Ironically enough, Batman is currently the biggest unknown in DC Studios and Warner Bros.’ plans for the DC Universe franchise. After decades of seeing Batman serve as the center of all things DC was doing on the big screen, we’re now in a new era where a bright, colorful, and more hopeful version of Superman is set to take flight and carry the new DCU to become a global blockbuster franchise. In that context, it’s hard to know how Batman fits into the picture; after all, the Dark Knight has pretty much lived up to his nickname in modern cinema, and the impression of Batman is created is a far cry from Gunn’s Superman.
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Adding to this problem is the fact that there is currently a whole separate Batman franchise that’s in progress, with director Matt Reeves at the helm. After The Batman (2022) was a modest success as a franchise starter, the films transitioned into a highly acclaimed TV series spinoff with The Penguin (2024). Since that limited series wrapped, there’s been very little official word (and a whole lot of rumors) about what James Gunn, Matt Reeves, and DC Studios are working out behind the scenes.
In a new Rolling Stone feature about the DCU and Superman, James Gunn also addressed the situation with Batman. His answer may not appease the more skeptical fans, as it (jokingly?) seems to lay blame for the long wait for The Batman Part II squarely at Reeves’ feet:
When asked if Robert Pattinson’s Batman would ever be imported into the DCU to stand opposite David Corenswet’s Superman, Gunn would only give the traditional studio head answer that “I would never say zero [chance], because you just never know. But it’s not likely. It’s not likely at all.”
That answer tows the company line DC Studios has been leading with since the studio’s announcement in the fall of 2022. Gunn and his co-head Peter Safran maintained that the DC Studios and Warner Bros. would still go with the “Elseworlds” approach of having multiple iterations of the same character (like The Joker) existing onscreen at the same time. That would allow Pattinson’s Batman to play in the lane of his own standalone franchise, while Gunn would get to introduce a second version of Batman (and second actor) that would exist in the same cinematic universe as Corenswet’s Superman.
However, there’s still a lot of doubt bubbling beneath the surface; as the superhero franchise as a whole seems to be struggling these days, it feels less and less likely that studios (read: Warner Bros. Discovery) are going to risk bankrolling multiple versions of franchise films featuring the exact same character. That’s left a cloud of doubt swirling over the idea of getting Reeves’ The Batman sequel and Gunn’s Batman and son movie The Brave and the Bold at the same time – and not without reason. All progress on The Batman 2 seems to have stalled, while there’s been absolutely no new information about concrete plans for The Brave and the Bold. It’s led to rumors that Gunn and Reeves may be having behind-the-scenes disagreements, with neither side willing to give ground.
James Gunn Gives An Update On The Batman Part II
After the latest set of delays, The Batman: Part II is now set for release in October of 2027, over five years since the first film. The Hollywood Strikes of 2023 interrupted the original production timeline of The Batman Part II, while many of the planned TV spinoffs (Gotham P.D., Arkham Asylum) died in development. Franchise star Robert Pattinson has signed on for new big movie projects over the next year, and other major cast members have expressed seeing little progress being made on the sequel.
James Gunn is still making one thing abundantly clear: “Batman Part II is not canceled. That’s the other thing I hear all the time — that Batman Part II is canceled. It’s not canceled. We don’t have a script.”
That last statement has been the point of major contention: Matt Reeves seemed to be ripe with creativity about building The Batman into an entire TV/movie universe, back in 2022; he got The Penguin off the ground, so it’s been hard to believe that he’s somehow been hitting the creative wall on cracking the sequel idea for over three years now. It’s been easier to believe that Reeves may have had plans for his franchise already in mind, only to have those plans completely blown up by the announcement of DC Studios months later. The real challenge may now be coming up with a sequel idea within the possible confines of not stepping on the DCU’s toes.
As stated, Gunn has a different line of reasoning for The Batman Part II‘s slow development: “Matt’s slow. Let him take his time. Let him do what he’s doing. God, people are mean. Let him do his thing, man.”
We’ve maintained that all plans for Batman may hinge on the performance of Gunn’s Superman movie. If Superman soars high, the DCU may focus on getting an accompanying version of Batman in front of fans. If Superman misses the mark, The Batman is an established brand that DC/WB can use to appease adult fans sooner before later.
Last we heard, Gunn said that “What Matt’s doing is still really important, despite all stories to the contrary.” He also added that pre-production was underway, stating, “We’re supposed to see that script shortly, and I can’t wait.”
That was back in May.
Superman will be released in theaters on July 11th.
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