What did The Batman inject himself with? Some fans think the new movie sets up Bane

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Spoilers for The Batman follow. If you haven’t seen the new movie, turn away now!

The Batman might have sneaked in a reference to villain Bane according to a new fan theory.

It’s The Batman question dividing social media: what did Bruce Wayne inject himself with? Late on in the Matt Reeves-directed DC reboot, Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader needs some help to save Catwoman from an army of Riddlers in a rapidly-flooding Gotham Square Garden.

That help arrives in the form of a vial filled with green liquid. Batman takes it out and injects himself with it, saving the day.

But what was in the vial? It could simply be adrenaline, but there are two factors that have ignited debate: the camera lingers on it a beat too long, and it’s green. Green liquids, in Batman’s universe, usually aren’t a good sign.

The prevailing theory on social media is that Batman injected himself with venom, the muscle-altering drug that is traditionally used to give Bane super strength. The villain was last portayed in live action by Tom Hardy in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises.

So maybe it was Venom that he injected himself with?? 🤔 did not think this at first but after watching #TheBatman the second time I get a suspicionMarch 6, 2022

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Others, though, are more level-headed. “Batman injected himself with adrenaline, idk how y’all thought that was venom,” one wrote on Twitter (opens in new tab). 

Countering that, another said (opens in new tab): “You do realize Venom IS an adrenaline based drug right? And that celebrated Batman writer Denny O’Neil wrote a story about Batman becoming addicted to it because he was pushing himself too hard? Something that fits Battinson really well?”

Audience members, though, remain divided. Some are even offering up more potential answers that point to other villains. “I said ‘Lazarus Pit’ and my other friend said ‘Bane Venom’,” posited one user (opens in new tab), with the former a reference to Ra’s al Ghul’s restorative chamber that makes the supervillain essentially immortal. 

Whether it’s Bane, Ra’s al Ghul, or plain ol’ adrenaline, it’s clear that Matt Reeves – much like with The Riddler’s final message – has sprinkled in more secrets for fans to discover. And there’s plenty more where that came from. Here are our full breakdowns of The Batman’s biggest moments and mysteries.

• The Batman Easter eggs and references
• The Batman ending explained
• Is The Batman on HBO Max?
• Was Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker meant to be in The Batman?
• How to watch the DC movies in order

For more from the Caped Crusader’s cinematic history, here’s our definitive ranking of the best Batman movies.