As the latest cinematic retelling of one of DC Comics' most iconic characters, The Batman — starring Robert Pattinson in the title role — opened across domestic theaters, including over 750 IMAX cinemas, on March 18.

Despite the COVID-19 resurgence in China, the film grossed nearly 14 million yuan ($2.2 million) on its opening day, overtaking Tom Holland's Uncharted to top the country's box office charts.

A virtual premiere gathering director Matt Reeves and three actors, including Pattinson, was held in a downtown cinema in Beijing on March 16.

Reeves said the new film, set in the second year since Bruce Wayne became the Batman, shows a fragile side of the superhero as he struggles with his own pains and confusion while facing off evils in the fictional Gotham City.

The movie has quickly accumulated a slew of positive feedbacks, exemplified by its score of 7.8 points out of 10 on Douban, one of the country's most popular review-aggregation sites.