Robert Pattinson’s caped crusader removes his cowl and sits face-to-face with Paul Dano’s Riddler in a new Japanese trailer for The Batman.
The latest look at the anticipated Matt Reeves-directed outing of the titular DC superhero actually ends with the scene in question.
Slash Film posits that Batman probably isn’t exposing his identity to the Riddler, as the villain’s vision is poor enough to require thick glasses in previous trailers.
The Ridder’s dubbed-in lines are vague but menacing, as he promises to “unmask the truth” about Gotham City, an ugly revelation for which he believes Bruce Wayne/Batman is culpable.
Another harrowing line—a riddle, if you will—states, “What’s black and blue and dead all over? You.”
Meanwhile, the longest single shot of the teaser shows the Dark Knight savagely beating a street gang member wearing what appears to be Joker makeup, suggesting that the fan-favorite nemesis might make an appearance.
More concrete information comes via Warner Bros.’ official synopsis:
Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City.
With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano).
As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
The Batman arrives in theaters in March 4, 2022.