What We Hope The Batman Movie Universe Looks Like: Our Biggest Predictions

Warner Bros. Discovery and director Matt Reeves are reportedly developing a The Batman movie universe, and there are many options as to where this “Batverse” can go. While details on The Batman 2 are still a mystery, it’s clear that Robert Pattinson’s Batman was a promising future ahead of him. At a time when the DCEU still struggles to find a consistent path, a The Batman universe might be just what DC needs. Matt Reeves’ The Batman was one of the less divisive, well-received DC movies in years, and its solid box office justifies not only The Batman sequels but also heroes and villains’ spinoffs.

According to THR’s original report, this The Batman universe would initially focus on spinoffs centered on Batman’s rogues gallery. Considering how successful Joker (2019) was despite having no ties to any cinematic universe and not even featuring Batman, it makes sense for WBD. to develop other villain-centered movies now part of a larger franchise. The Batman has the advantage of not being an origin story but rather a “Year Two” Batman, which means several of Batman’s rogues either already exist or could be easily introduced. Still, while Batman’s rogues’ gallery is rich enough to sustain several spinoffs, a The Batman movie universe would need more than just villain spinoffs. Here’s what this The Batman universe could be.

Confirmed The Batman Spinoffs

There are two The Batman spinoffs officially in development. One is The Penguin, which will see Colin Farrel reprising his role as Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin, now in an HBO Max series. Considering that reports of a Penguin series began even before The Batman premiered, it was difficult to say whether The Penguin would take place before or after the events of The Batman. However, The Batman director Matt Reeves and The Penguin star Colin Farrel have since explained that the spinoff series will be set after the events of The Batman (via ExtraTV). As such, the Penguin series will explore the power vacuum left by Falcone’s death at the end of The Batman.

The other confirmed The Batman spinoff series is an Arkham HBO Max show. Compared to the Penguin series, which is already close to starting shooting, the Arkham TV show is still early stages of development. In fact, the project was originally envisioned as a Gotham City PD show. Boardwalk Empire’s Terence Winter had been announced as the showrunner for the GCPD show in July 2020, and it was expected that the series would be a prequel. Winter left the project in November 2020, and not much else was heard about the project until The Batman was released. When asked about the GCPD show, Matt Reeves revealed that the project evolved into an Arkham show (via Happy Sad Confused), yet there are currently no details on the story.

The Batman’s Spinoffs Reportedly In Development

THR’s report on the planned The Batman universe mentions how it would focus on “obscure villains” of the Batman mythos. Considering Batman’s long history of movie adaptations, the list of never-before-used or underused Batman villains is not that long. THR mentions three specific characters who may receive a spinoff: Scarecrow, Clayface, and Professor Pig. Of those three, Scarecrow is the only one to have appeared on the big screen – in fact, Cillian Murphy’s Jonathan Crane was part of all three Dark Knight trilogy films. Professor Pig, on the other hand, is definitely on the list of obscure Batman villains. Interestingly, Clayface is on the more fantastical side of Batman’s mythos, which means Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe may not be restricted to a sense of realism.

Poison Ivy Movie

If The Batman’s universe does explore the more fantastical Batman villains, then a Poison Ivy spinoff movie or show is a must. More than 20 years after Batman & Robin, Poison Ivy’s return to the screen has been long overdue. Granted, Pamela Isley has appeared in Gotham and Batwoman, not to mention the animated Harley Quinn series. Still, for a character that is important to Batman’s rogues gallery, Poison Ivy deserves a place in a Batman cinematic universe. How Poison Ivy’s unique powers would work in a more grounded universe can be the answer to making The Batman’s universe truly authentic to the world of Batman’s comics.

Court Of Owls Movie

While many expected the Court of Owls to be the villains behind the shadows in The Batman, the Riddler’s story was very much self-contained. Still, there are enough visual and narrative hints in The Batman to suggest that the Court of Owls could exist in this universe. Considering how many people are taking for granted that the Court of Owls will be The Batman 2’s villains, it would be interesting if a Court of Owls spinoff movie happened instead. A secret organization that has been controlling Gotham City for decades, the Court of Owls can be used as a canvas for many different stories focusing on many different characters.

Batgirl Movie

After the disappointing cancellation of the DCEU’s Batgirl film, Barbara Gordon’s next best chance at a movie appearance might be in The Batman universe. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say whether Leslie Grace, who played Batgirl in the canceled DCEU Batgirl movie, would get to reprise her role in a completely different universe. Still, a Batman movie universe will never be complete without the Bat-Family. Batman’s sidekicks have been ignored in live-action since Batman & Robin. In fact, the Joel Schumacher Batman films were the only ones to ever feature Robin and Batgirl. Batman’s partnership with James Gordon has already been established in The Batman, and it would make sense for Barbara Gordon to follow in her father’s footsteps and try to save a corrupted city by herself.

Robin/Nightwing Movie

While it may seem too soon for a Robin in Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne story, the Batman canon establishes that Dick Grayson joined Batman early in the Dark Knight’s career. If The Batman 2 introduces Robin as many are expecting then a Robin spinoff movie could work in the future. That said, while Batgirl usually operates apart from Batman, Robin’s story is initially very much tied with Batman. For that reason, a Robin spinoff movie would only work after at least a couple of The Batman movies featured the iconic sidekick. An older Robin, however, could very well be the star of his own movie – not to mention other future possibilities like Nightwing.

Other Bat-Family Spinoff Movies & Shows

The Bat-Family offers the best opportunities for a The Batman cinematic universe – even more than Batman’s rogues gallery. While Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon are arguably the most popular Batman sidekicks, the list of heroes in the Bat-Family includes far more than just the first Robin and Batgirl. The Robin successors Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne; the heroes who have become Batgirl like Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown; and other members of the Bat-Family like Batwoman and Batwing all have the potential to star in their own solo adventures – whether it is a movie or a TV show. There could also be an official The Batman Bat-Family project, with a focus not on individual characters but rather on a team of Batman sidekicks.