Fans absolutely loved Robert Pattinson as the broody Batman in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. He will soon be returning to the role in a sequel set to release in 2027, but is there a chance he could become the DCU’s main Batman? Here’s what Clayface director Mike Flanagan thinks.
At the Motor City Comic Con 2025, Flanagan was asked if he thinks Pattinson’s Batman could fit into the ongoing DCU. He replied, “Of course, yeah,” before adding,
I have no idea what the plan is for any of that. I do know, though, that Matt Reeves is a creative powerhouse… Pattinson’s Batman was excellent. I think the world in Gotham that he built is wonderful. I think the Penguin works on big screen and television, and I do think there is a way to harmonize all of these elements into the DC Universe, which I think is what James [Gunn] is doing in his way.
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Flanagan’s words have left the possibility of Pattinson stepping into the DCU from Elseworlds and becoming the main Caped Crusader of this superhero universe open. But what does James Gunn think about it all?
James Gunn Talks About Robert Pattinson Joining the DCU
It’s safe to assume that Gunn has thought of everything he wants to do with the DCU, and the thought of letting Pattinson cross into his fictional world must have paid him a visit.
During his appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gunn stated that he has “contemplated” the possibility. He said,
I’ve contemplated it. I gotta contemplate everything, Josh. I gotta talk about everything… These questions you can’t answer because people are too… they make everything to mean something. You’d be an idiot not to think, ‘How does this go [gestures right], how does this go [gestures left]?‘
However, talking to Rolling Stone, Gunn was asked the same question, and this time he seemed more sure of his answer. While he stated that nothing can be said with certainty, Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne coming to the DCU is “not likely. It’s not likely at all.”
James Gunn Wants to Continue Elseworlds Stories
The Batman Part II may be on the path to turning Pattinson into the best Dark Knight the world has ever seen, and it looks like he will be staying in Elseworlds, at least for a long, long time.
Continuing his conversation with Josh Horowitz, Gunn admitted that he is attracted to the idea of telling stories in both the DCU and Elseworlds. He wouldn’t want to give one up for the other:
But I’m committed to both telling stories in the DCU and and telling Elseworlds stories. I want the freedom to tell Elseworlds stories. We want to be able to tell a story in which Superman’s very different or tell a Red Son story or whatever. We want to be able to play with these characters in different ways.
As a die-hard comic fan, Gunn loves that there are multiple versions of a single character. “That’s part of the fun of DC“, why would he want to take that away from the fans?
And as for Matt Reeves, it all comes down to “whether or not it makes sense” for him. While he can’t speak for the future, he added that Gunn and Peter Safran have been incredibly supportive when it comes to Elseworlds doing its own thing. His priority for now is keeping his head down and getting The Batman Part II done (via Josh Horowitz Clips).
Do you think there’s a chance Pattinson could become DCU’s main Dark Knight? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
The Batman Part II will be released on October 01, 2027.
