Despite DC Studios being a relatively new banner and having released only on-screen projects for a couple of years now, the company recently chose its fourth version of Batman to be introduced in an upcoming project. Batman is undoubtedly one of the most popular superheroes of all time and a major anchor for any DC franchise. Many fans are still waiting to see who James Gunn will cast as the Caped Crusader in live-action to be a part of the DCU, but until then, DC Studios is still giving everyone plenty of Batman content.
The next live-action version of Batman under the DC Studios banner is Robert Pattinson’s, who first appeared in 2022’s The Batman. That movie was released before DC Studios was launched, but 2024’s The Penguin was released under DC Studios, and the company will produce The Batman Part II.
DC Studios will also officially produce Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 (taking over from DC Entertainment, which produced Season 1), making Batman yet another unique version of the character under the DC Studios banner.
Fans are also looking forward to 2028’s animated Dynamic Duo film, which will showcase Batman as a supporting character while giving Dick Grayson and Jason Todd the spotlight. Dynamic Duo will be a standalone movie and a DC Elseworlds title, so it will not be connected to the DCU or any other project, meaning its version of Batman will be entirely different from any other. Now, DC Studios is adding another animated Batman to its lineup.
DC Studios announced during a presentation at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival that it will produce an Absolute Batman animated television series alongside Warner Bros. Animation, bringing the ultra-popular Absolute comic series to life for the first time. The animated show will bring the comic’s creators, writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta, on as producers. Snyder will also be the showrunner.
This will be the fourth unique version of Batman to appear in a DC Studios project, underscoring DC Studios’ strong value in the character. It also suggests that DC Studios feels comfortable giving fans all kinds of versions of Batman and is confident that fans will be able to differentiate one version from another.
Choosing to adapt Absolute Batman so soon after the original comic debuted is also a smart move, considering how popular the new initiative has been for DC. Fans have thoroughly enjoyed Snyder and Dragotta’s take on the Dark Knight, so capitalizing on this popularity while the series is ongoing makes sense.
The fact that the Absolute universe has already been successful also proves that the show has a good chance of drawing new fans in, particularly given this is an all-new adaptation
For example, when Creature Commandos (the first DCU title to ever be released) premiered in late 2024, it technically introduced the DCU’s version of the Dark Knight. In that show, Batman didn’t have any dialogue and wasn’t featured prominently, but he did make a brief cameo in one episode.
Notably, there still hasn’t been any confirmation from DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran on who will portray that version of Batman in live-action, but an announcement on that front could be made at any time.
Despite that, the studio has several projects centered around the Caped Crusader in the works whilst fans wait for Gunn’s take on Batman to make his debut.
The Next DC Studios Projects Featuring Batman
The Batman Part II
The Batman Part II seems to be finally on its way to release to the public on October 1, 2027. As it is a sequel to The Batman and stars Robert Pattinson as the top-billed lead, the movie will center on the Dark Knight and likely feature him more than anyone else.
DC Studios is trying to keep plot details about The Batman Part II under wraps, but that is proving rather difficult. According to rumors, Scarlett Johansson will portray Poison Ivy in the upcoming flick, with her Marvel co-star Sebastian Stan playing Victor Szasz. Previously, it was believed the pair would play Harvey and Gilda Dent.
No matter the case regarding Johansson and Stan, The Batman Part II is going to heavily showcase Pattinson’s Caped Crusader, and fans couldn’t be more excited to see the next chapter of Matt Reeves’ story.
Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2
DC Studios is producing Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2, which will be released on Amazon Prime Video on July 31. Caped Crusader had a successful Season 1 and was a spiritual successor to Batman: The Animated Series, which premiered in the 1990s.
Season 2 of the show is expected to bring Batman back in the same manner that he was featured in Season 1. He will fight criminals, go toe-to-toe with supervillains, and ultimately try to protect the people of Gotham.
Dynamic Duo
Dynamic Duo will be a standalone DC Elseworlds story, meaning it won’t be connected to anything else under the DC umbrella. Essentially, it is viewed as a compelling story with a strong script, so James Gunn and Peter Safran wanted the project to be made because they felt people deserved to see it.
Not much is known about Dynamic Duo, aside from the fact that it will feature Dick Grayson and Jason Todd as the main characters and will be released in 2028.
However, Batman will still appear in the animated title, just as a supporting character rather than the main character. Some reports suggest that Dick and Jason will be adopted from the Red Hood gang and that Batman will appear as a massive person on-screen.
The Brave and the Bold
Fans still don’t know who is going to play Bruce Wayne/Batman in live-action in the DCU. There have been plenty of names thrown out in fancasts, but Gunn and Safran haven’t given any indication of who it will be. No matter who is behind the mask, they will appear as the Caped Crusader in the DCU’s Brave and the Bold film, which will be a part of the interconnected universe’s first chapter.
That movie is expected to adapt parts of the comic book series of the same name and feature Batman in a way fans haven’t seen him before.
Creature Commandos Season 2 (Speculated)
DC Studios has not confirmed whether Batman will pop up in Creature Commandos Season 2, which is likely to be released sometime in 2027. However, since the character made a cameo appearance in Season 1, he could appear in a future episode as well.
Clayface (Speculated)
Clayface is one of the most anticipated DC movies in recent years. With a screenplay from horror legend Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House), many expect it to be one of the most horrifying yet emotional stories ever produced under the DC umbrella.
Most likely, Clayface will focus only on its central character, Matt Hagen. However, since it is set in Gotham, it is entirely possible that it could introduce the DCU’s live-action version of Batman for the first time when the film hits theaters on October 23.
Many fans don’t necessarily want Batman to show up, as they feel as though it could take away from Clayface‘s story and themes, but it is always possible he could make an appearance at the end of the movie or in a post-credits scene to tie everything together and make Clayface feel like it is a part of the DCU.
