Summary

• Warner Bros. wasn't able to connect The Dark Knight Trilogy to the DCEU last time around.
• Matt Reeves has an upcoming project set in the DCU.
• The Batman was the last successful DC film and the DCU should ride its success.

Matt Reeves has big plans for Gotham City, with the filmmaker involved with several projects set in the world he created in the first film. The Batman -- Part II, The Penguin, and others are in the works and exist outside the upcoming DCU, kicking off with Creature Commandos this year and Superman in 2025. DC Studios banned many projects, with plans for the DCU taking precedence. However, Robert Pattinson's Batman will remain active and on his own under the Elseworlds banner, separate from the DCU.

While the DC Elseworlds banner is nothing new for DC comic book readers, it feels like DC Studios is missing out on a huge opportunity that can catapult the universe early on. The Brave and the Bold is set to introduce another Batman for the DCU, but plans are always ever-evolving. Who knows what DC Studios has planned for Batman besides introducing Damian Wayne? The darker version of the character in The Batman might not work for the DCU. However, based on the studio's past, James Gunn and Peter Safran might want to reconsider its plans for Batman, the crown jewel of DC.

Warner Bros. Should Learn From The Dark Knight Trilogy

When Man of Steel hit theaters, Christopher Nolan had wrapped up the highly regarded Dark Knight Trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises the previous summer. Nolan, of course, gave Christian Bale's Batman a conclusion and has since moved on from the superhero genre. However, Nolan was still involved with Man of Steel but passed directorial duties to Zack Snyder. When the DCEU decided to bring in Batman for the Man of Steel sequel and before the casting of Ben Affleck, there were rumors of Bale's return. Bale has gone on record saying he won't return as Batman unless Nolan was on board, but plenty of actors have claimed to move on from a role, only to return years later like Hugh Jackman.

It's understandable why Bale never returned as Batman. Still, if he had been part of the DCEU from the start, that might've changed the course of that entire universe, given how successful the trilogy was critically and financially. Pattinson's Batman only has one film under his belt and is still early in his crime-fighting career, unlike Bale's Caped Crusader when Man of Steel was released. There also seem to be parallels between Superman and The Batman, with both reboots skipping the origin story.

Pattinson is at a good age to pair him up with David Corenswet's Superman, with a seven-year difference, shorter than the 11-year age gap between Affleck and Henry Cavill. Despite the more grounded setting in the first film, nothing currently rules out Pattinson from being in a universe full of heroes. Gotham has always existed in its corner. While Warner Bros. couldn't incorporate Bale into the DCEU, there's still a chance for Pattinson to be part of the DCU because the timing is much better this time around.

The Batman Was the Last Successful DC Film for Warner Bros.

The Batman was a win for Warner Bros. in 2022, earning $772 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). The DC films that have followed haven't been as successful, with disappointing returns for Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Last Kingdom. While a sequel to The Batman is in the works, DC Studios might want to take advantage of that good momentum.

The DCU is already bringing over other parts of the DCEU that have worked, such as John Cena's Peacemaker, so why not do the same with Pattinson? The DCU could use all the goodwill it can get, and part of that would be bringing Pattinson's Batman, who was well received by audiences. It's incredibly important for cinematic universes to get off to good starts and the verdict is still out on Creature Commandos and Superman. Placing The Batman in the DCU would give it a head start, which it could use, given how damaged the DC brand is now. It would also put less pressure on Superman to perform with The Batman retroactively serving as the DCU's Iron Man.

Matt Reeves Is Already Working on a DCU Project

Reeves has The Penguin series hitting Max later this year, along with talk of some other projects set in The Batman universe. One of those other confirmed projects is one about Arkham Asylum, assumed to be part of Reeves' BatVerse and not the DCU given his involvement. However, Gunn revealed Reeves' Arkham Asylum project would indeed be set within the DCU.

If Reeves is already working on a project for the DCU, why not simply fold Pattinson's Batman into it as well? Reeves did an excellent job bringing an accurate comic book Gotham City to life, to the point where Andy Muschietti's The Brave and the Bold has been set up to fail since there will be constant comparisons between the two ongoing Batman film franchises. Reeves can continue to play in the Gotham City sandbox and not connect to the greater DCU until the time is right. When a Justice League film finally comes along, Pattinson's Batman should slot right in and become part of something bigger. Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man started in a more grounded setting and Pattinson's Batman can follow a similar trajectory.

Delivering a solid superhero project might be harder than ever before with such a higher standard laid out. With a successful and quality film like The Batman set in its own world, it makes it easy to make it part of the DCU down the line. Warner Bros. has struggled to make their DC films hits as of late and should latch on to the recent success that the studios have had for the DCU. Warner Bros. is already going in that direction, with Gunn heading the entire universe after directing one of the best DCEU films released with The Suicide Squad.

Warner Bros. wasn't able to connect The Dark Knight Trilogy to the DCEU, but Reeves letting Pattinson's Batman exist in the DCU is more of a possibility since he's involved with the DCU. And, sure, Nolan had a hand in the first DCEU film, but Reeves is also doing a Batman-centric project for the DCU. It's been said several times that The Batman will exist outside the DCU with an Elseworlds label, but this is all before the launch of the universe and plans will surely change once reality starts to settle with the performance of DC Studious' projects. Incorporating Pattinson's Batman in the DCU is one change that could give the young cinematic universe the dream start it's chasing.