New DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran have just revealed the first concrete plans for their new DC universe, which aims to tell a cohesive story across movies, series and video games. You can read about the projects that await us in the coming years here:
But despite this mammoth attempt to create a new rival project to the MCU, DC will continue to make isolated movies that will be disconnected from this grand new canon and function on their own. That includes “The Batman 2” (or “The Batman Part II”, as its official title now apparently reads), the sequel to Matt Reeves’ 2022 blockbuster movie starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight.
And that’s exactly what ended up missing a start date: The Batman 2 will be released in US theaters on October 3, 2023 (and thus less than three months after the new Superman adventure “Superman: Legacy”, which belongs to the DCU). A German date has not yet been announced, but should be very close for a blockbuster of this magnitude.
“The Batman 2” and “Joker 2” are part of the “Elseworlds”
Reeves has previously confirmed that despite new DC plans, both The Batman 2 and the follow-up lead spin-off series about The Penguin (Colin Farrell) are yet to come, as well as other projects in his own BatVerse. are planned. To make it clear that DC movies like “The Batman” don’t belong to the DCU, they will be merged under the new label “Elseworlds” in the future., which comic fans are already familiar with. So here we get to hear stories from other DC worlds that exist parallel and independently of the DCU’s main cosmos.
The upcoming sequel “Joker 2: Folie À Deux” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, as well as another Superman movie developed by JJ Abrams, still on the agenda, will then be counted among these “Elseworlds” projects. For example, DC ensures that a new, large universe is being built, but that filmmakers can also enjoy themselves more freely in the comic world without having to orient themselves on the big picture.
New Batman for the DCU
So while we can look forward to The Batman Part II, the DCU won’t be without the iconic crime fighter either. As with Superman, however, we’re being treated to a new incarnation of the Dark Knight, likely making his debut in the big-screen adventure The Brave And The Bold, where Bruce Wayne’s son Damian becomes Batman’s sidekick Robin.
However, it is not yet clear who will embody the DCU Batman. “Elseworlds” Batman Robert Pattinson and DCEU Batman Ben Affleck can be ruled out.