A brand new promo poster for The Batman has the titular Dark Knight cast in a monochromatic black-and-red abstract image that is tonally aligned with the film’s neo-noir theme being touted by co-writer and director Matt Reeves.
In the image, we see the profile of Robert Pattinson’s Batman, as well as his stitched, leather-looking cowl, a piece of his costume that appears to be bulletproof based on the latest trailers and which Pattinson has said was notoriously hard to light correctly.
The image of the caped crusader has a cut-out style, similar to a collage, making the poster take on an abstract and symbolic feel. Specifically, the section of the profile of where the hero’s eyes normally would be is instead cut out in the shape of half of the Bat-Insignia, perhaps pointing to Bruce Wayne always having his alter-ego on the mind.
This somewhat self-reflective aspect of the artwork is perhaps a foreshadowing of the film to follow, since it’s been heavily implied in the trailers that Paul Dano’s Riddler has an axe to grind against the Wayne family, in particular, amidst his murder-spree of Gotham’s elite.
In a recent interview with MovieMaker, Reeves explained the World’s Greatest Detective unraveling a vast ring of corruption in Gotham — which the Riddler’s bloody campaign makes impossible to ignore — was an effort to bring the comic book character back to its noir-inspired roots.
“This idea of a place that is corrupt, and you try to swim against the tide in order to fight against it and make a difference, is quintessential Batman,” he said.
The Batman comes to theaters March 4.