Warner Bros. shelving plans for a Gotham PD-based Matt Reeves' The Batman is currently dominating box offices across the world, with fans lapping up Robert Pattinson's DC debut in all its gloomy glory, and critics smitten by Reeves' pulpy detective thriller - despite its hefty 3-hour runtime. Warner Bros. seemingly knew The Batman was a hit-in-the-making all along. In July 2020 - almost 2 years before The Batman's premiere - news of a Gotham PD spinoff broke, centered around Jeffrey Wright's Jim Gordon shortly after the Dark Knight's emergence. A little over a year later, a second spinoff starring Colin Farrell's Penguin was confirmed, while Reeves has publicly aired the notion of a Catwoman series further down the track.
The Batman's Gotham PD spinoff didn't enjoy smooth sailing in its early years of production. Original showrunner Terence Winter departed citing creative differences, then the project's GD focus morphed toward Arkham Asylum and its assorted rogues. After 18 months of creative uncertainty, Matt Reeves has now confirmed The Batman's Gotham PD spinoff is on hold. In all likelihood, the show isn't going to happen.
Getting less of Matt Reeves' Gotham City than DC initially promised might disappoint some, but dropping the GD spinoff is actually good news for The Batman's long-term future. Green-lighting numerous The Batman spinoffs was always a strong sign of faith in Pattinson's value, but also an omen that a good thing might be ruined through saturation - a concern that feels even more valid now The Batman has released. There's a special sheen about The Batman's cinematic Gotham, and though further exploration is richly warranted, too many spinoffs could risk draining the well of interest rather too quickly.
Also working against The Batman's Gotham PD spinoff is an uncanny similarity to Fox's Gotham. Despite taking place later in Batman's timeline, comparisons were evident from the beginning - the central GD focus, the emergence of a shadowy vigilante, a younger Jim Gordon as a central protagonist, etc. By its very nature, The Batman's spinoff risked retreading old ground, and would've struggled to differentiate itself from a TV show which, lest we forget, only ended in 2019. Even if Gotham PD proved superior (and judging by The Batman, it probably would've), its appeal felt limited by plain old repetition.
Gotham suffered greatly from the Bat in the room. It's incredibly difficult for a Batman prequel to avoid the man himself, but the man himself has a habit of stealing the spotlight whenever he does appear. The Batman's GD spinoff (especially with its Year One timeline placement) would've faced the same dilemma - dance around the Batman issue, or risk lowering Pattinson's theatrical exclusivity with a streaming appearance. Neither sounds appealing.
The Batman's Gotham PD spinoff idea begins to look even more redundant considering the other projects Warner Bros. has lined up. Colin Farrell's Penguin performance leaves viewers hungry for more, building an unexpected amount of hype for a solo venture, which has been amplified further by suggestions of a The Batman's Penguin spinoff will inevitably demand some involvement from the GD and Arkham Asylum too, which completely removes the need for both shows to coexist. If we could only choose one, it's an easy win for Oswald...
With its vast and dynamic urban landscape, The Batman undeniably leaves scope for HBO Max spinoffs - that much isn't in question. If Warner Bros. is to avoid giving DC fans too much of a good thing, however, it needs to be more choosy in its subject matter, and a Gotham PD series that steps on Gotham's toes, has struggled to find direction in early development, and occupies the same criminal underworld as Penguin's (far more exciting) spinoff doesn't feel like an enhancing addition to Matt Reeves' universe.
