The Batman release date and how to watch the new DC movie

The Batman's HBO Max release is upon us. The highly anticipated superhero film starring Robert Pattinson sees the Caped Crusader go up against the Riddler, a new serial killer that has begun terrorizing the elites of Gotham City.

Five years after development began on the project, The Batman finally premiered in theatres worldwide on March 4th, 2022. Making more than $700 million at the global box office, the movie received rave reviews and gave us a different depiction of Gotham. 

The Batman is now confirmed to begin streaming on HBO Max from April 18th, 2022 – six weeks after its theatrical release. HBO Max is available in the US and select countries in Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean. This unfortunately does not include the UK.

HBO Max first launched in the US in May 2020 and has slowly been rolling out to different territories over the following months/years. It has, however, not arrived in the UK yet due to an exclusivity deal between Warner Bros. and British broadcaster Sky. The current deal between the two companies runs until 2025, so realistically that's the earliest HBO Max will become available in the country. 

So when will The Batman likely debut in the UK? Let's look at the most recent activity from Warner Bros. regarding its superhero flicks to get an idea. 

While Wonder Woman 1984 was released simultaneously on HBO Max and in cinemas during December 2020, the film did not arrive in the UK until January for VOD (video-on-demand) and until August 2021 for Sky Cinema. It did, however, launch in UK cinemas a week earlier than the US. The Batman is also not arriving day-and-date on HBO Max this time, as stated above.

The Suicide Squad from James Gunn (not to be confused with the critically panned Suicide Squad film in 2016 from David Ayer) debuted in cinemas globally from August 6th, 2021 (again a week prior for the UK). It then was released for Sky Cinema on October 7th and then to the Sky-owned streaming platform NOW on December 26th, 2021. 

Taking this all into account, it's likely that The Batman will release on VOD in May before then becoming available to stream in the UK either via Sky or NOW sometime in July. Batman Day previously took place on July 23rd, so that feels like a strong possibility. Check out the latest trailer for The Batman below: 

The Batman stars Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Jayme Lawson, Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell.

Interestingly, director Matt Reeves has already been speaking about a sequel to The Batman and what potential villain could turn up – and it's not the Joker.