The new Smallville, for instance, could never have Bruce Wayne for an episode because of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy. But the superhero genre has evolved in the last decade on big-and-small screen and the Multiverse device is now more mainstream than ever. From properties like Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, studios are more eager to see several iterations of their IPs at the same time.
That's what is happening for Warner Bros. in the coming years with two of their biggest DC Comics characters. Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck are both reprising their respective versions of Superman and Batman in Michael Keaton's Batman. For the time being, Cavill's Man of Steel future is uncertain since the Snyder Cut is, currently, his only scheduled DC project. Outside of the main DCEU, Robert Pattinson will be the next actor to portray the Dark Knight in Matt Reeve's The Batman. But in a surprise move, Warner Bros. is also reimagining Superman in a reboot that will be executive produced by J.J. Abrams and written by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
The latest Superman interpretation is reportedly going to center on a black Man of Tomorrow, meaning it may not be Clark Kent. The project is early development stages, meaning it might be a while before it's produced and released. But since Warner Bros. is embracing the DC Multiverse, could the new Man of Steel be in the same world as Pattinson's Batman? Despite the fact that the two reboots might exist on their own Earths, it shouldn't be ruled out that Warner Bros. might consider creating another shared universe next to the DCEU. Here's why Abrams' Superman reboot could be in happening in Reeves' The Batman universe with Pattinson's iteration of the vigilante.
A Superman Is Confirmed To Exist In The Batman Universe
There have been plenty of clues and Easter eggs already revealed from The Batman set during its principal photography. One of the surprises was the tease of Superman's potential existence in the franchise. Set photos emerged late last year when extras were spotted dressed up as Superman and Wonder Woman, alluding to some DC connections in this universe. It's always possible that in The Batman's continuity, Justice League characters are fictional comic book characters, similar to how Black Lightning did it before ing the Arrowverse. However, there's evidence that Superman may actually be as real as the Dark Knight in this film, thanks to an article from The Gotham Times.
Photos of a Man of Tomorrow.
Bruce Wayne & A Non-Clark Kent Superman Would Be New For Live-Action
It took more than a decade for it to happen, but Warner Bros. got to bring the World's Finest together in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Affleck and Cavill. Even though it's unclear what happens to them after the Snyder Cut and The Flash, the DCEU's Superman and Batman might not sharing the screen again. Regardless of what happens to them, the new reboots could bring a new World's Finest dynamic to life. While there will be a black Superman, it's unknown if it's Calvin Ellis or Val-Zod from the comics, or an original character. It's always possible that they may do a black Clark, but it seems more likely that they'll want to focus on someone with new stories to tell.
Whether it's Calvin or Val, seeing Bruce work with a new Superman would help this universe to stand out. If they went with Calvin (who is also the President on Earth-23), it would be compelling to see a Batman that teams up with him. Not only does it allow the DCEU to use Cavill and Affleck again if Warner Bros. so chooses to, but it creates a new interpretation for the Superman and Batman relationship on screen. Should The Batman and the Superman reboots indeed be connected, it's fortunate that two of the involved creatives have an established relationship.
J.J. Abrams & Matt Reeves Has A Working Relationship
It's funny timing that both Abrams and Reeves each have an DC franchise in the works at Warner Bros. For those who aren't familiar, the two filmmakers have been friends ever since they were teenagers before becoming creators. The two talents, with their own respective impressive filmography, have also over the years worked together on a number of projects. Felicity that Abrams and Reeves created together which ran on The WB (now known as The CW) between 1998-2002. Throughout the decades, they have respectively gone on to direct big franchises like Star Trek, Star Wars, Planet of the Apes, and more.
Abrams and Bad Robot have an overall deal with Warner Bros. that will also include HBO Max's Justice League Dark and Constantine. Reeves, who has plans for a The Batman trilogy, also has an overall deal with his production company 6th & Idado through Warner Bros. TV. He's currently executive producing and developing a The Batman spinoff series that follows the Gotham P.D. for HBO Max. They will be two of the filmmakers to be bringing some of the future DC content to both film and TV for Warner Bros. With both of them having several DC projects in the work as well as a consistent working relationship, it's not the craziest idea that they'd reunite for their respective takes on Batman and Superman.
If they created an interconnected universe together, it'd be intriguing to see how they'd develop the World's Finest dynamic. Whether Abrams and Reeves did it, or if they bring in other filmmakers, it'd also lead to new visions for other DC characters. Only time will tell what their respective reboots will do as far as shared universes go. But if Warner Bros. is truly dedicated to investing in the DC Multiverse, setting up another world with The Batman and a new take on Superman would add a refreshing layer alongside the DCEU.
