Robert Pattinson, who plays Batman, is skeptical if a DC Comics character such as Superman will work in the forthcoming series. While Warner Bros. continues to expand the DC Extended Universe, the company is also embracing the DC Multiverse idea. Following films like Joker, The Batman will mark the beginning of a new era for Warner Bros., with Pattinson starring in filmmaker Matt Reeves’ reimagining. In spite of being intended to be Ben Affleck‘s solo movie at first, The Batman was redesigned as a fresh take on the renowned DC hero. The film, however, will bypass the origin story and instead center on Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne in his thirties during his second year as the iconic vigilante.
The Batman is devoid of any prior cinematic continuity, allowing Reeves to develop the franchise whatever he wishes. That hasn’t stopped ardent fans from asking if the remake would eventually feature more DC characters. While the first part will center on Batman’s confrontation with The Riddler, it will also include extensive world-building. Given Warner Bros.’ heightened interest in exploiting the Multiverse, The Batman series may incorporate other versions of characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash.
While fans may like to see other DC characters in Pattinson’s The Batman series, this may be a pipe dream. Pattinson discussed the possibility of seeing famous DC characters such as Superman in future sequels in a recent interview with ComicBook. Despite discussions about infusing Reeves’ world with magical aspects, The Batman is aiming for a realistic tone akin to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. While the British actor did not rule out the possibility of bringing in other superheroes, Pattinson stated the following:
“I love the idea of trying to figure out how make… We’ve been talking about how to get the fantastical elements because Matt’s world, his take on it is so grounded, and I’m thinking like, ‘How can you add…?’ Like, we were talking the other day, like, ‘Can you add Superman into it but he just doesn’t have any powers? He’s just a guy in a cape?'” Pattinson said. “He’s just like, ‘I’m Superman!’ And they’re like, ‘So?'”
When considering Pattinson’s statements, it’s critical to keep in mind some of the spoiler-filled information that emerged during Batman’s primary shooting. Despite the actor’s assertion that it would be challenging to include Superman in the new franchise, the Man of Steel seems to be already set. The Batman set photographs showed a scene being filmed for a Halloween party, complete with extras outfitted as Superman and Wonder Woman. The Man of Tomorrow was also hinted to by an on-set spotting of an in-canon newspaper, confirming Metropolis’ existence while disclosing Kal-heroic El’s duty.
While it’s fair that The Batman remake isn’t concentrating on expanding its DC Universe connections at the moment, taking on another grounded franchise may pose a risk to Warner Bros. It’s been less than a decade since Nolan’s trilogy come to an end, during which the director placed a premium on portraying Batman and his world as realistically as possible. Having another Batman reboot with the absence of superpowers would be very repetitive and may even hinder confronting the hero’s larger saga. Despite the fact that Bruce has several grounded antagonists, he also has fantastical rogues as Poison Ivy, Clayface, and Man-Bat. Even if The Batman never introduces Superman, Reeves hasn’t ruled out the possibility of incorporating science fiction and mystical aspects into the new series.
