The Batman Set Video Shows Chicago Turning into Gotham

A new set video for The Batman reveals Chicago being prepared to become Gotham City. Filming for the Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves DC movie is filming in the United Kingdom, but work is tipped to move Stateside with the Windy City doubling as the Dark Knight’s metropolis.

With principal photography back in full swing across the pond just several weeks after Pattinson contracted coronavirus himself, everyone is optimistic that filming can finally continue smoothly. Warner Bros. delaying the movie from October 2021 to March 2022 gave it a few more months of wiggle room, but with the threat of a second wave of the global pandemic looming, Reeves and his team more than likely want to get as much done as possible. No wonder a team is already hard at work in Chicago before The Batman officially moves production to The Windy City.

A set video courtesy of ComicBook offers a look at the ongoing work happening now in Chicago. Crew and other people involved are preparing the streets to make it look like the Gotham Reeves envisioned for his film. It’s uncertain how long The Batman will film in Chicago, but it’s possible that work set in the city will be mostly for exterior shots. Watch the walkthrough video below:

Surprisingly, Reeves has been forthcoming about what to expect from The Batman. During his appearance at DC FanDome, he offered substantial information about the movie’s plot. According to him, corruption in Gotham will be a focal point with Bruce trying his best to revive a dying city run down by the people in power. This is backed up by its first trailer which teases the political status of the city, with the mayor — Don Mitchell accused of illegal dealings by The Riddler (Paul Dano), who’s also behind the official’s murder victim. Warner Bros. is also delving deeper into this aspect of the narrative via the upcoming prequel show, Gotham PD, set to drop on HBO Max. To make matters more personal to Bruce, the systemic corruption in the city will be linked to his family and byway, to him. It will be interesting how he’ll respond to the potential revelation that somehow, the Waynes have been part of Gotham’s decline.

Looking at the video, The Batman‘s Gotham City appears to be more rundown than previous takes on the metropolitan. Considering how big of a role it will play in the narrative, Reeves seems to really highlight how it’s been bogged down by a string of problems for decades. This gives merit to The Riddler’s attack on the mayor, whom he accuses of partaking in corruption himself as backed by the presence of well-known mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) during Mitchell’s funeral. Hopefully, with filming continuing in Chicago, new details emerge about the much-anticipated blockbuster, giving a better sense of what’s really going on in Gotham City.