Fans were caught in the intrigue of what Gunn and Peter Safran were about when announcing their plan for the overhaul of the DC Universe (DCU) regarding Robert Pattinson's Batman.
Considering the success of the film The Batman (2022), questions have always lingered on the part played by this film in the newly crafted DCU. Recently, however, Gunn addressed the issues and opened up about how Pattinson's Batman and Matt Reeves' projects can be found within the greater DC scope.
Matt Reeves’ Vision: A Separate Universe
Robert Pattinson's Batman will be separate from a new Batman that will be in the movie The Brave and The Bold. According to James Gunn, it should spotlight a different facet of Batman, which in this specific case concerns Bruce Wayne and his son Damian Wayne, Robin. Keeping the two Batmen apart, as mentioned above, will, in the end, facilitate keeping the creative integrity of each one's vision intact.
Matt Reeves has always said that he envisaged creating a very enclosed Batman universe: not part of the DCU in totality but very much within that world in terms of the narrative. Such an approach allows for deep legwork into a noir-inspired Gotham where mental intensity and grounded storytelling take precedence over other possible issues. Projects such as the Penguin series and a potential Arkham Asylum spinoff develop this enclosed universe even further, allowing fans a richer probe into Reeves' darker and more atmospheric Gotham.
Gunn’s DCU and Elseworlds Stories
Following the new DCU blueprint, interconnected storytelling has been championed, where characters will interact with each other, from Superman: Legacy to Wonder Woman to all the other notable characters from properties like DC. Elseworlds was also conceptualized by Gunn as part of the DC-geared approach, wherein he applies that term to projects considered standalone, such as The Batman and Joker: Folie à Deux. These Elseworlds tales open a whole new sandbox for filmmakers to play around with their very personal versions of DC characters without being tied up with the fate of a shared universe.
By having two Batman franchises running at the same time, Warner Bros. can provide a different sort of experience to its fans with Reeves' gritty, detective-style exploration of Gotham and Gunn's more fanciful, interconnected adventure. This gives them a much wider audience while adding to the studio's overall slate of superhero films.
Expanding Opportunities for Batman Fans
It will not leave the fans less in terms of content since Reeves has already started writing The Batman Part II, scheduled to release in October 2025. The HBO Max series The Penguin, again featuring Colin Farrell, also promises a deeper insight into Gotham's underworld criminality. Another project under development is an Arkham Asylum project, which might further explore the psychological and horror elements teased in The Batman.
Meanwhile, DCU The Brave and the Bold is supposed to be another show that provides a comic-accurate display of Batman, complete with the Bat-Family. Of course, this one focuses so much on collaboration and shared storytelling, thus probably setting the stage for some epic crossovers among heroes like Superman, Green Lantern, or Wonder Woman.
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James Gunn is opting to keep Robert Pattinson's Batman universe separate from the DCU. This is a strategic move to preserve artistic diversity within the DC brand. Now, fans get to enjoy the best of both worlds: a dark, introspective Batman under Reeves and a collaborative, universe-spanning Batman in the DCU. With Reeves and Gunn's distinct narratives co-existing, the future of Batman on-screen looks brighter than ever.
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