Robert Pattinson could have very well ended up as the Dark Knight of both The Batman Epic Crime Saga and the DC Universe.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn recently sat down with Josh Horowitz of the Happy Sad Confused podcast to discuss the first entry in the DCU, Creature Commandos, as well as a variety of other projects in development at the studio.
When asked whether there was any consideration over making Pattinson’s Batman from Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022) part of the DCU, Gunn admitted, “I’ve contemplated it, yeah. I contemplate everything. I talk about everything.”
However, it looks like The Batman Epic Crime Saga will remain unconnected to the DCU, with Gunn explaining to Horowitz that he wants DC Studios to produce a nice mix of DCU and Elseworlds projects. “I’m committed to both telling stories in the DCU and telling Elseworlds stories. I want the freedom to tell Elseworlds stories,” he shared, mentioning that he doesn’t want to not be able to adapt Superman: Red Son simply because it wouldn’t work within the confines of the DCU.
“We want to be able to play with these characters in different ways,” Gunn continued, adding that being so open to exploring alternate takes on its superheroes is “part of the fun of DC.”
Watch Horowitz’s complete interview with Gunn below:
The DCU’s Batman will be older than Robert Pattinson’s version
Based on what has been shared by Gunn, the DCU’s Batman will be significantly older than Pattinson’s take on the Caped Crusader who was introduced in Reeves’ 2022 movie. The DCU Batman movie, currently titled The Brave and the Bold, will be based on the 2006 comic book story arc, “Batman and Son,” by writer Grant Morrison and artist Andy Kubert. The storyline focuses on focuses on Bruce Wayne learning that he has fathered a son, Damian, with Talia al Ghul, the daughter of his nemesis, Ra’s al Ghul.
With Damian typically depicted as being between the ages of 10 and 13, the DCU’s Bruce Wayne will likely need to be portrayed as older and more established in his crime-fighting career than Pattinson’s version, who is only in his second year of being Batman.
The Brave and the Bold does not yet have a release date. Pattinson will reprise the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Matt Reeves’ upcoming sequel, The Batman Part II, which is set to be released in theaters on October 2, 2026.
