'The Batman' Receives Official Rating, Promises Plenty Of Violence

We’re just a couple of months away from The Batman now, and one thing we can be absolutely certain about is the tone it’ll be going for. No fun Adam West era vibes for us - we’re going edgy and dark enough to make a 2014 Hot Topic customer happy. 

The film is set to follow Robert Pattinson as Batman in his early years, in what’s essentially a crime noir thriller - he must track down a masked serial killer known as the Riddler (played by Paul Dano). The official plot synopsis from Warner Bros. reads: "Robert Pattinson delivers a raw, intense portrayal of Batman as a disillusioned, desperate vigilante awakened by the realisation that the anger consuming him makes him no better than the ruthless serial killer he's hunting.” 

In case you missed it, check out the trailer for The Batman below.

With all that promise of edginess, the official rating probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. According to a new listing from the Motion Picture Association (MPA) Classifications and Ratings Administration, the movie has been rated PG-13, for “strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material.” So, make of that what you will. 

So far, the movie is looking pretty packed, promising the return of classic characters like Penguin (Colin Farrell) and Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz). Despite that, we’ve not actually had any official confirmation so far that Joker will be making an appearance. 

The current theory, though, is that he might actually be hiding in plain sight. After it was revealed that acclaimed actor Barry Keoghan (most recently Druig in Eternals) would be joining the cast, but simply as a Gotham City police officer named Stanley Merkel, fans began speculating that his role might actually be a bit larger than it would seem on paper. We’ll just have to wait and see.

The film is set to hit cinemas on 4 March, so there isn’t long to wait now. Offering a completely different take on the masked vigilante that we’ve never seen before, it’s certainly bound to be interesting, so get those calendars marked.