Google is well known for bringing some timely, fun and trending gimmicks to its search engine. In the past, this has included a number of tie-ins to movies and events, and their newest update makes the most of the current Batman fever ahead of the release of Matt Reeves’ The Batman next week. Google now allows anyone searching for certain Dark Knight-related words to summon up an animation featuring the Bat-Signal and a silhouette of the Caped Crusader himself swinging across the users’ search page.

2022 is turning into quite a year for Batman fans, and not just for the imminent release of Robert Pattinson’s debut in the Bat Suit. While the gritty new take on the Batman franchise is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, not only for its content but to allow film studios to gauge whether Spider-Man: No Way Home was just an anomaly or whether audiences will be back in cinemas regularly for the big blockbuster releases, it is not the only time we will be seeing Batman this year. Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton will both reprise their Gotham protector roles in The Flash, and Keaton will be back again on HBO Max in Batgirl.

While a Google spokesperson noted that the new feature is not linked to Warner Bros. or a specific Batman release, the feature will be available for a year and can be triggered by searching for Batman-centric words such as “Bruce Wayne,” “Gotham City” and “Bat Signal,” which will see a small Bat Signal icon appear on the right of the screen. Users can click on this to then activate the animation.

batman google signal easter egg

Google Has Tapped into Batman at the Right Time, With The Dark Knight’s Future Looking Very Bright

Robert-Pattinson-The-Batman-Trailer
Warner Bros. Pictures

You would be forgiven for thinking that there cannot be much new to come from the Batman franchise, but that could not be any further from the truth. Despite Robert Pattinson being the sixth main actor to take on the role on the big screen, there is certainly a lot of variations on the Dark Knight still to be explored, and each one of those brings its own version of Gotham City and the villains that inhabit it.

Matt Reeves is bringing to life one of the earliest versions of Batman yet seen on the big screen, and with that comes a much more grounded version of the character than has been depicted in other movies. The film is raw, dark and disturbing, according to early reviews, and the potential for the future of Robert Pattinson’s take on Bruce Wayne and his world is already being made clear by talk of multiple sequels and two spin-offs that are already moving forward.

In addition to this, there is also the unknown future of both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s Batmen and how The Flash movie will deal with these two versions of Bruce Wayne as well as the DC multiverse to be discovered at the end of the year. With this too potentially leading to more Batman adventures for Michael Keaton, it is undoubtedly an exciting time for fans of the DC hero and one that seems set to continue for many years to come.