I'm glad that James Gunn has decided not to integrate Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight from DCU's The Brave and the Bold movie, but the success of Matt Reeves' The Batman in 2022 may have thrown a spanner in the works.

Robert Pattinson donned the cape and cowl as a more grounded and gritty version of Bruce Wayne in The Batman to take on Paul Dano's Riddler, who had been targeting the wealthy elite of Matt Reeves' Gotham City. I loved this depiction of Batman, so I understood the rise in speculation that Pattinson's Dark Knight could become the official version of the hero for the rebooted DC Universe. However, James Gunn has other ideas, and I actually think his way of doing things will be far more beneficial to the DCU and Batman himself.

James Gunn Considered Bringing Robert Pattinson’s Batman Into The DCU

Robert Pattinson Debuted As Batman In 2022

Speaking on the The Batman - Part II, and beyond. Currently, we don't know what direction the DCU will take with Batman, so it's a good thing that Pattinson's Batman will remain separate.

Immediately after revealing that he contemplated introducing Robert Pattinson's Batman to the DCU, James Gunn explained exactly why this wouldn't be happening, and his reasoning made me very happy. Gunn stated that he's "committed to both telling stories in the DCU and telling Elseworlds stories," and since Matt Reeves' new Batman Epic Crime Saga has been a very successful corner of the DC Elseworlds sphere, I'd consider it a shame to lose it. The same goes for all of DC's Elseworlds projects, which I'm excited to see develop separate from the main DC Universe.

The DCU & DC Elseworlds Should Be Kept Separate

Separation Would Benefit Both The DCU & DC's Elseworlds Projects

James Gunn's comments about being committed to telling Elseworlds stories and wanting the freedom to do so have me very excited about the future of DC's live-action storytelling. In the past, I have had a love/hate relationship with DC, as the movies have more-often-than-not fallen flat for me, and have failed to capture the magic that Marvel Studios delivers in its MCU, for instance. 2022's The Batman, and, before that, 2019's Joker, hooked my interest more than any other DC movie, because they tried different things than we'd seen before, which was enticing.

I would consider it a huge disappointment if DC Studios' sole focus was to fall on the DCU, and the development of new Elseworlds movies was to be ignored. I think it would be a huge mistake for Robert Pattinson's Batman to be folded into the DCU, as he should have the freedom to grow in his own franchise without being too connected to DC's plethora of other heroes. I'm already upset that the Joker franchise likely won't continue after 2024's Joker: Folie à Deux, but I'm hoping more Elseworlds movies expand DC's repertoire in the not-too-distant future.

The Brave & The Bold Will Debut A New Batman For The DCU

The DCU Doesn't Need Robert Pattinson's Batman

The bottom line is: the DCU doesn't need Robert Pattinson's Batman. James Gunn announced the development of The Brave and the Bold in January 2023, with the project set to introduce a new actor cast as Batman in the DCU alongside the live-action debut of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul's son, Damian Wayne, who adopts the moniker of Robin in DC Comics. We can already see that the story of the DCU's Batman is wildly different to that of the younger and more-hardened Dark Knight portrayed by Pattinson, so it just wouldn't work integrating him into the rebooted franchise.

Actors including Glen Powell, Alan Ritchson and Jensen Ackles have been some of my favorite fan-casts for Bruce Wayne's Batman in the DCU, though it seems we're still a while away from knowing who will actually wear the cape and cowl. Batman has been played by several actors in live-action, most recently Pattinson, Affleck and Christian Bale. I'd love to see someone new explore new layers to the Caped Crusader, as these iterations have shared many similar dark traits, but I think Batman could benefit from being less grounded in the DCU.

DCU’s Batman Would Benefit From Being Less Grounded

DC Studios Can Do Something New & Fresh With The DCU's Batman

Many of the recent live-action iterations of Bruce Wayne's Batman have depicted him as a very human, grounded and dark vigilante, practically only operating in the shadow of night in Gotham City. Don't get me wrong, I love this gritty take on Batman, and this reflects many of his most iconic stories in DC Comics, but I reckon the DCU should take a different direction with the Caped Crusader. Batman's campier transformation in the 1960s was controversial, and I'm not arguing that the DCU should go full Adam West or George Clooney, but I think more levity certainly wouldn't hurt.

The Brave and the Bold doesn't yet have a scheduled release date, though The Flash director Andy Muschietti has reportedly signed on to direct.

The Brave and the Bold's Batman could do with being more lighthearted, especially since this seems to be the direction James Gunn is taking with the DCU's early projects. Set photos from Superman have shown more vibrancy, color and life being injected into DC's most iconic superheroes, and I'd love to see Batman get this treatment, too. I can't wait to see Robert Pattinson's darker Bruce Wayne be developed further after The Batman, but I want the DCU's Dark Knight to have a bit more charisma and a fun-loving personality.

DC Movie Releases

• 

  Superman

  Powered by

  

  Expand Collapse
• 

  Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

  Powered by

  

  Expand Collapse
• 

  The Batman Part II

  Powered by

  

  Expand Collapse