“The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson and directed by Matt Reeves, has become a hot topic in the DC fandom recently. The blockbuster and the critically acclaimed film grossed over $770 million when it was released in 2022. Now, discussions around the film have been reinvigorated thanks to rumors about new DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn rebooting the entire DC universe. Henry Cavill and Dwayne Johnson’s public departures from the franchise have added fuel to such rumors. As such, fans are hotly debating the future of “The Batman.” Will it be part of the new DCU? Will it stay in its own universe? Matt Reeves has somewhat answered such questions.
Matt Reeves To Meet With James Gunn To Discuss The Future Of ‘The Batman’
In a Yahoo interview, Matt Reeves shared that he is supposed to meet James Gunn and Peter Safran sometime in January to discuss how “The Batman” and the future of the DC Universe will play out. He said that the DC Studios co-CEOs have been working hard on their plans, and likewise, he and his partners have been hard at work on their projects. He also said that the meeting aims to also discuss what the arcs of these two respective franchises are going to be and that he’s excited to know what the DC heads have been doing. It’s interesting to note that he refers to “The Batman” franchise and the DCU as two separate things. This might mean that we won’t be seeing Robert Pattinson’s Batman become the main Bruce Wayne of the DCU. However, it’s certainly possible that the two franchises will coexist with each other. After all, in a Comicbook.com interview, Matt Reeves confirmed that he and his partner are working on the script for “The Batman 2.” So, a sequel to the first film is definitely coming. But that’s not it. Apart from the sequel, there are two upcoming HBO Max shows that are spin-offs of “The Batman.”
One is the “Penguin” series starring Colin Farrell, who will be reprising his “Batman” role in the show, and the next is an untitled series speculated to be set in Arkham Asylum, a mental asylum where Gotham’s worst criminals are housed for treatment. It’s rumored that the Arkham Asylum show will focus on Batman’s most famous adversary, the Joker. After all, the Joker was teased at the end of “The Batman.” So, it’s almost a certainty that he will show up soon.
As for the “Penguin” show, it will continue the plot of “The Batman.” Gotham is still flooded, and there’s now a power vacuum left after the death of Falcon. So, various groups will now vie for control over Gotham. It’s rumored that the show will introduce Falcon’s daughter, who will assemble her father’s forces to fight Penguin and take control of the city. But will Catwoman or Batman appear in the show? That hasn’t been confirmed as of yet.
Is Robert Pattinson Not Going To Be DCU’s ‘Batman’?
While Matt Reeves doesn’t outright say it, his words seem to imply that the DCU and his “Batverse” are going to be two separate things. In a Collider interview, he said that James and Peter would let him know about the plans for their projects. In return, they want to know about his plans for the “Batverse.” It seems like this will help them avoid stepping on each other’s toes because the DCU will also introduce their version of Batman. As such, it makes sense that they want to ensure that story beats, plot points, and characters don’t overlap. Because if they do, then it will become even more complicated for the general public to follow the DCU. David Zaslav, the boss of Warner Bros. Discovery, said that he doesn’t want there to be 4 Batmen, but considering the situation at hand, he will have to allow at least 2 Batmen to coexist. However, Reeves’ words also make us question if the meeting is somehow also to figure out if the “Batverse” can be integrated into Gunn and Safran’s plans for the DCEU.
Fans think that it won’t be difficult to integrate them. However, it’s important to note that Reeves’ Dark Knight doesn’t exist in a world of monsters, magic, and aliens. As such, taking Bruce Wayne and transporting him to a fantasy world will give fans a shock. Moreover, it’s an idea that the director isn’t too fond of either. Thankfully, a possible solution is doing the rounds on DC subreddits. As per the “Strange Adventures In The Mod Queue ” post in the DCEUleaks subreddit, WBD is developing a Batman TV show. This will ensure that Pattinson and Reeves have the theatrical exposure to just themselves while also setting up DCU’s Dark Knight to take center stage later on. What ultimately happens with ‘Batman’ remains to be seen.
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