Will the DCU Batman continue to be Robert Pattinson’s emo interpretation? Or Michael Keaton’s classic revival? Or is Ben Affleck giving us the bulky Dark Knight Returns? Or will there be three Batmen in the new DCU?
Someone call George Clooney and make it a foursome!
Today, WBD CEO David Zaslav teased what lies ahead for the Caped Crusader in the new DCU. Right now, we have the 71-year-old Keaton returning in the upcoming The Flash movie. Affleck also appears in The Flash and is confirmed to be making a cameo appearance in the upcoming Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom. Director Matt Reeves is also working on a sequel to the year’s best-reviewed CBM, The Batman.
Soooo?
“I think over the next few years, you’re going to see a lot of growth and opportunity around DC, there’s not going to be four Batmans,” Zaslav said during a conversation hosted by RBC Tuesday morning. “And so part of our strategy is driving the hell out of DC, which James (Gunn) and Peter (Safffran) are going to do. I think they’ve thrilled the fans. I think they’re going to thrill you over a period of time.”
Zaslav’s statement comes at a time when DC Studios is reorganizing under new leaders, James Gunn and Peter Safran. The two, who started November 1, are said to be working on a new Bible, which will guide the DCU for the next 8 to 10 years.
When Zaslav took over Warner Bros. Discovery, he was adamant that DC become a crown jewel to the company as Marvel Studios has for Disney. Under Zaslav, we have seen the cancellation of a nearly-completed Batgirl film, the Arrowverse snapped out of existence and the return of Henry Cavill as Superman in Black Adam.
REELated:
Zaslav’s belief that DC has been “undervalued” is not wrong. One of the most disappointing things about the DCEU is the inconsistency from one film to the next. For every Man of Steel and Superman The Movie, there is Jonah Hex and Green Lantern. Most of the streaming series on HBO Max are far superior to the movies and since the first Batman film in 1989, the DC movies have been stabbing their way through the comics without any rhyme or reason.
The MCU, on the other hand, has (for the most part) consistently found a way to make each and every film and TV show flow together cohesively throughout each phase. It seems that now Warner Bros. Discovery plans to correct this massive oversight.
The Flash is expected to serve as something of a “reset” for the DCU. With the film’s parallel worlds and “Variants” of the same character, Gunn and Safran have options. A whole multiverse of them.
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The decision of where to take Batman is an important one as he is the most profitable and popular of the DC heroes globally. Which Bat would you like to see continue? George Clooney anyone?
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
