It's something fans have wondered about since we first learned that James Gunn intended to introduce a new Batman in The Brave and the Bold movie: Is there any chance Robert Pattinson could make the jump from Matt Reeves' BatVerse to the DCU?
Gunn and fellow former DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran have always been adamant that this was highly unlikely to happen, but the longer we went without any updates on plans for the DCU's Dark Knight, speculation continued to mount that both universes may be folded into each other after the release of the long-awaited The Batman - Part II.
According to several sources, the BatVerse, which includes the acclaimed and very successful Penguin HBO series, was the main reason Gunn and Safran made so little movement on The Brave and the Bold. Understandably, Warner Bros. Discovery execs didn't want two Caped Crusaders on the big screen in such close proximity to one another.
We've been led to believe that David Ellison wants new DC Studios chief Jeremy Latcham to focus on DC Comics heavy hitters such as Superman (David Corenswet is expected to stay on in the role), Wonder Woman, and Batman, and the Skydance boss is said to be a big fan of Pattinson's take on the iconic hero.
Nexus Point News reports:
"Skydance wants to keep Robert Pattinson as its Batman, but there are several moving pieces that make the situation complicated. With Matt Reeves’ Batman universe operating separately from the DCU, bringing Pattinson into the main universe would require some major decisions. The recent Bond situation could potentially thwart everything since a 007 commitment would limit his availability for a possible The Batman Part 3 or any potential move into the new DCU. In other words, the future of Batman may rest with MI6. Another complication also lies with Robert Pattinson’s willingness to commit to this franchise beyond The Batman Part 2."
If Pattinson does wind up landing the 007 role (we're still not sure if he's actually in the running or simply tested for the part), he will most likely hang up the cape and cowl one way or the other, but if not, there's every chance he could be convinced to stay on.
This is where things could get really messy, though. Combining characters from two separate franchises to create a new universe on the ashes of an old one that was, itself, an amalgamation of elements from the SnyderVerse and Gunn's DCU?
Maybe a full reboot is the way to go!