'The Batman' Movie Has Reportedly Started Hiring Production Crew

After a lot of waiting, and rumor, a new report suggests that Warner Bros. and DC Films could be ready to start production on The Batman, the next installment of The Dark Knight's solo franchise.

Batman-On-Film reports that their sources have passed on word that Warner Bros. has started hiring a production crew to work on the film. That suggests that The Batman (Tentative title) could be out of the scripting phase, with director Matt Reeves ready to get into pre-production. Again, none of this is confirmed - but if the B-o-F sources are correct, this is a good sign that Batman movie fans will appreciate.

These days, it's hard to ever know for sure what's going on with The Batman, or the entire Batman movie universe that WB has in the works. The latest rumors about the Batman reboot is that it could focus on a younger version of Bruce Wayne, and would therefore not require the return of current Batman actor Ben Affleck, as a new actor would step into the role (see video above).

The Batman villains are now as lucrative as the Caped Crusader himself, and are currently getting their own push in the DC Films universe. The most recent rumors point to The Batman featuring The Penguin; The Joker is set to get multiple iterations, with Jared Leto's Joker up to return in Suicide Squad 2, while Joaquin Phoenix will be playing the Clown Prince of Crime in a standalone Joker origin film from The Hangover director, Todd Phillips. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is also up for a reappearance in the (eventual) Suicide Squad sequel, as well as a Birds of Prey spinoff film from Cathy Yan, which will open anther big corner of the Batman movie universe, by reportedly introducing Batgirl.

With all of this going on, it's unclear how The Batman will connect to the rest of these DCEU franchises - or if it will at all. It's just one more sign that Warner Bros.' franchise hopes for this DC universe have gotten very convoluted. There are a lot of hopes riding on Aquaman, Shazam, and Wonder Woman 2, with the latter probably being the most anticipated film in the lineup. If The Batman is truly moving forward, that could quickly change.

Upcoming DC Extended Universe films include Aquaman on December 21st, Wonder Woman 2 on November 1, 2019, Shazam on April 5, 2019, Cyborg in 2020, and Green Lantern Corps in 2020.