Not rumored. Not “sources say.” Not “insider whispers.” Filming. As in: Matt Reeves is on set directing the next chapter of THE BATMAN EPIC CRIME SAGA.
And yet, if you wander into the online fandom echo chamber/cesspool, you’d think the only thing happening in the world of Batman on film is a never‑ending casting fantasy league for a hypothetical “DCU Batman” who won’t show up for years.
This annoys the hell out of me.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The DCU Batman can wait.
And yes — I’m fully aware that James Gunn and DC Studios probably won’t wait. I get the business logic. I get the massive jones for a shared‑universe (again). I get the pressure to get all the DCU pillars up and running.
But it’s still a mistake.
FYI: We Already Have a Batman on Film
This shouldn’t be complicated.
Robert Pattinson is the current cinematic Batman.
He’s filming THE BATMAN PART II right now.
He’s the face of a franchise that actually exists.
But a chunk of fandom is obsessed with “Who will be the DCU Batman?!” like Reeves’ SAGA is some kind of speed bump on the way to the next reboot. It feels disrespectful to the work being done right now and treats Pattinson like a placeholder instead of the Batman who’s actually on the big screen.
You don’t cast another Batman while the current cinematic Batman is literally on set wearing the suit. Christopher Nolan knew that and helped set the precedent.
Reeves Is Building Something Special
Matt Reeves isn’t making content…he’s making cinema.
He’s crafting a grounded, character‑driven, filmmaker‑driven Batman world that stands on its own two Bat-boots. It’s deliberate. It’s thoughtful. It’s built to last. And it deserves the space to breathe without being overshadowed by a hypothetical reboot.
Let the man finish his story. Let the SAGA play out. Let the work speak for itself.
Sorry for the “inconvenient success” that was THE BATMAN (and additionally, THE PENGUIN), but the DCU Batman can wait his turn.
Yes, Gunn and Co. Probably Won’t Wait
I’m not naïve. I know how studios think. I know how shared universes work. I know how many fans want this to be “just like the comics!”
I know Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Studio wants its DCU Batman sooner rather than later.
But here’s the truth:
If Batman is so GD essential to the DCU’s success that the whole thing collapses without him, then perhaps you don’t need a shared universe at all.
Maybe — and this is F’n cRAzY 🤪, I know — you just make great, unconnected DC films and HBO series like we’ve been doing since 1978 with SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE. Here are a few other examples:
SUPERMAN II.
BATMAN ’89.
THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY.
SMALLVILLE.
PREACHER.
THE SANDMAN (Season 1).
THE BATMAN.
THE PENGUIN.
And, lest we forget, HBO’s WATCHMEN, one of the best DC adaptations ever made, and connected to absolutely nothing else.
All successful. All standalone. All proof that audiences don’t need everything tied together with red string.
If the DCU can’t stand on its own two feet without Batman propping it up, the problem isn’t timing or execution…it’s the model.
Let Superman Carry the DCU for a While
Say, here’s an idea: let Superman lead the way for the DCU for a bit.
Gunn’s KRYPTO…err…SUPERMAN (which I liked) was a modest success and a sequel, MAN OF TOMORROW, is filming right now.
He’s Superman, the original superhero.
Isn’t/Shouldn’t Superman be more than capable of carrying the DCU for a while?
Let Batman enter when the time is right — not when the internet or studio suits demand it.
The DCU Batman’s Time Will Come
Someday, sure — bring on the DCU Batman. Let him team up with Superman. Let him join the Justice League. Let him punch aliens, monsters, ghosts, gods or whoever. Let him have a team of adolescent/teenage sidekicks. Let him take a rocket ship into space. Let him be as blue as Blue from BLUE’S CLUES.
But today? Right now? In the real world where we currently have a super-successful live-action Batman saga?
Batman on film right now = Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson. Period.
Let Reeves do this thing (as planned). Let Pattinson continue to shine. Let the SAGA finish (as planned).
Again, the DCU Batman can wait.
And if DC Studios is smart, they’ll let him. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
