Robert Pattinson's The Batman: Set Photo Reveals First Look at Gotham Mayoral Candidate

By Richard Nebens Posted:
Robert Pattinson, The Batman Logo

Matt Reeves' The Batman is officially in full swing filming once again overseas in the UK. After a COVID-19 scare for the movie's star Robert Pattinson and the extended six-month filming delay for the entire movie industry, the cameras are rolling both for the film itself and for fans scouring for sneak peeks.

Even considering the movie now won't release in theaters until almost a year and a half from now, the cast and crew are back to working at full capacity on this exciting new solo movie centered around arguably DC's most popular hero. Just in the last few days alone, videos have popped up online revealing looks at Catwoman, Batman jumping off a building, and the aftermath of a huge car crash right in the middle of Gotham City. Another new photo has just released as well, revealing a look at a character who has flown under the radar until now.

NEWS

A new photo from Twitter user @battinsonwayne has revealed a look behind the scenes of shooting for 2022's The Batman, including a first look at Jayme Lawson's new character, Bella Reál. Her face is plastered on a massive billboard with the phrase "Vote For Bella Reál" on the side, which hangs in the background over a Gotham City police car.

The full tweet can be seen here:

 

WHAT THIS MEANS

This photo gives the very first look at an almost completely unknown character in this movie, considering Bella Reál doesn't automatically connect up with any certain character in the Batman lore. Her character listing has her running as a mayoral candidate for the city of Gotham, although it's still unclear who she will be running against this early into production, and she seems to be on the right side of the law for now.

There are theories floating around that Lawson's character could end up being Barbara Gordon, daughter of Jeffrey Wright's Comissioner Jim Gordon, which would make a great deal of sense considering her political aspirations detailed so far. She could be going under a fake name in order to distance herself from her father's public image, and especially if she takes on the Barbara Gordon version of Batwoman at some point in this movie or series, she's going to need as low of a profile as possible.

This also wouldn't be the first time a Batman movie has used a fake name to throw off fans, after Christopher Nolan famously hid the Robin reveal of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character in The Dark Knight Rises until the last couple minutes of the film. Fans will likely be waiting until the theatrical debut to find out exactly what the deal is with Bella Reál, but it seems that her character's full backstory will be quite the reveal when it arrives.

The Batman is currently in the middle of shooting in London, UK, before its ultimate release in theaters on March 4, 2022.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.