Though DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn still hasn't 100% confirmed that Matt Reeves' BatVerse, or the "Epic Crime Saga," won't ultimately be folded into the DCU, the filmmaker did recently state that Robert Pattinson was highly unlikely to remain on as the DCU's Dark Knight.
"It would be a consideration. We’d have to think about it," Gunn said during a recent Rolling Stone interview. "We’d have to think about it. It is not like we’ve never discussed it. I would never say zero [chance], because you just never know. But it’s not likely. It’s not likely at all."
"I’ll also say Batman Part II is not canceled," the filmmaker confirmed. "That’s the other thing I hear all the time — that Batman Part II is canceled. It’s not canceled. We don’t have a script. Matt’s slow. Let him take his time. Let him do what he’s doing. God, people are mean. Let him do his thing, man."
So, assuming DC Studios does forge ahead with Batman: The Brave and the Bold (if it keeps that title), there's a chance we could have two separate Batman franchises running concurrently.
The Batman already introduced several major Batman baddies in The Riddler, The Penguin, The Joker and Catwoman, and some fans have wondered if this might prevent new interpretations of these characters from being utilized in the DCU.
Gunn was asked if there's any agreement between himself and Reeves relating to which Batman villains they can/can't use on Threads, and responded with the following.
Gunn was also asked about tonight's Clayface casting news, and debunked a recent rumor that the project has undergone a significant rewrite.
As for Reeves' sequel, plot rumors continue to swirl. We have heard that Hush and/or Mr. Freeze could end up being the villains. There doesn't seem to be much to these reports, but there is a good chance that the movie will have a winter setting.
What do you think? Would you like Robert Pattinson to join David Corenswet and co. in the DCU, or would you prefer to see a different Dark Knight introduced as part of this new shared universe?