As the DC Universe franchise rounds into shape, James Gunn has admitted Batman is a problem he needs to solve. DC Studios has a pair of films featuring the Dark Knight in various stages of development. Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II, set in its own continuity separate from the mainline DCU, begins production in the spring and will continue the director’s critically acclaimed Batman Epic Crime Saga storyline. Also in the works is Andy Muschietti’s The Brave and the Bold, serving as the live-action introduction of the DCU’s Batman. Since Reeves’ iteration has been so well-received, some fans have wondered why the DCU doesn’t just incorporate Robert Pattinson’s Batman. Mike Flanagan, who wrote the DCU’s Clayface movie, has offered his thoughts on that topic.
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Speaking at a panel hosted by Screen Rant at Motor City Comic Con 2025, Flanagan discussed the possibility of Pattinson joining the DCU. “Of course, yeah. I gotta be careful. I know DC fans, especially, I don’t want to get on anyone’s bad side with this kind of stuff, because James Gunn is running DC his way, and I think it’s great,” he said. “I have no idea what the plan is for any of that. I do know, though, that Matt Reeves is a creative powerhouse … I think the world in the Gotham that he built is wonderful. I think the Penguin works on the big screen and on television. I do think there is a way to harmonize all of these elements into the DC Universe, which I think is what James is doing in his way.”
He continued, “The thing is, I trust James, and he has not let me down as a fan. So I’m excited to see how they pulled this off, and how it could all connect, the ways it could all connect, that’s up to them.”
Should Robert Pattinson Be the DCU’s Batman?
The argument for bringing Pattinson’s Batman into the DCU fold is simple. He’s an established iteration of the character audiences have responded positively to. There’s a familiarity there, and it would be easy for viewers to get on board with Pattinson crossing paths with David Corenswet’s Superman. The Elseworlds strategy Gunn is envisioning sounds great on paper, but it runs the risk of confusing general audiences. While there have been multiple Batman reboots, we’ve never really seen something like this, where there are two simultaneous live-action film series about the same prominent character.
The Brave and the Bold faces an uphill climb, as it will need to justify why there needs to be another live-action Batman, but the payoff would be worth it if Muschietti, Gunn, and Co. are able to pull this off in a satisfying way. There’s an opportunity here for the DCU to portray a very different side of Batman. While Reeves’ series goes for a grounded approach rooted in crime drama, the DCU can follow Gunn’s tradition of embracing comic book sensibilities and pit its Batman against various foes who wouldn’t really fit in Reeves’ vision. The Brave and the Bold could also focus on an older Batman who’s taken several members of the Bat Family under his wing, setting the version apart from Pattinson’s younger, inexperienced crime-fighter.
While Flanagan seems to think there could be a way to blend the Batman Epic Crime Saga and the DCU together, Gunn appears set on keeping them apart. Set photos from Clayface indicated the film is set in another version of Gotham City, dispelling any notions fans might have had about connections to The Batman. As compelling as it would be to incorporate Pattinson’s Batman into the shared universe, it’s understandable why Gunn is trying this approach instead. DC Studios aims to be as filmmaker friendly as possible, allowing creatives to come in and tell the stories they’re interested in. Reeves always wanted his Batman to standalone, so DC Studios could potentially lose a valuable collaborator if they pushed for some kind of connection.
Gunn wouldn’t be taking things this route unless he was confident there was a way to make it work, and with the DCU off to a strong start so far, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt for now. Smartly, Gunn wants to avoid a scenario where The Brave and the Bold opens in the same calendar year as The Batman Part II, so that should help prevent any confusion amongst moviegoers. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds because if the Elseworlds approach works, it opens the door for endless possibilities down the line. People could come in and make interesting one-off projects about Superman, Wonder Woman, and other characters, demonstrating the wide range of stories possible in comic book adaptations.
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