Who Plays Bella Reál In The Batman?

In case you hadn't heard, "The Batman" has finally fought its way into theaters everywhere. And according to its current Rotten Tomatoes scores, critics and audiences alike are finding Matt Reeves' gritty, grounded, noir-tinged take on the Dark Knight saga a super-powered thrill ride of the first order.

They're generally just as pleased with the work of Robert Pattinson, the latest actor to don the cape and cowl in the past decade after Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and "Gotham" star David Mazouz. And in his own glowing review of "The Batman" for The Capitol Times, critic Rob Thomas even goes so far as to claim, "Pattinson makes a great Batman, but he makes an even better Bruce Wayne." Similar praise has been heaped upon Pattinson's co-stars in the film as well, with Paul Dano, Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, and Jeffrey Wright all earning strong notes for their work as Batman's various friends and foes.

While less notice has been given to the actor portraying Gotham's grassroots Mayoral candidate Bella Reál in "The Batman," her work is certainly no less impressive. As it is, many viewers may not know who that actor is as "The Batman" marks just her second professional screen credit. You should get to know her now, however, as she's very much a star on the rise in Hollywood. Here's who plays Bella Reál in "The Batman." 

The actor who plays Bella Reál in "The Batman" is Jayme Lawson. You can be forgiven for not knowing who she is, as Lawson is just a couple of years removed from her days as a drama student at Juilliard. The early stages of Lawson's career have proven exceedingly fruitful, however, with the actor scoring roles in a pair of feature films fresh off earning her diploma. As noted, "The Batman" is the second of those projects. As for Lawson's first big-screen credit, it came in the 2020 Sundance Film Festival hit "Farewell Amor." And if you've seen that luminous indie drama, you know the actor's ascension to the Hollywood A-list is more a matter of "when" than "if."

Most people probably haven't seen "Farewell Amor," however, because it didn't get a ton of exposure after its Sundance run. That's not a reflection on the film itself (which boasts a near-perfect critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes) more than it is the result of the world essentially shutting down mere weeks after the 2020 festival wrapped. With any luck, Lawson's profile-raising appearance in "The Batman" will lead people to seek out "Farewell Amor" — which is currently streaming on Hulu — because this heartening tale of an Angolan immigrant (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) being reunited with his wife (Zainab Jah) and teenage daughter (Lawson) after 17 years apart could not be more life-affirming. 

Whether people are talking about Jayme Lawson's performance in "The Batman" or not, booking such a high-profile studio gig after proving her mettle on the indie circuit undoubtedly gave the young actor a serious career jolt. Lawson has wasted little time in capitalizing on her early career successes and has already lined up a string of intriguing big-screen projects.

Chief among them is the historical drama "The Woman King," which is slated to hit theaters later this year. It'll likely do so as an awards-season contender fronting the talents of Viola Davis, John Boyega, and Lashana Lynch in an epic drama detailing the 18th and 19th Century glory days of the African Kingdom of Dahomey. That kingdom was the home of a fearsome, all-female military unit (via Smithsonian Magazine), which will be the focus of the film. Davis will play the titular role, and while Lawson's part is currently unknown, one might reasonably assume she'll portray one of the aforementioned warriors.

Perhaps even more exciting than that casting news is that Gina Prince-Bythewood (who helmed the stylish Netflix hit "The Old Guard") is directing "The Woman King." And if you've seen that high-octane thriller, you know the director can bring as much heart and humanity to the proceedings as she does pulse-pounding action. 

Jayme Lawson will follow "The Woman King" by portraying a pair of African American icons. On the big screen, "Till" will explore the fight for justice in the case of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black teenager who was brutally murdered by white assailants in Mississippi in 1955 (per History). "Till" will see Lawson portray Myrlie Evers, the widow of assassinated Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers. This film should prove an emotionally raw eye-opener for anyone not intimately familiar with the Emmett Till case. It is tentatively set to hit theaters on October 7, 2022.

Lawson's upcoming small screen project will arrive sooner, with the Showtime anthology series "The First Lady" slated to begin airing on April 17, 2022. That series will re-team Lawson with her "The Woman King" co-star Viola Davis. It'll also find the actors playing the same character in First Lady Michelle Obama. Davis will be portraying adult Obama during her White House tenure, with Lawson stepping in to play a younger version of the former First Lady. As for their co-stars in the series, the list is beyond impressive, with Gillian Anderson, Ellen Burstyn, Michelle Pfeifer, Judy Greer, Dakota Fanning, and more slated to appear. The series will also be directed by Academy Award winner Susanne Bier, which only makes its "must-see" status all the more legit.