GLASGOW—There is a dingy, narrow alleyway around the back of the Horseshoe Bar here that looks like a place where something unpleasant could happen. It is also one of the reasons Scotland’s biggest city has landed a recurring role as Batman’s hometown.

With its mix of neoclassical buildings and grimy back streets, location scouts have discovered Glasgow is an ideal match for Gotham City.

In the latest movie, “The Batman,” out next month, the Dark Knight revs his batcycle past museums, through city squares and up into a vast, hillside cemetery. Robert Pattinson, who plays Bruce Wayne, praised the city and its brooding architecture in the local Daily Record newspaper, calling Glasgow a brilliant Gotham.