Summary
As the possibility of Robert Pattinson’s Batman joining the DCU looms,Creature Commandos’season finale might have subtly hinted at James Gunn’s intentions. Episode 7 ofCreature Commandosleft fans with a solid clue about the duration of Batman’s career in the new universe.
In the past few days, discourse within the DC community has revolved around the previously-impossible-turned-near-reality prospect of Robert Pattinson’s Batman being subsumed into the DCU. Although set to make his live-action DCU debut in Andy Muschietti’s delayedBatman: The Brave and the Bold,or theClayfacemovie,Batman already made his first appearance in the DCU—albeit for a split-second cameo and as a silhouette—in the closing stages of Episode 6 ofCreatureCommandos, titled “Priyatel Skelet,” where he seemingly apprehends Doctor Phosphorus.
DCU’s Batman Has Been Active For At Least 15 Years
Aftersidelining Nina Mazursky for most of the TV show, Episode 7 ofCreature Commandos, “The Very Funny Monster,” treated fans to the melancholic past of aquatic humanoid, as Task Force M infiltrates the castle in Pokolistan to kill its ruler, Princess Illana on the orders of Amanda Waller. While the murder mission doesn’t exactly go as planned, Doctor Phosphorus is mad at the Pokolistani guards for petting Weasel, remarking,“You know what it’s like not being touched for 15 years?”
Doctor Phosphorus’ entire body burns bright greenwith radioactive phosphorus, making anyone who tries to come in contact with him against his wish—or vice versa—suffer a fiery end. Thus, Phosphorus’ mournful longing for intimate affection, one that is 15 years overdue, implies that the last time he experienced such closeness was during his life as a human with his wife and daughter. Given that his encounter with the Caped Crusader likely happened not long after, it’s reasonable to conclude that the DCU’s Batman has been hopping around Gotham for at least a decade and a half. Even if the arrest occurred years after his unwilling transformation and subsequent crime boss stint, it still puts a solid ten-year gap between that event and the timeline ofCreature Commandos, effectively granting Batman a decade-long career in the DCU, at worst.
This should not come as a surprise. IfBatman: The Brave and the Boldis to feature the Bat-family, it would be an abnormality for Gotham’s vigilante to establish such relationships in a mere five or six years. Moreover, James Gunn is a clever writer, and it’s not unlike him to include extremely subtle hints in his movies like he famously did withGuardians of the Galaxy. Put another way, Phosphorus’ singular sentence has obvious implications for the status of Batman in the DCU and Gunn’s true intentions.
Although recent statements from the filmmaker and Matt Reeves have left a once slightly open door for Robert Pattinson in the DCU wider than it was a few days ago, theCreature Commandosseason finale suggests that it is still unlikely. Considering thatThe Batmandepicts the Dark Knight in Year 2of his “Project Gotham,” this timeline doesn’t align with the more seasoned Batman hinted at in the DCU. That, the silhouette color of Batman’s DCU cameo inCreature Commandosleaning blue and gray instead of black, and Andy Muschietti’s confirmation that his movie exists in a separate continuity from Reeves’ universe, have led many fans to conclude—some eagerly, others reluctantly—that Pattinson’s portrayal of Batman will remain confined to Reeves’ darker, standalone “Batmanverse.”
Creature Commandos' season finale was released on January 9 and streams on Max.
