Despite early reports that director Matt Reeves' The Batman might be set in the 1990s, leaked photos from the set certainly suggest otherwise. There has been no indication from filmmakers one way or the other, but the case appears to be closed.
Much of the speculation began after the casting of 33-year-old Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, following the long, slow departure of Ben Affleck from the role, made official in January 2019. The 47-year-old Affleck, who starred in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, was originally attached to direct, co-write and star in the Batman solo film. Reeves, who succeeded Affleck behind the camera, confirmed in June that Pattinson would don the cape and cowl, signaling a new direction for The Batman. As such, a period piece seemed plausible.
After all, the younger vigilante that Pattinson brings to the table would, theoretically, be a great way to refresh a character that has appeared onscreen so frequently. The 1990s were pointed to as the likely setting because of a variety of factors, including its proximity to the modern day giving Pattinson the wiggle room to slip into the established timeline of the so-called DC Extended Universe. The '90s previously worked well for Captain Marvel, so the move would not have been unprecedented.
However, these leaked set photos dash any hopes for a return to that decade. Foremost are the news vans marked as "Gotham Action News 4," which advertise "HD LIVE," which would seem to place the setting no earlier than the mid- to late 2000s
The years of the cars also don't align with the 1990s, and appear to be wholly modern. Typically for period productions with such high budgets will go to great efforts to nail down every detail, and something as blatant as the make and model of the vehicles would be at the top of the list.
That may come as a disappointment to anyone hoping to see the direction The Batman might have gone if set nearly 30 years ago. The '90s are fondly remembered by Batman as the setting of some of his best comic stories, from the "No Man's Land" arc in which an earthquake devastated Gotham, to "Knightfall," in which the Caped Crusader was sidelined by a critical injury and his cowl challenged by a successor.
Admittedly, the leaked photos do not rule out a period setting entirely; there's still room for a film set in the 2000s. But then, why bother when a contemporary film would be easier? A 1990s setting seemed to offer a good deal of storytelling potential, but with that possibility effectively ruled out, it's anyone's guess what The Batman will do to distinguish itself from the past.
Directed and co-written by Matt Reeves, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Jayme Lawson and Peter Sarsgaard. The film arrives June 25, 2021.