as though the numbers will be even greater than first anticipated as it will be released in one of the world's biggest film markets.
The Batman to Release in China
According to Deadline, DC's next superhero film, The Batman, will officially be released in China. It has not yet been announced what the date for the premiere will be.
Marvel Studios released four theatrical films in 2021 as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 4 slate; none of those films (Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, and Spider-Man: No Way Home) were screened in China theaters. While COVID-19 is one factor at play, growing political tensions and strict stances against any hint of anti-Chinese sentiments are the primary reasons for China's recent lack of U.S. movies.
China is one of the major film markets throughout the world, giving many blockbusters a vital boost when it comes to box-office earnings and profitability.
The Batman will mark the first comic book movie to hit theaters in the country since before the pandemic.
$1 Billion for The Batman?
The Batman is already one of the most anticipated projects of 2022. In a year that will feature the MCU-changing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the DCEU's The Flash, and Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam, the Caped Crusader has tough competition.
However, The Batman's main attraction is that it will be taken in a different direction from other superhero films. The dark and gritty tone that has been on full display in all of the released footage thus far, and reports that it will be a noir-style psychological thriller have been the selling points that set the movie apart.
In the comics, Batman is widely regarded as the World's Greatest Detective. That aspect of the character has been minorly explored throughout the many Batman films of the past, but it seems as though viewers will get to see just how creative and innovative the man in the mask is.
With the film now officially set for release in China, combined with how high fan anticipation is, the $1 billion mark at the box office is not out of reach. There was some expectancy that The Batman would be R-rated due to the brutality seen in the released footage. However, its official PG-13 rating will also help at the box office, as movies recommended for an adult audience have generally drawn less revenue in the past.
The Batman will release in theaters on March 4, 2022.
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