Is the New Superman Movie Connected to The Batman With Robert Pattinson?

The trailer for James Gunn’s Superman is finally here, giving audiences their first look at the rebooted Man of Steel. Releasing in theaters in July 2025, the film will be the first movie in the revamped DC Universe franchise, ushering in a new era as DC Studios co-heads Gunn and Peter Safran spearhead a shared cinematic universe featuring several of the company’s characters. Superman wastes no time in establishing other superheroes in the DCU, as the likes of Mister Terrific, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and more have roles. With this in mind, some viewers may be wondering if Superman is connected to another notable recent DC reboot.

In 2022, Robert Pattinson starred as the latest big-screen Caped Crusader in The Batman, kicking off director Matt Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga. That film was entirely separate from the now-defunct DC Extended Universe, and it continues to exist in its own continuity. The Batman, The Penguin, and the other Gotham-related projects Reeves and Co. are developing are not connected to Superman in any way.

Why James Gunn Kept The Batman & the DCU Separate

While The Batman will stand on its own, there was a point in time when things could have been different. Gunn shared he thought about bringing Pattinson’s Dark Knight into the DCU before opting not to. His decision seems to have stemmed from the appeal of telling Elseworlds stories, giving filmmakers the leeway to craft compelling narratives that aren’t beholden to a single, unified canon. In the comics, DC uses the Elseworlds label for titles that reimagine characters in unique ways, separate from the main continuity. It sounds like the company will be doing the same thing on the film and TV side, but what other on-screen Elseworlds projects emerge remain to be seen.

[Related: Every Major DCU Detail & Character Revealed in the Superman Trailer]

Keeping The Batman separate from the DCU could prove to be a wise choice. When Reeves signed on to helm the film, he specifically wanted it to stand alone so he could focus on the stories he’s most interested in. Forcing his take on Batman into a larger shared universe theoretically might have made Reeves step away, which would have been disappointing. Both The Batman and The Penguin earned positive reviews, and audiences are excited about The Batman Part II (despite the sequel’s troubles getting off the ground). Reeves can continue to leave his stamp on Gotham, which has worked out very well so far.

The DCU Will Have Its Own Batman

Of course, Batman is too important a character to be absent from the DCU, so there will be a separate iteration in Gunn’s franchise. The in-development movie The Brave and the Bold (set to be directed by Andrew Muschietti) differs from Reeves’ version in that it will star an older Caped Crusader, placing an emphasis on his relationship with the Bat Family. This will be a space to explore a veteran Batman’s dynamic with characters like Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and others, something that hasn’t been done in live-action for decades.

It is unknown when The Brave and the Bold will hit theaters; Warner Bros. likely won’t want to release it too soon to The Batman Part II, which is currently scheduled for an October 2026 premiere. Earlier this month, Gunn stated that the script for The Brave and the Bold “isn’t quite there,” implying it will still be some time before the film is ready to begin production.