The Batman isn't part of the same world as movies and TV shows such as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Peacemaker, but who cares about the DCEU when you can launch a "Batverse"?
That certainly seems to be Matt Reeves' approach, anyway, as the filmmaker has big plans to expand the Caped Crusader's world. Two spinoffs are already in the works for HBO Max, with one revolving around the Gotham City Police Department and the other focusing on The Penguin's rise to power.
For Reeves, The Batman is the first part of a much larger plan. "What I really wanted this movie to do is create a Batverse," he tells EW. "You don't do a story and go, 'This is Chapter 1' because you might not get to do Chapter 2. So, the story had to stand on its own. But the thing about it is that the Bat world is so rich with character that as you're starting to come to an end, you can already start thinking about the next thing. Because the idea, of course, is that Gotham's story never ends."
Reeves didn't elaborate on the GCPD series he's working on, but says that The Penguin's show will be "this kind of 'American dream in Gotham' sort of story, almost like Scarface; the rise of this character who we all know will achieve mythic status. He is underestimated and he's like a time bomb."
Seeing how The Batman potentially sets the stage for these shows promises to be one of the most interesting parts of the movie, but it doesn't sound like Reeves is getting too bogged down with world-building. Whether more spinoffs could follow remains to be seen, but these two appear to be the priority for now.
There's even speculation that the World's Greatest Detective might show up in the GCPD series as it will likely take place during "Year One," so Warner Bros. clearly isn't cutting any corners with these shows.
The Batman is set to be released in theaters on March 4.
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