Superman Is Already Setting Up the DCU’s New Batman

SPOILERS – James Gunn takes a unique approach with his Superman movie. It doesn’t start on Krypton, with the only references to the planet coming from Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara Lor-Van (Angela Sarafyan), who send their son to Earth with a message about continuing Krypton’s legacy. The Man of Steel doesn’t even spend much time on the Kent farm, only returning there briefly after getting kryptonite poisoning in Lex Luthor’s pocket universe prison. The reason Gunn gets away with skipping over the titular hero’s origin is that the world of the DC Universe is already fleshed out. Superman has been active for years, and he’s not the only metahuman on the scene.

The Justice Gang helps Superman defeat Lex Luthor and protect the people of Jarhanpur from invasion, setting the stage for more team-ups in the future. The group even recruits a new member, Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), who already has experience fighting alongside the Man of Steel. However, there’s a sneaky Easter egg toward the end of Superman that teases the arrival of Superman’s most iconic teammate: Batman.

Metropolis’ Evacuation in Superman Sends People Running to Another Iconic DC Town

Lex’s big plan is to get the United States government to greenlight his plan to take down Superman. He wants his own group, PlanetWatch, to lead the metahuman movement, and that’s not going to happen with the Man of Steel around. Once Lex gets Superman into his prison, things are looking up for the villain. There’s no way to escape, and with Metamorpho keeping the hero in place with kryptonite, there’s little chance of survival. However, Lex’s mistakes come back to bite him because Metamorpho realizes that being the villain’s pawn isn’t worth it. He helps Superman escape the pocket dimension and eventually joins up with the Justice Gang in Jarhanpur.

Read Next

Superman’s James Gunn Talks Godzilla Minus One With Director Takashi Yamazaki, Promises DC Studios Meeting

Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Lex allows his portal to go haywire, and it opens a dimensional rift in the ground that threatens to destroy the city and the rest of the world. Mister Terrific and Superman work to close the hole, but it’s not a quick process. The people of Metropolis have to leave their homes behind if they want any chance of survival, and as many of them are on the road, an exit that leads to Gotham City is visible. Superman confirms that the two most important cities in the DCU are only a few miles apart, which means it’s only a matter of time before the Man of Steel and Dark Knight cross paths.

Batman Can’t Ignore the DCU’s Problems Forever

The HBO Max animated series Creature Commandos, which is technically the first DCU project, confirms that Batman is active in the franchise. At some point, he arrests Doctor Phosphorus and sends him to jail. That battle goes down in Gotham, though, so there have been no confirmed sightings of the Caped Crusader outside of his hometown. With all of the villains that have ties to Gotham, that’s not much of a surprise; the hero must always be tied up with something. In fact, the DCU’s third movie, Clayface, will focus on the origins of the Batman villain and is sure to reveal how the two cross paths for the first time.

Batman can’t stay in his cave forever, especially with the DCU only getting bigger after Superman. Had Lex’s portal consumed Metropolis entirely, Gotham would’ve been next up, and while the Dark Knight may not like playing with others yet, he wouldn’t have been able to handle such a massive problem on his own. That’s not to say that Superman is going to knock on Wayne Manor’s door in the next year or two and demand Bruce Wayne join the Justice Gang, but there’s going to come a time when the DCU needs Batman’s massive brain and detective skills. How the Dark Knight answers the bell will define his time in the new franchise, as there are plenty of other heroes willing to step up to the plate if he’s not willing.

Superman is in theaters now.

Did you notice the Gotham City Easter egg at the end of Superman? When do you think Batman will make his first appearance in the DCU on the big screen? Let us know in the comments below!