Spoiler Warning: The Batman (2022)

DC Comics films can be extremely intimidating at times. Each installment seems to run super long while featuring intense scenes. At the same time, the stories are so unique, action-packed, and carefully constructed that viewers can’t seem to turn away. The appeal of DC Comics moves lies in a superhuman-like figure who takes major action in sacrificing themselves for the greater good.

While Gotham City, influenced by New York City, is filled with mounds of crime and corruption. Batman (the alias of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy man-turned-vigilante living in Gotham) takes it upon himself to protect those who cannot defend themselves, even though he can’t be in every place to stop all crime. For those of you who would like to watch The Batman, either in theaters or on HBO MAX, but maybe feel a bit intimidated by the extended duration of the film, along with being unaware of previous backstories, here’s a quick guide to help you get through the next three hours of the movie.

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Bruce Wayne’s Origin Story Is Not Needed

     Warner Bros. Pictures

While The Batman doesn’t go too in-depth about Bruce Wayne’s (Robert Pattinson) childhood, as past films do, we are able to see small yet significant indicators of his childhood and past traumas. In the first leg of the film, viewers see Batman in the home of a recently murdered government official, while his young son was the one who found his lifeless father. Batman locks eyes with the young boy in a heartfelt scene that reflects the horrifying experience these two have in common.

In Batman Begins, fans see more of Bruce Wayne’s childhood. In the film, a wealthy political candidate, Thomas (Linus Roache), and his wife, Martha Wayne (Sara Scott Griffith), were viciously mugged and killed outside a theater. Commissioner Gordon (who was a local cop at the time) and his team were sent to respond to the scene. The couple’s eight-year-old son, Bruce Wayne (Gus Lewis), who was with his parents during the time of the murder, was comforted by Gordon after witnessing the fatal occurrence.

Batman Begins also lays the groundwork for further emphasis on the relationship between Commissioner Gordon and Batman. As an adult, Bruce still remembered the connection he had to Gordon and how he was empathetic to him during the most difficult time of his life. Since then, Wayne has only trusted Gordon as an ally because of his past experience with him and the heightened level of corruption that has always been lingering in the force.

The Duration of The Batman Goes by Quickly

Despite the fact that The Batman is nearly three hours long, which can be super intimidating, the steady cadence of the story, impeccable scriptwriting, and fantastic performances by the entire cast reels viewers in, to the point where the film goes by super fast. Robert Pattinson’s version of Batman felt believable and authentic, while his portrayal of Bruce Wayne lay more on the isolated and awkward side.

When you think about it, Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is still living in the home he once shared with his parents as a child (which is a huge, dark mansion). Still, it is easy to connect to his loneliness as a viewer because he has lost so much in his young life but still makes it a point to aid others in their time of distress. He faced the remembrance of his now-deceased parents every single day, turning his personal grief into vengeance as a vigilante.

It should also be noted that The Batman explores the persona of Batman more than the human side of Bruce Wayne. When Ben Affleck took on the role of Bruce Wayne (in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), he had a better opportunity to humanize Wayne as a lead character, as opposed to primarily diving into the action scenes from the beginning. There was clear character development and fun build-ups within Ben Affleck’s previous version.

Going forward, if any readers may be pondering the idea of watching The Batman film for the first time (with no prior knowledge of the characters, backstories, plots, etc.), don’t be intimidated at all. It is common to feel out of the loop, especially with existing comparisons to Christoper Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. The point is, you don’t have to watch every previous DC Comics film in order to view the newest project. Enough context is provided throughout The Batman to clarify previous character connections while building on new and developing relationships.

As a side note, while you do not need to watch The Dark Knight trilogy before viewing The Batman, it is arguably of the best Batman and Joker films to catch up on and should not be missed.