Over the last year, Warner Bros. has adhered to a release strategy consisting of a limited theatrical release and a simultaneous release on the streaming service HBO Max. WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar recently confirmed the same applies to The Batman.
Speaking to Vox's Recode podcast, Kilar reconfirmed that The Batman will be made available for streaming 46 days after it hits theaters-- April 19, 2022. He acknowledged that this is a massive departure from the traditional release strategies of years past. "Think about when movies would show up on HBO, which is eight to nine months after theatrical premiere. The Batman is going to show up on day 46 on HBO Max... That is a huge change from where things were in 2018, 2017, 2016."
Even Godzilla vs. Kong and the recently released The Matrix Resurrections were released simultaneously. But the 45-day theatrical release approach will apply to all Warner Bros. films to come. Kila explained that that includes Black Adam, The Flash and Elvis, adding, "That is a very, very big change that I don't think people appreciate, and I feel really good about it."
The Batman will introduce a new Dark Knight to the cinema by debuting actor Robert Pattinson as the titular superhero. Alongside him are Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler and Colin Farrel as Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Alfred and many more. It was previously reported director Matt Reeves pushed for the upcoming film to remain outside of Warner Bros.' DCEU, in order to be able to tell a unique Batman story focused on character rather than building on an established world.
Producer Dylan Clarke previously explained, "Warner Bros. has a multiverse where they're exploring different ways to use the character... We don't get involved in that... Matt is interested in pushing [Batman] to his emotional depths and shaking him to his core."
But Batman is not the only character being reimagined. Reeves' upcoming film will introduce audiences to a unique Catwoman, according to Kravitz, who considered her approach to the character deeply with previous iterations in mind. In addition to reading the comics, the actor said, "I also tried to think about [the role] not as Catwoman, but as a woman, how does this make me feel? How are we approaching this and how are we making sure we're not fetishizing or creating a stereotype? I knew it needed to be a real person."
The Batman releases in theaters on March 4, 2022.