Last March, The Batman opened to positive reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes) and proved to be a box office success with $771 million worldwide by the end of its run.
At the time, it was clear the movie was separate from the DCEU - similar to Joker - and that Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader wouldn't be making his presence felt in The Flash, for example. However, with a line-wide reboot now looming, why isn't that Batman being brought into the new DCU?
It would make sense. Batman is typically a hero who operates alone and Pattinson could then just make sporadic appearances in other DC Studios projects, very much playing the outsider version of the character from before he became a regular fixture in the Justice League's daylight adventures.
Instead, of that happening, we're getting The Batman II from Matt Reeves in 2025 and The Flash helmer Andy Muschietti has been tasked with taking charge of The Brave and the Bold, a DCU Batman movie revolving around Bruce Wayne and his son Damian Wayne/Robin.
Responding to a fan on Threads who wondered why Reeves' Batman hasn't been added to the DCU, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn said, "It's not an 'allowed' thing, it’s Matt's choice, and we respect that."
So, in other words, Reeves didn't want to bring The Batman into the DCU. As a result, his franchise - and spin-offs like The Penguin - will remain "Elseworlds" stories which play out in their own separate reality.
This isn't a shock, of course, as producer Dylan Clark previously said, "Warner Bros. has a multiverse where they're exploring different ways to use the character. We don't get involved in that. Matt is interested in pushing this character to his emotional depths and shaking him to his core."
That was under the previous regime but it's apparent now that nothing has changed. Check out our interview with The Batman stars Jeffrey Wright and Paul Dano in the player below.
Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman, striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth, Lt. James Gordon — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman, Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin, Carmine Falcone, and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.