Matthew Perry's last seven Instagram posts were about Batman, but why?
The 54-year-old was found in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home yesterday (Saturday, 28 October) having passed away.
A representative for the actor and law enforcement told NBC News he died in an apparent drowning, however, an official cause of death has yet to be released. Authorities noted no foul play is suspected.
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Prior to his passing, Perry uploaded a series of posts to his social media all relating to Batman.
Perry's first Batman-related post to Instagram was shared a week ago and is a video that shows the camera panning across a darkened room, showing three screens with The Batman in stars projected onto the ceiling.
At the end of the video, the camera zooms into a corner of the ceiling which shows the Batman sign lit up in red.
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The caption reads: "No need to worry everybody, I've got the streets tonight."
The next Batman post shows the iconic sign shining outside, alongside the comment: "Sleep well everybody, I've got the city tonight - Mattman."
The third post shows a light on the wall with the words, 'Batman plays Pickleball,' Perry having captioned the image: "WTF? Rest easy I'm on a tall building."
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The fourth is a video of a hand placing some grapes on a table, the caption reading: "This is what I've had to eat today. I'm Mattman."
And the fifth shows the Batman sign carved into a glowing pumpkin. "Do you know what I mean?" Perry wrote.
The penultimate post to Perry's Instagram account is a video of the night sky and a half moon. The caption reads: "Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you? - I'm Mattman."
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And the actor's final Instagram post before he passed away shows a photograph of him in a hot tub with the backdrop of the night sky and half moon.
Accompanying the image is the line: "Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I'm Mattman."
Followers were quick to leap to the comments of the posts to question whether the Batman references contained a 'hidden message' or not.
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Ultimately, there's no point speculating because sadly we'll never know the actual reason why Perry decided to post the seven Batman-related images, but in its simplest explanation, it could be it was just because the actor loved the figure and franchise.
Perry has previously spoken about his love of the superhero, the final chapter of his book even titled 'Batman'.
In the memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry recalls how he imagined himself as Batman and his father as Superman, even making a joke about calling an assistant 'Alfred' and them calling him 'Mr Wayne'.
And his nicknaming of himself as 'Mattman'? Well, telling GQ in 2022 he was Batman, Perry identified with the superhero.
While he played the comedic character of Chandler Bing in hit US sitcom Friends, he also struggled with an addiction to prescription medication and alcohol - these two different sides of his life reminiscent of Bruce Wayne's split life between a playboy millionaire and masked superhero.
And ultimately, both Perry and Batman are superheroes, because they both very much 'saved people's lives' - Batman flying around Gotham whenever called upon and Perry with his bravery and honesty opening up about his struggles with addiction.
Just like Batman noted, it's not who he is 'underneath', but what he does that 'defines [him]'. In an interview with Tom Power, Perry resolved he wants to be remembered 'as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker and his paramount thing is that he wants to help people'.
And Perry will continue to help people, even now he's gone.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Topics: US News, Matthew Perry, Batman, Social Media, Instagram, Friends, World News, Celebrity
Poppy Bilderbeck