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Disclaimer: Major The Batman spoilers ahead.
After two years of tease, The Batman is finally here for fans to experience. With the film soaring past $258 million in earnings within three days of release, it is patently clear that director Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson's take on the character is being loved by the fans.
While the film was the most grounded in its execution, compared to the previous iterations of the Caped Crusader, it had multiple Easter eggs and hints for future installments. Furthermore, the movie's plot teased the upcoming HBO Max series based on Reeves' Batman-verse.
Easter eggs and theories from 'The Batman'
Good times grocery
In the film's third scene, a grocery store is showcased as Bruce Wayne narrates the influence of Batman against the crime in Gotham city. This grocery is likely to reference Robert Pattinson's 2017 film Good Time.
Comic influence in the film's plot
It is evident that Reeves' script was based on Jeph Loeb's 1998 13-issue comic series The Long Halloween and Mike W. Barr's 1987 four-part series Batman: Year Two. However, the movie showcased influence from other comic series like Batman: No Man's Land (1999) and more.
As expected, in the movie, Bruce Wayne is only in his second year as the Caped Crusader, directly influenced by the Year One and Year Two comic series. Like in these comics, Wayne is seen narrating his inner thoughts in the form of a journal.
The billionaire also logged some details of his accounts while moonlighting as Batman. In the film, he called it the "Gotham Project."
Furthermore, in the climax of The Batman, Riddler's plan concluded with the city of Gotham getting flooded. This seems to have been inspired by Scott Snyder's Batman: Zero Year crossover event, where Riddler flooded the entire city in the Dark City arc.
In the movie, Selina Kyle's line "He's Spoken for" originated from Alfred's quote in the Dark City comic arc, where he uttered the exact thing.
Reeves teased Bane
Near the movie's climax, Batman injected a green liquid that acted as a super-adrenaline and helped him save Selina Kyle. However, the adrenaline-esque liquid also threw Bruce in a fit of rage, where he brutally beat up a Riddler follower.
The liquid could be a precursor to the highly addictive super-steroid that will likely fall in the hands of Bane in future installments. In the Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16 comic, Wayne fails to save a kidnapped young girl, which pushes him into a downward spiral of depression and self-doubt.
The Caped Crusader becomes addicted to the venom drug, designed by the girl's father to enhance human strength and durability.
Thus, it is a possibility that sequels of this movie may showcase Bruce Wayne's battle with addiction. It is further plausible because Matt Reeves had famously mentioned that this version of the billionaire is inspired by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who also had his struggles with addiction.
Batman: Hush reference
Ever since the first teaser showcasing Dano's take on Riddler, the character has been speculated to be inspired by Hush. In the comics, the antagonist was portrayed by Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Elliot.
The character is teased in the movie, as the journalist whom Falcone killed for attempting to oust Martha Wayne's secret was named Edward Elliot.
Riddler reveals this in a video compiled from news reports in the movie. In one of the frames from Dr. Thomas Wayne's mayoral campaign, Edward Nashton wrote "Hush," referring to the hush money he tried to give the reporter to silence him.
Future Robin(s)?
The Batman insinuated that the Caped Crusader influenced two young boys. The brutal beatdown that Batman gave to the thugs near the film's opening might have urged the young boy not to follow his peers into a life of crime.
Similarly, Don Mitchell Jr's son also shared an indirect moment with Batman after the character investigated the murder of the young boy's father.
These two young characters might be potential candidates for a future Robin. Interestingly, the actor who portrayed the young boy with the thugs is none other than Jay Lycurgo, who portrayed the Tim Drake version of Robin in HBO Max's Titans.
Furthermore, Matt Reeves' The Batman also teased future plot points to be introduced in future installments. These include the subtle introduction of the proto-Joker in Arkham, Penguin's rise to power, and Catwoman leaving for Bludhaven.
Individual events like these will be continued in future projects regarding The Batman.
