Summary
Recently, Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios announced that Matt Reeves’ upcoming sequelThe BatmanPart II,which will feature the triumphant return of Robert Pattinson as the titular superhero, was delayed to Jun 03, 2025. To put that into perspective, this would be roughly five and a half years since the release of the first film, and over 10 years since Reeves signed on to helm the first film, which would also come along with its own established shared universe that would eventually include numerous spinoff series on HBO, officially kicking off withThe Penguin.
By the time James Gunn and Peter Safran became the co-CEO’s of DC Studios, it was speculated at the time that a newly rebooted DCU could potentially integrate Matt Reeves’The Batman Epic Crime Sagaas part of the canon, but Gunn denied that would be the case, stating that Reeves’ Saga as an Elseworlds story, and announcing that the DCU’s Batman would be introduced viaThe Brave and the Bold,which is set to be helmed byThe Flashdirector Andy Muschietti.
Audiences got their first official taste of the new DCU last month through the Max original animated seriesCreature Commandos,while the cinematic launch of the new universe will be throughJames Gunn’s highly-anticipatedSuperman.The DCU’s Batmanwas introduced inCreature CommandosEpisode 6, “Priyatel Skelet,” who was depicted through a silhouette in a particular bulky style that’s different than Robert Pattinson’s Batsuit.
However, with the latest delay ofThe Batman Part IIalong with thecritical success ofThe Penguin,many are starting to speculate that Pattinson will become the DCU’s Batman, and eventually share the screen with the likes of David Corenswet’s Superman, perhaps in a potentialWorld’s Finestfilm. The possibility of integrating Reeves’Epic Crime Sagainto the canon of the DCU remains a fiercely-debated subject among fans. One side argues that having two separate and concurrent Batman sagas would confuse general audiences while the other argues that a world where Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne exists in the same universe featuring colorful, bizarre characters such as the bowlcut-donning Green Lantern Guy Gardner andKrypto the Superdogwould be too much of a tonal whiplash. Although concerns regarding Gunn’s Silver Age vision established throughSupermanand Reeves’ gritty and grounded vision established through hisEpic Crime Sagaare understandable, there is one acclaimed TV series from the MCU that proves that a universe that includes fantastical, comedic sci-fi and fantasy elements can co-exist with a more complex and mature story that’s street level.
A Fellow Masked Vigilante
Nearly a decade since its initial premiere on Netflix, Marvel’sDaredevilgave longtime fans of the comics their first quality live-action adaptation of theDevil of Hell’s Kitchenroughly 12 years after the critically reviled Ben Affleck-led film hit theaters. The series, which starred Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer by day and masked vigilante by night, consisted of three seasons, showcasing some of the most complex, character-driven stories told within the MCU. The series premiered in-between the first twoAvengersfilms and several months after James Gunn’s firstGuardians of the Galaxy,where elements of sci-fi and fantasy coupled with a comedic tone were firmly established within this shared universe.
AlthoughDaredevilmakes hints towards the broader MCU within the series, never does it lose its focus on its grounded, street-level storytelling. Because the series does such a remarkable job exploring the daily lives of lawyers Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson, along with its gritty world building of the criminal underworld of Hell’s Kitchen led byWilson Fisk AKA Kingpin, never does its more action-oriented elements clash with the more grounded tone established in the compelling courtroom drama elements. And best of all, the level of immersion within the grounded realism of Hell’s Kitchen can make one almost forget that somewhere within this same universe, a crew of lovable misfits featuring an anthropomorphic raccoon and a tree-like creature that only communicates with one phrase go on galactic adventures. Not to mention, Earth has a superhero team that features the God of Thunder and a man whose anger issues can turn him into a giant, green rage monster.
Daredevil & Friends
Charlie Cox’s Daredevil has already had the opportunity to collaborate with other heroes within the MCU. When Marvel Television was still in collaboration with Netflix establishing the street-level heroes on TV amidst the fantastical elements seen in the films, audiences were also introduced to the likes of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in their own respective series, all of which would culminate in theDefendersminiseries, where Daredevil served as the true linchpin of that story’s narrative. Not to mention,DaredevilSeason 2 introduced audiences to theMCU’s Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher, as well as Elektra Natchios. Within the realm of the more adult-oriented fare on Netflix, Daredevil proved that the gritty vigilante can work well with other superheroes.
Marvel and Netflix’s collaboration came to a definitive end by the time it became clear that the eventual launch of Disney Plus would lead to Marvel Studios developing exclusive original TV series for the streaming service.Daredevil,along with the other Netflix Original MCU shows was canceled, and the future for these characters was unknown up until that point. However, audiences were eventually reintroduced to Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk in Winter 2021 inSpider-Man: No Way HomeandHawkeyerespectively. The introduction of these two actors into Marvel Studios’ official projects excited fans of the Netflix series, and subsequent appearances such as Daredevil’s guest-starring role inShe-Hulk: Attorney At Lawkept building up the hype for his triumphant return in a new series,Daredevil: Born Again,set to premiere this March.
Diverse Genres & Tones Can Co-Exist
Marvel Studios’Daredevil: Born Againlooks to pick up where the original Netflix series left off, right down to returning cast members that also include Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page, Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson, and perhaps most excitingly, Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle. Although the series will be a Disney Plus exclusive, it’s clear that the grounded, mature tone established in the originalseries will carry on, even as its ties to the MCU are more explicit this time around. It’s clear that Kevin Feige has some big ambitions for the future of Daredevil and Kingpin, with rumors that these two characters will carry on into future filmssuch asAvengers: Doomsdayand theuntitled fourth Tom HollandSpider-Manfilm. Clearly, these four-quadrant blockbusters are a far cry from the adult-oriented series, but it goes to show the versatility such dynamic range of tones within characters can bring to the screen.
Yes, Matt Reeves has established Robert Pattinson’s Caped with a distinct, grounded vision. One that has clearly won the hearts of critics and audiences alike with the one-two punch ofThe BatmanandThe Penguin.Although it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Reeves was hesitant to merge hisEpic Crime Sagainto James Gunn’s DCU canon, it seems pretty clear that Warner Bros. sees the success of Reeves’ world as a much-needed win for a DC Comics brand whose reputation as a franchise has historically received a mixed reception at best.
Matt Reeves has big ambitions to tell anEpic Crime Sagawith Robert Pattinson’s Batman along with his many other iconic characters that have already been established on both the big and small screens, and while there are definitely other reasons as to why audiences have to wait even longer forPart II,it’s easy to see why there is much speculation regarding Pattinson’s potential integration into the DCU. Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see, but while some may argue that the creative visions of Reeves and Gunn clash a bit too much, one should look no further than at the MCU andDaredevil,and see that if the grounded, gritty adventures of Hell’s Kitchen’s masked vigilante can co-exist in a universe featuring a wisecracking alien raccoon, maybe the grounded, gritty mysteries of Gotham City’s Caped Crusadercan co-exist in a universe featuring kaiju monstersthat Superman battles with on an average day in Metropolis.
The Batman Part II
The Batman Part II is the sequel to Matt Reeve’s The Batman, released in 2022, and will continue where the original film left off. The film shares a universe with the HBO Max original Penguin series and sees the return of the Riddler and a different incarnation of the Joker.
