This MCU Show Proves Robert Pattinson’s The Batman Can Fit In The DCU

Recently, Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios announced that Matt Reeves’ upcoming sequel The Batman Part II, which will feature the triumphant return of Robert Pattinson as the titular superhero, was delayed to October 1, 2027. 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 with The 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 Saga as 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 via The Brave and the Bold, which is set to be helmed by The Flash director Andy Muschietti.

DC: 7 Reasons Why the DCU and The Batman Shouldn’t Merge

Fans are often debating why The Batman universe should merge with the DCU, but here are a few reasons why that shouldn’t happen.

Audiences got their first official taste of the new DCU last month through the Max original animated series Creature Commandos, while the cinematic launch of the new universe will be through James Gunn’s highly-anticipated Superman. The DCU’s Batman was introduced in Creature Commandos Episode 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 of The Batman Part II along with the critical success of The 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 potential World’s Finest film. The possibility of integrating Reeves’ Epic Crime Saga into 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 and Krypto the Superdog would be too much of a tonal whiplash. Although concerns regarding Gunn’s Silver Age vision established through Superman and Reeves’ gritty and grounded vision established through his Epic Crime Saga are 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’s Daredevil gave longtime fans of the comics their first quality live-action adaptation of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen roughly 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 two Avengers films and several months after James Gunn’s first Guardians of the Galaxy, where elements of sci-fi and fantasy coupled with a comedic tone were firmly established within this shared universe.

Although Daredevil makes 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 by Wilson 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 the Defenders miniseries, where Daredevil served as the true linchpin of that story’s narrative. Not to mention, Daredevil Season 2 introduced audiences to the MCU’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 in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye respectively. 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 in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law kept 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 Again looks 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 original series 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 films such as Avengers: Doomsday and the untitled fourth Tom Holland Spider-Man film. 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 of The Batman and The Penguin. Although it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Reeves was hesitant to merge his Epic Crime Saga into 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 an Epic Crime Saga with 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 for Part 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 and Daredevil, 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 Crusader can co-exist in a universe featuring kaiju monsters that 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.