The already murky future of the DCU got even muddier this week, with the shocking and sudden news that James Gunn and Peter Safran were stepping down from their posts as co-heads of DC Studios.
The move comes as a legitimate surprise to many, especially considering the fact that Gunn was just beginning to work on the post-production of Man of Tomorrow. While the newly formed Skydance figures out what to do with the still blossoming world of the DCU, one character looms largest: Batman.
Gunn was never able to get a Batman movie off the ground, partially due to the fact that Matt Reeves is still working on his sequel to 2022’s The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson. With that movie now finishing up production with the help of Steven Soderbergh, and with the DCU now suddenly looking uncertain as a whole, it offers up DC Studios the chance to right the wrongs they were going to make.
Why DC can’t afford to keep Robert Pattinson’s Batman separate from its cinematic universe
Prior to Gunn and Safran’s arrival at DC, many fans had penciled in Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves as cornerstones of whatever the company planned for the future. Released amidst the rockiness at the end of the Zack Snyder era, The Batman is considered by many to be the de facto Batman movie, rivaling Christopher Nolan’s trilogy and presenting an on-screen Batman that matches the tone and attitude of his comic book counterpart.
When Gunn and Safran arrived, though, things changed. While many hoped Pattinson would be considered the Batman for Gunn’s newly announced DCU, it seemed like that was never going to happen. Gunn had his own Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, and although he did praise Reeves’ vision for The Batman’s future, it was clear it wouldn’t be considered “canon” to the DCU. However, for as much good as Gunn did for the DC brand (and he did much good), electing to not have Pattinson’s Batman and Reeves as part of the DCU always felt like a fumble.
While the 2022 movie and The Penguin HBO miniseries didn’t exactly fit the tone the DCU built with films like Superman and shows like Peacemaker, it was that stark difference which would’ve made it stand out. Batman has always been the brooding offshoot of the light-hearted and hopeful Superman, so having a darker Batman fit perfectly. There wouldn’t have been as much time getting audiences to buy into it, either, since Reeves’ first movie was already a major hit.
Now that Gunn and Safran have moved on from the company, the future remains largely unknown. It’s entirely plausible Reeves’ Batman films don’t even get to finish how he wants under Skydance’s new leadership. This would be an even bigger fumble than not including him in the DCU at all. That seems unlikely due to the film’s projected success and how much excitement has been built up for it, but can’t be discounted as a possibility.
The most hopeful outcome is that Pattinson gets to be the Batman moving forward, should he choose. Integrating him into the larger DCU wouldn’t be too tricky given the cinematic universe hasn’t had a chance to really connect yet. Plus, he and David Corenswet’s Superman would make a really unique and at-odds pairing, which is perfect for their characters. We’ll have to wait and see what the future of the DCU holds, but Skydance shouldn’t let this chance slip away from them now that they have it.
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