Released in 2022, The Batman is the latest installment in the Batman film franchise and the most definitive Batman film since Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. It was one of the few films to show off Batman’s skills as a detective, narrate Batman’s early years without showing his origin story, and use lesser-known Batman villains to great effect. Making it was a bold move that paid off.
Needless to say, despite almost reaching the three-hour mark, The Batman is one of the most rewatched films of 2022. However, rewatches come with questions, comments, and attention to missed details the first time around.
10 The Diner's Real Debut
Just after Selina Kyle is introduced to audiences in The Batman, she returns home as Batman follows close behind. As she’s calling for a taxi, the diner where the Riddler is finally caught can be seen across the street from her. It starts on the edge of the screen to the left and pans over it as Selina rides off in the taxi.
From this point on, the diner doesn't show up again until the Riddler is arrested, leaving this brief moment of foreshadowing overlooked on the first watch.
9 The Phony Hero Of Gotham
Just before the Riddler kills Mitchell, a framed newspaper can be spotted hanging on the wall in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. It’s a news story about the drug case Mitchell participated in and helped solve. At the same time, Mitchell is on TV citing the same case as his greatest accomplishment.
However, as audiences discover later, the case wasn’t what it appeared to be, and neither was Mitchell. His greatest accomplishment was a fraud, and his flashy display of achievement was a front to cover the hidden rottenness of his outwardly perfect life. Like the diner's appearance, it's a moment of foreshadowing that's overlooked on the first watch.
8 It's The Little Things That Make The Character
A lot has been written about Batman's Batmobile and its unique look, but not a lot is said about Bruce's other car. During the memorial scene, Bruce arrives in a vintage Chevy, which sticks out like a sore thumb from the more modern cars around it. The reason for this is never stated outright, but it’s a nice little touch that hammers home how much of an outcast Bruce is, even among the elite class he’s supposed to belong to. He’ll make an effort to keep up appearances, but he doesn’t care about fitting in or becoming 'one of the guys.' He cares about fixing Gotham and puts other people before himself. He’s not quite the Batman yet, but he’s already a man apart from the rest.
7 A Great Butler Isn't Born
Alfred Pennyworth has been by Batman’s side since the beginning. He took care of him as a child and continues to support him as Batman. There's no Batman without Alfred, and for that reason, there are just as many versions of Alfred as there are of Batman.
This version walks with a cane and a limp and has a small scar over his left eye. He’s also the one who taught Bruce how to fight. In the wake of all the intense action, this isn't something most audiences would pay attention to at first. However, it adds dimension to his character without anything needing to be explained. Dedicated fans would assume he has a military past, like his other versions, and casual audiences can easily deduce he's no stranger to combat.
6 Selina's Sly Dealings And Secret Perks
In The Batman, Batman teams up with Catwoman to bring down the bad guys. On their first mission together, Catwoman flashes a special card to get into the mob’s secret lounge at the Penguin’s club so she can spy on them.
Even though Catwoman has a job at the club, she specifically says she works at the bar instead of inside the mob’s lounge. The fact she so easily accesses such a high-profile area begs a few questions after the first watch. Do all of Penguin’s employees get access, or did she get the card off-screen? A deleted scene of her and Penguin reveals the latter to be the case, but those who don't know this yet are bound to wonder if this is a plot hole.
5 Two Robins Rolled Into One
At the beginning of the film, Mitchell’s family heads out to go trick-or-treating. His son is wearing a hooded, red ninja costume and carrying a toy katana.
What some audiences might not know is how the costume references two Robins: Jason Todd, who became the Red Hood, and Damien Wayne, who wields a katana. Both Robins lost one or both parents at some point, like Mitchell’s son, and both Robins were raised by Batman, who also lost his parents. Maybe there’s some foreshadowing here, or maybe it just heightens the connection Batman feels with the boy. Either way, it works.
4 A Shining Example Of Zero Empathy
After capturing Colson, Riddler plants a bomb on him and forces him into a riddle game. When Colson refuses to answer the last riddle, Riddler blows him up.
The incident is streamed live on the Internet, and if audiences are quick with the pause button, they can catch a glimpse of the comments section on the TV outside. Some comments are calling for Colson’s death. One comment wants to put him on trial, and another has some hesitance about killing him. Each comment is strangely casual about watching a man get his head blown up.
3 A Microcosm Of Gotham's Darkness
Batman first appears to fight a street gang assaulting an innocent passerby. Each member wears a unique iteration of the same black and white makeup, and these iterations all have references to DC villains.
There’s the obvious Joker reference in the gang leader and the Two-Face reference in the initiate. However, DC fans may find other references, such as Mr. Freeze (one member has shiny grey makeup instead of white), Harley Quinn (black diamond shapes on the eyes), and even Vandal Savage (the cross symbol on the forehead). These thugs are a shadow of what Batman has faced and will face in the future.
2 Catwoman's Signature Cat
Being who she is, Catwoman has a lot of cats in her apartment, which Batman comments on. These cats include gingers, grays, and tabbies. However, there are no black cats.
This isn't the first time Catwoman wasn't given a black cat. Anne Hathaway's Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises doesn't have any cats at all. However, many versions of Catwoman, like the one from Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, all have a black cat as their signature companion. For a version of Catwoman to have a bunch of cats without a single black cat in sight is an odd choice, and it's currently unknown whether it was intentional or not.
1 The Man Who Inspired Batman
Even if not explicitly stated, anyone who’s familiar with Batman and Zorro can see the resemblance between them. They’re both men of high status who moonlight as masked vigilantes to protect the common folk. While Batman has other influences, Zorro is the most obvious.
In The Batman, the filmmakers paid homage to this influence by having Carmine Falcone call Batman Zorro. It’s said derisively, but it’s a clear callback to Batman’s roots in earlier figures. It doesn’t do much for the plot, but it’s an interesting little Easter Egg that viewers might forget about after the first watch.