With HBO Max’s upcoming series The Penguin on the horizon, now’s the perfect time to revisit where it all began: Matt Reeves’ gritty, noir-inspired take on Gotham’s Dark Knight.
Whether you’re jumping back in for a rewatch or just need a refresher, here’s a full recap of The Batman (2022) from cryptic clues to city-wide chaos and the rise of Gotham’s next crime boss.
The Riddler Strikes First
The story begins with a brutal murder: Gotham’s Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. is killed by a masked figure known only as The Riddler. But this isn’t just random violence. The Riddler leaves behind cryptic clues, puzzles, and personal messages directed at Batman himself.
This sets the stage for a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse as the Riddler targets the corrupt elite who secretly run Gotham.
Batman & Gordon: An Uneasy Alliance
Still early in his vigilante career, Batman (Robert Pattinson) is only in Year Two of his crusade. The Gotham police don’t trust him except for Lieutenant James Gordon, who brings him in as an unofficial partner to investigate the Riddler’s clues.
Their investigation leads to the Iceberg Lounge, a front for Gotham’s criminal operations.
Enter: Penguin and Catwoman
At the Iceberg Lounge, Batman meets two key players:
- Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot (Colin Farrell) A mid-tier gangster working under crime boss Carmine Falcone. Oswald is ambitious, running the club and eager to climb the underworld ranks.
- Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) Working at the lounge and moonlighting as a thief, Selina is on her own mission for justice, which soon aligns with Bruce’s.
Batman’s intimidation of the Penguin sends shockwaves through Gotham’s criminal network, but Penguin’s role in the larger mystery remains unclear.
Corruption Runs Deep
The Riddler isn’t just targeting individuals, he’s unmasking systemic corruption. His next victim is Commissioner Pete Savage, exposing the ties between Gotham’s leaders and organized crime.
Batman and Gordon uncover whispers of a mysterious figure called “The Rat,” an informant who betrayed the mob to the police years ago. Suspecting Penguin’s involvement, Batman gives chase but Penguin denies it all, leading to a chaotic car chase through Gotham.
Family Secrets and Twisted Revelations
As Batman digs deeper, he’s forced to confront his own past. He learns that his father, Thomas Wayne, once sought help from Carmine Falcone to silence a journalist threatening to expose a family secret. Falcone handled it his way permanently.
This drags the Wayne family into Gotham’s corruption, shaking Bruce to his core and making him question his mission. The twists don’t stop there. Selina reveals that Falcone is actually her father, adding a deeply personal layer to her involvement.
Riddler’s Endgame: Chaos & Cleansing
Batman and Gordon eventually capture the Riddler, but it turns out that’s exactly what he wanted. From his cell in Arkham Asylum, the Riddler reveals his final act: he’s rigged explosives around Gotham’s seawall, planning to flood the city and force its citizens to confront their sins.
As the bombs explode, Gotham floods. Riddler’s online followers radicalized by his message launch a violent assault on the new mayor during a public event.
Batman intervenes, stopping the assassination and helping rescue survivors. He emerges not just as a figure of vengeance, but as a symbol of hope.
The Penguin’s Rise Begins
With Falcone assassinated during the chaos, a power vacuum opens in Gotham’s criminal underworld. The final scenes show Oswald Cobblepot surveying the destruction, realizing this is his moment to rise.
His transformation into the Penguin we know from Batman lore is just beginning setting the stage for the upcoming Penguin series.
Final Thoughts
The Batman (2022) was more than a superhero film it was a detective noir, a character study, and a gritty reset of Gotham’s mythos. It introduced us to a broken city, a flawed hero, and a dark underworld teeming with potential for future stories.
Ready for The Penguin?
The Penguin series picks up immediately after the events of this film, following Oswald as he tries to seize control of Gotham’s criminal empire. Everything you just read will directly feed into that narrative
Rather Watch?
