Joining The DCU Would Ruin Robert Pattinson’s Batman

James Gunn could bring Robert Pattinson’s Batman into the DC Universe, but that would be a bad decision for all involved. Warner Bros. and DC rebooted Batman’s big screen presence once again in 2022 by introducing Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne in The Batman. The film was a massive hit for the studio and successfully got audiences invested in a new Batman completely separated from DC’s shared universe hopes. However, this is where a potential problem emerged, as the DCU needs a Batman and neither Ben Affleck nor Michael Keaton (or even Christian Bale) is the long-term solution.It seems that the idea of Robert Pattinson’s Batman joining the DCU is being discussed. Reports suggest that this is an idea James Gunn and Peter Safran, the new co-CEOs of DC Studios, have considered this option, which Gunn denies. Bringing Robert Pattinson’s Batman into the DCU would solve the franchise’s current Batman problem, but it would not be a seamless fit and could create bigger problems for Matt Reeves’ franchise and the larger shared universe. Whether it is the tonal differences or separate creative visions, the DCU adding Robert Pattinson’s Batman would be a huge mistake.Related: The DCU’s Problems Make The Batman Even Better

The DC Universe’s Tone Doesn’t Fit Matt Reeves’ The Batman World

If Robert Pattinson did join the DCU, the shared universe’s tone would change how his Batman operates in Matt Reeves’ franchise. The current DC franchise has a tone that is quite lighthearted and fun, especially looking at the films that are still coming. While Gunn and Safran could darken the tone of the DCU a bit, it should be expected that an overall hopeful world will be established with Superman, Wonder Woman, and others in the fold. While The Batman‘s ending sees Robert Pattinson’s Batman transition to become more of a beacon for hope, that does not change the fact that he is established within a darker tone.

The bigger scale of events with the DCU also presents a problem for Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe and Pattinson’s version of the character. The film positions him as a detective-driven superhero who is a capable crime fighter. However, introducing Pattinson’s Batman to a world with aliens and gods immediately raises the stakes for the types of villains he will have to fight. It is difficult to imagine this grounded Batman fighting major DC villains like Darkseid or Black Adam. Technological enhancements could aid this Batman in such a fight, but it would still feel like a betrayal of where he originated from.

The New DCU Shouldn’t Be As Dark As Pattinson’s Batman

If the DCU’s tone is too light for Pattinson’s Batman, one could argue that James Gunn could bring a darker tone to the shared universe under his guidance. However, this would also be a mistake. Gunn’s work with The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker shows that he might be interested in more mature material coming from DC, but applying The Batman‘s dark tone to the entire universe would repeat a previous DCU failing. There is no debate that the dark style featured in Zack Snyder’s movies was one of the reasons why the original DCEU plans failed to manifest.

If Gunn used The Batman‘s tone as the baseline for other projects, the same mistake could be made. Audiences do not want to see another dark Superman while turning Wonder Woman into a less hopeful and fun character would surely be met with criticism. There is room for darker characters and stories within Gunn’s new DCU plans, but The Batman‘s tone is different. Gunn could potentially find a happy medium between the DCU’s current lighter tone and The Batman‘s darker tone. However, Superman and Wonder Woman would not mesh with Pattinson’s Batman’s darkness, meaning DC’s Trinity would not work.

The Batman Set Up Its Own Universe Separate From DC

DC would also face trouble bringing Robert Pattinson’s Batman to the DCU because The Batman did such an excellent job at setting up a separate universe. Without the connections to the DCU and having to worry about how Batman’s story affects the Justice League and other franchise plans, Matt Reeves was able to create a universe entirely on his own. This meant introducing a new version of Gotham and digging deep into the criminal history and landscape of the town. It all came as Robert Pattinson’s Batman chased down The Riddler during his second year as a crime fighter, which is a stark contrast to Ben Affleck’s experienced Dark Knight.

The separation from DCU meant Matt Reeves was able to begin developing a Batman shared universe after planting seeds for several spinoffs and sequels. The filmmaker is busy developing The Batman 2 with Robert Pattinson set to star once again. He also has multiple The Batman spinoff shows in development for HBO Max designed around Colin Farrell’s Penguin and another about Arkham Asylum. There has also been plenty of interest in a Catwoman spinoff starring Zoë Kravitz. All these plans are able to move forward as Reeves desires because he is not burdened by connections to an established shared universe.

Matt Reeves’ The Batman Was Designed As A Shared Universe Breakaway

The DCU using Robert Pattinson’s Batman in some fashion would also defeat the point of Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise. Once it was clear that Ben Affleck would not be involved in the project, Reeves developed the movie as a franchise starter that would be separated from the DCEU. The Batman taking place in a separate universe was unquestionable as new actors played Batman, Jim Gordon, and Joker instead of Affleck, J.K. Simmons, or Jared Leto being involved. There were Easter eggs for other DC characters, such as Superman and Wonder Woman, but those were not meant to tease a Justice League future for Pattinson.

Bringing Robert Pattinson’s Batman to the DCU is complicated due to this setup. If Gunn wants to retain any elements of the current DCU (such as Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn), a multiverse crossover event must be planned to bring the different universes together. Otherwise, DC Studios might be forced to completely reboot the DCU to make the characters fit within The Batman‘s universe. The oddity here would be Gunn and Safran losing characters/franchises they are already familiar with and taking the reins of the Batman cinematic universe away from Matt Reeves – no doubt a reason why Gunn is not making such plans.

Why The DCU Has A Batman Problem

How past regimes mishandled the character is to blame for DC’s current Batman problem. The DCU was meant to have either Ben Affleck or Michael Keaton operate as the main Batman, allowing Robert Pattinson’s hero to exist independently. Neither Affleck nor Keaton is seemingly interested in being Batman again to the point of being a central figure in the next 10 years of DC movies, but that is exactly what DC needs. James Gunn’s DCU will not be complete without a Batman, so an interest in using Robert Pattinson would make sense. It is just unfortunate for him that Matt Reeves’ version of the character is better on his own.

The timing of The Batman rebooting the character with Robert Pattinson is also why James Gunn’s decision is so tricky. It would be pretty confusing for audiences if Gunn’s DCU rebooted Batman again and found another new actor to play the role while Pattinson continued to star in The Batman sequels. The new DC Studios brass is left in an impossible place, then. Their current Batman actors are too old to be the face of the DCU franchise for the next decade, while the actor best suited to be just that is established in a completely different universe and needs to stay there.