The Batman: Fans think new trailer teases shock appearance of the Joker

Forthcoming film stars Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight

A new international trailer for The Batman has been released, giving fans a look at unseen footage from the forthcoming superhero movie.

The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, alongside a supporting cast that includes Paul Dano as The Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman and Andy Serkis as Alfred.

Last night (12 December), Warner Bros Japan shared a new international trailer for the film, which is directed by Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes).

“I’m here to unmask the truth about this city,” says Dano’s villainous character in the trailer.

Some Batman fans have suggested that the new trailer teases the inclusion of Batman’s most famous nemesis, the Joker.

While Joker’s presence in the film has only ever been speculated about, fans have identified two moments in the new trailer which potentially tease the character’s inclusion.

The first is the presence of a grinning figure in the background of a picture of Bruce Wayne.

“Can it be him?” wrote one fan on Twitter, alongside the image.

Others have also pointed to the very end of the trailer, when a maniacal laugh can be heard resembling that of the Joker.

However, others have suggested that the laugh is in fact that of Dano’s Riddler, another character who has been known to laugh theatrically in on-screen adaptations.

The Joker remains one of the most popular characters in comics. The recent standalone origin film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, made more than $1bn (£755m) at the international box office and won Phoenix an Oscar for Best Actor.

The Batman is released in cinemas on 4 March 2022.