Cape swirling in the breeze as he glares down at the mean, crime-riddled streets of Gotham City, Batman cuts an imposing figure.
Unsurprisingly given his name, he spends rather a lot of time on rooftops in new film The Batman. But not just any rooftops –British rooftops, specifically a very recognisable Liverpool landmark, the Liver Building.
The caped crusader is also being played by Britain’s Robert Pattinson, 35, but there are many other links to our shores in the hit film.
Our streets, buildings and even cemeteries helped create the magnificent and macabre Gotham City, with Liverpool, Glasgow and London all playing a starring role in a “Batworld that has never been seen before”.
Production designer James Chinlund says: “We noticed a decayed gothic layer that we just don’t have in the States.”
Here we take a look at the best British bits of The Batman, which is showing in UK cinemas now...
Hartwood hospital, Glasgow – Gotham orphanage
Given this building was originally known as Lanark District Asylum you’d assume it doubled in the film as the famous Arkham Asylum, housing all Batman’s future foes.
Instead, it was the setting for a building packed full of complete innocents in the Gotham Orphanage.
Shona Wilson, from Lankarshire Screen Locations, says: “It was a psychiatric hospital that was very well known in the area.
“A gothic Victorian building, very foreboding so, of course, it was perfect for Gotham.”
St George’s Hall, Liverpool - Gotham city hall/Gotham bank
This iconic venue has been the site of many a celebration for the people of Liverpool but in The Batman it’s transformed into the gothic dark heart of Gotham City.
Doubling as both the bank and Gotham City Hall, film-makers used different sides of the building to portray the two places.
And it should feel right at home in criminal-laden Gotham as the neoclassical Victorian building opened in 1854 and housed the city’s law courts.
The journey to create the perfect Gotham City in the UK began when production designer James Chinlund came across Google images of St George’s Hall that left him “blown away”.
And Kevin Bell, from the Liverpool Film Office, wasted no time selling the city to the film-makers.
He said: “From the time we were contacted about a potential Batman filming it was a case of us building a package of sites that would make Liverpool a financially viable place to shoot.
“We always talk about the chocolate box moment where we create this chocolate box of options for the film creatives to choose from. That package was built around St George’s Hall.”
And it certainly looks the part during shots of Robert Pattinson walking past a battered police car as Bruce Wayne.
Central St Martins Art and Design college, London – Gotham city PD command center/Gotham morgue
Given its murder rate, one of Gotham’s most used buildings is the morgue.
And Batman likely put quite a few of the bad guys in there himself while protecting the citizens from more mayhem. In real life, the college is home to top talents who could make a killing from their art.
James Chinlund said of it: “The architecture and patina of this building just lent itself so well to going way down in the bowels of the Gotham City Hospital.”
Wellington’s Column, Liverpool – Gotham square
The entire area around Wellington’s Square was used to portray the Gotham equivalent of Times Square, with billboards added later.
Liverpool’s immense Victorian architecture gave a suitable sense of faded grandeur required to present the director’s vision of a gloomy Gotham past its heyday.
Kevin Bell says: “We have all this imperialistic, imposing architecture film-makers needed to evoke Gotham’s glory days.
“Then new elements like skyscrapers were added via CGI.”
Wishart street, Glasgow – Gotham
The grand entrance to the 37-acre Glasgow Necropolis is reached by walking over the Bridge of Sighs across Wishart Street, where other scenes for the film’s finale were shot.
This winding thoroughfare runs between the cemetery and Glasgow Cathedral.
Jennifer Reynolds says: “It’s got quite a picturesque bridge, the Bridge of Sighs, referring to the sadness of the funeral processions – so again alluding to the dark, gloomy tone of Gotham.”
Director Matt Reeves adds: “We went to Glasgow and honestly it was so beautiful, I wish we could’ve filmed there more.”
Glaswegians will see more of their city on the big screen as Batgirl is being filmed there at the moment.
Necropolis cemetery, Glasgow – Gotham cemetery
The new movie features Batman on his motorbike speeding through Gotham’s cemetery, the sprawling Necropolis in Glasgow.
Producer Dylan Clark called it a crucial scene in the movie, adding: “The backdrop of the cemetery is extremely powerful. It was wonderful to be up there.”
Based on the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, the Necropolis opened in 1833 on a hill overlooking the city.
Jennifer Reynolds, of Glasgow City Council’s Film Office, says its “atmospheric, gothic nature” makes it an ideal Gotham setting.
Anfield Cemetery was also used in the scene.
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