Glasgow stands in for Batman’s hometown again, but how similar are they really?
Filmmaker Matt Reeves has returned to Glasgow to shoot the highly anticipated sequel of The Batman (2022). Aiming for a release in February 2028, The Batman: Part II began production in the city in early August, with filming starting in mid August. Reeves’ team is expected to remain in Glasgow until the end of September.
Starring Robert Pattinson as Batman, the big-budget project has transformed the centre of Glasgow into Bruce Wayne’s crime-ridden stomping ground, Gotham. The set has attracted large crowds hoping to catch a glimpse of the action, but the production has also raised a question for many of the city’s residents: just how similar are Gotham and Glasgow really?
Glasgow locals know that it’s not the first time it’s hosted Hollywood heroes. From zombie thriller World War Z (2013), swashbuckler Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), to superhero hit Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), the city is getting used to visits from major movie studios. It’s not even its first time as Gotham, having provided locations for the city several times. Both The Flash (2023) and the unreleased Batgirl film have used Glasgow, at least in part, to depict Gotham.
Aside from tax incentives, the city’s appeal lies in its grid-iron street pattern and Victorian architecture. Laurence Grove, Professor of French and Text/Image Studies at the University of Glasgow, told the Wall Street Journal in 2022 that the city possesses a “duality between the everyday and the extraordinary, which is what superheroes are all about.” Matt Reeves offered praise for the city, calling it “a very special Gotham.” Visually, it seems that Glasgow provides an ideal backdrop for the world of Batman.
Glasgow City Council welcomes these high-profile productions and their economic benefits, seeing opportunities for employment and commercial activity, but locals often find them disruptive. Public transport gets re-routed, residences are cut off, public spaces are redecorated, and businesses are sometimes forced to close with little compensation. A Trongate clothing shop, The Social Recluse, only received £1000 after shutting for 10 days during the filming of Batgirl, which was axed by Warner Brothers. More recently, The Batman: Part II sparked some controversy after painting over 23 murals underneath Kingston Bridge. The production company pledged to cover the reinstatement costs of the murals, which were only completed in May.
Along with logistical challenges, the film has also led to conversations about Glasgow’s issues with crime. Online, a growing sentiment is that Gotham City’s reputation for lawlessness mirrors Glasgow’s own difficulties. Across social media, commenters have jokingly called for the Dark Knight’s intervention in the city; others insist that it’s a task too big for Batman.
Over the past year, concerns over increased offences have been persistent. A recent BBC documentary, Disclosure: Welcome to Glasgow, reinforced these worries, reporting a number of issues in Glasgow’s City Centre including violence, sexual violence, drug use, and racial tension. The programme received mixed reviews, with viewers accusing the BBC of either exaggerating the city’s problems or not going far enough in exposing them. Drawing plenty of attention, it painted a disturbing portrait for its audience, and has since been mentioned by those following the production of The Batman: Part II. On X, Instagram, and Facebook, users have described Glasgow as a ‘dystopia’ or ‘worse than Gotham’, often urging Batman to ‘clean up’ St Enoch Square and Four Corners, which are featured in the BBC documentary.
Voices from the right have also found a place for the Glasgow-Gotham comparison, folding it into preexisting extremist narratives. One tweet reads that “Batman couldn’t stop the crime in Glasgow” before describing the city as “overrun with asylum seekers and migrants”, using the Caped Crusader to emphasise xenophobic fears. Clips of the production posted by Scottish news outlets received a variety of comments which bizarrely mention right-wing buzzwords, such as ‘invaders’. A few responses are more covert, opting to refer to Glasgow’s immigrants through villains in the Batman universe.
While the growing relevance of the Gotham metaphor does coincide with spikes in recorded violence and sexual violence, longer-term statistics reveal a decline, complicating the picture of Glasgow as a lawless, chaotic city. The reality is nowhere near as simple as the Gotham comparison would have you believe, despite Glasgow’s very real problems with crime. So why do people use it?
Glasgow’s past reputation for violence does resemble aspects of Gotham but some people find the visual connection to have a certain effect. For one student, his perception of the city’s “hyper-violent” history plays a part, adding “they look the same and my brain fills in the gaps.”
For others, the comparison has become more serious. Gotham, as a reference to Glasgow, can be used to support claims that the city is dangerous or beyond control. As one resident suggests, “I think it ignores wider social issues – making it a movie city ignores the reality.”
Gotham is a quick and simple way to bring up anxieties surrounding Glasgow. It is only one word yet it embodies a range of concerns for metropoles all over the world. The fictional city deliberately represents poverty, corruption, and anarchy. Gotham’s decay reflects a decline in the very structures designed to protect its citizens. In this sense, Gotham can be useful for expressing fears of urban decline without diving too deep into why they exist.
After the production of The Batman: Part II leaves Glasgow, the city will return to normal. However, the connection between Glasgow and Gotham may not fade as swiftly. For some, Glasgow is just a compatible substitute for the gothic architecture of Gotham. Others may find that Gotham is an apt rhetorical device in voicing frustrations about crime, disorder, and urban deterioration. Glasgow is not the real-life Gotham, but for those who draw the comparison, maybe that doesn’t matter.
Image Credit: Iffat Jabeen, Photographer
