‘The Batman’ Isn’t Part Of DC’s Multiverse Plans

Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne is rumored to play a major role in the DCEU's future.

Robert Pattinson The Batman Opening Weekend Box Office

The Batman director Matt Reeves and producer Dylan Clark explain why the upcoming film isn’t part of the DC Extended Universe.

The DC Extended Universe has been in effect since Man of Steel, but Warner Bros. isn’t connecting every film to it. While many future DC projects like Black Adam, The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and others will take place in the ongoing Multiverse, Matt Reeves’ The Batman will go the Joker route and exist on its own.

When director Matt Reeves first signed on, it was expected that the film would star Ben Affleck in the DCEU’s continuity, but that’s no longer the case. Empire’s January 2022 issue reports on why the filmmaker decided to go in his own direction:

“[Reeves] emphasized to Affleck and Warner Bros. that he would ‘need to be able to create an iteration with a personal aspect to it,’ which wasn’t obliged to ‘connect with all these other things’ in the DCEU.”

Even though The Batman doesn’t take place in the DCEU, that doesn’t mean we won’t see other heroes in the future. We already know Superman exists in some form based on set photos. However, producer Dylan Clark reiterated Reeves’ tale will solely focus on Robert Pattinson’s Batman:

“Warner Bros. has a multiverse where they’re exploring different ways to use the character … We don’t get involved in that. Matt is interested in pushing this character to his emotional depths and shaking him to his core.”

Robert Pattinson’s Batman might not be involved with the happenings in the DCEU, but Matt Reeves is still building up a universe of his own with HBO Max shows following the Gotham PD and Colin Farrell’s Penguin. Meanwhile, it has been reported Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne will play a major role in the DCEU’s Multiverse following The Flash.

Here is the synopsis for The Batman:

Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.

When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.

Directed by Matt Reeves, the film stars Robert Pattinson as the titular hero, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál, with Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as the Penguin.

The Batman will hit theaters on March 4, 2022. Stay tuned for all the latest news regarding the Robert Pattinson film, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: Empire (via SlashFilm)

Ryden Scarnato

Ryden Scarnato

Ryden's affection for all things DC, Marvel, and Star Wars has led him to entertainment journalism at Heroic Hollywood as a News Editor.