The Batman – Part II is just one of many projects that could be part of Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, which is an exciting but risky strategy. The Batman and its sequel, The Batman – Part II, will not be part of James Gunn’s DC Universe. Instead, Reeves’ Batman franchise is to be considered DC Elseworlds, which means that it does not share a continuity with the new DC Universe’s movies and TV shows. In other words, Robert Pattinson will not play Batman in The Brave and the Bold, nor will David Corenswet’s Superman appear in The Batman – Part II.
That said, The Batman has become the beginning of its own shared universe. The Penguin series starring Colin Farrell already released a first trailer, although the MAX show does not have a release date yet. Reeves had also previously discussed an Arkham spinoff show, which evolved from the original Gotham P.D. project. Matt Reeves’s The Batman saga is also expected to involve Batman villain spinoff movies.
The Batman’s Spinoff Series Need To Match The Batman 2
As exciting as having a “Bat-verse” of movies and TV shows is, the idea of expanding Matt Reeves’ The Batman into a cinematic universe across different media is challenging. Those projects, from the Penguin spinoff series to the rumored villain spinoff movies, will have to match The Batman 2’s tone. That is not to say every The Batman spinoff has to emulate what the Matt Reeves movies are doing. However, what made The Batman more than just another Batman reboot was the fact that it had a unique, distinct tone that separated Robert Pattinson’s Batman from other iterations.
The Batman would not fit into the original DCEU, for example. Instead of a small part of a larger DC Universe, The Batman was Bruce Wayne-character study in which Reeves’ vision for the character explained everything on screen – from Pattinson’s Batman costume to how Gotham City looked. Keeping that same vision for different projects is difficult, as those would not necessarily be directed by Matt Reeves. Cinematic universes and spinoffs are nothing new, but The Batman’s universe must avoid losing track of what made the first film so special ahead of the upcoming The Batman 2.
The Batman Spinoffs Could Make The Sequel Better
Of course, The Batman spinoffs can make The Batman 2 and future sequels better. Batman’s lore is incredibly rich, and there is more than enough room for countless Batman-related characters to be explored in film and television. The fact that The Batman’s first spinoff features one of the main characters from The Batman with the original actor reprising his role is also good news for this The Batman universe. It shows that it will be a truly interconnected franchise, and not just something that uses the Batman IP to tell an isolated story. Therefore, a Smallville or Gotham scenario, in which several major characters could not appear, won’t happen.
The Batman 2 is currently slated to premiere on October 3, 2025, more than three years after The Batman hit theaters. Having something like the Penguin TV show, which continues the story from The Batman, helps keep the franchise momentum until The Batman – Part 2. In addition, several Batman villains and sidekicks, from well-known names like the Joker to not-so-famous characters like Clayface, could be introduced or fleshed out between the movies. This would be a first for the Batman movie franchise, which never really had official spinoffs set in the same continuity as the films.