Have Superman and Batman Already Met in the New DCU?

Next week, a new version of the cinematic DC universe kicks off with the release of Superman, but how much established history is there between all of the heroes? Setting up a new cinematic universe is pretty daunting and as history has proven, it can go horribly wrong. The former version of the DC universe was extremely messy due to unaligned creative visions, meddling, and much more, all resulting in something really wonky and ultimately frustrating for fans. It was hard to get a concrete answer about the future of the franchise at any given moment given it was all in flux, but James Gunn is looking to really eliminate all of that confusion.

With that said, Creature Commandos was the first real entry into this new DC Universe while Superman will launch it in earnest for the larger mainstream populous. What people who didn’t watch that show may not know is that the DCU’s Batman already popped up in that animated series. Of course, this was very brief and didn’t feature any real tangible details for what the future may hold for the Caped Crusader, but many are wondering what Batman’s relationship to the larger universe may be given there are minimal updates about the DCU Batman film.

What Is Superman and Batman’s History in the DCU?

In an interview with Jake Hamilton, James Gunn was asked about what Superman’s reaction will be once he learns about or meets Batman for the first time. Gunn then cheekily responds by saying we don’t know for sure that Superman and Batman haven’t already met somewhere along the way, but noted he would see a “kindred spirit” and a crazy person wearing a costume with a very “different intent.” David Corenswet was asked a similar question and responded by also noting that he wasn’t sure if they had already met and hadn’t discussed it with Gunn.

With that said, it’s worth noting that when Superman begins, Clark Kent has been wearing the suit for three years. He is very active in his superhero career and the film suggests he is a global hero, not just one protecting Metropolis. It stands to reason that there’s definitely a chance that Superman has visited Gotham City or there’s even a chance that Bruce Wayne has dropped in to learn who this new superpowered alien is. Is he a threat? Is he an ally? Batman would certainly want answers to these kinds of questions and wouldn’t waste any time in finding them, so at the very least, Batman is probably very aware of Superman.

As of right now, we’re not sure when Batman will appear in the DCU. The script for The Batman Part 2 was recently completed by Matt Reeves and although there’s been speculation that Reeves’ universe will merge with the DCU, Gunn has downplayed these ideas by saying it’s not in the cards right now, but nothing is impossible in the future. Gunn previously announced a Batman film known as The Brave and the Bold which will pair a more experienced Batman with Damian Wayne, his own son, within the DCU.

However, movement on that film has been even slower than The Batman Part 2 and fueled speculation that it may be shelved. Some have also speculated that Gunn’s Superman sequel will be a big screen version of World’s Finest, a story that sees Batman and Superman teaming up. If that’s the case, we would likely see Batman in the DCU before his own solo outing. As of right now, The Batman Part 2 is slated to release in October 2027.

Superman releases in theaters on July 11th.