The trailer for The Batman released at the 2021 DC FanDome event added some context to the complicated relationship between the Caped Crusader and the public and police of Gotham City. The trailer offered glimpses of the highly anticipated film, with appearances by Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyla and Paul Dano’s Riddler gathering the most attention. Although the Riddler’s face is never shown, the trailer indicates that he will cause the most trouble for Batman (Robert Pattinson) in the movie. In fact, The Batman may present the Riddler as the catalyst for Gotham’s contempt for the title character.
Batman media has previously depicted the vigilante as a polarizing figure in his hometown, as its people are unsure of his motives. Most versions of the story portray him as being unpopular with a majority of the Gotham Police Department, with the exception of Commissioner Gordon (who will be played by Jeffrey Wright in Reeves’ take on the comics). Amongst others, both Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and Batman: The Animated Series show the ire the people of Gotham has for the Bat, and it seems as though director Matt Reeves will continue this tradition in The Batman.
Those who empathize with Batman’s sense of justice are likely confused by his often cold reception from the Gothamites. After all, he is often depicted as a fairly efficient deterrent to crime in the city, protecting the innocent and putting a stop to corruption in a way the police can’t. But whereas many other films and shows centered around the character don’t provide an explanation for Gotham’s mistrust of him, the new trailer for The Batman reveals that Reeves may have found a way to justify their antipathy towards him through the Riddler. It could be that Riddler’s reign of terror in Gotham is seen even by the city’s residents as partly down to Batman, given that it was all a ploy to get the Dark Knight’s attention.
The first minute of the trailer focuses on the Riddler, showing his arrest and then a conversation between him and Batman in prison reminiscent of the scene between the Joker and the Bat in The Dark Knight. The clip implies the destructive actions the Riddler is taking have been meant to get Batman’s attention, saying “I’ve been trying to reach you.” If this is the case, then it becomes less difficult to imagine why Gotham’s police and public would hold some animosity for Batman, even though he has good intentions. The extent of the character’s crimes are as of yet unknown, but Reeves’ version of the Riddler is a serial killer, so there are likely many upset over the deaths of family members brought about by the Riddler. With this in mind, those who lost loved ones would understandably be upset upon finding out the Riddler was partly using his crimes as a means to get to Batman.
The GCPD would likewise place blame on the Dark Knight for the Riddler’s attacks, providing a better context for their general dislike towards him. Maybe the Riddler’s plan is devious enough that he knew he could cause a rift between Batman and the GCPD, distracting them from their fight for justice by pitting them against each other. Although audiences will have to wait until March to find out all the gritty details of the Riddler’s secret messages, they can find comfort in Reeves’ attention to detail displayed in The Batman trailer by providing a solution to a confusing storyline.
