Robert Pattinson’s Batman could have been a part of James Gunn’s DCU but has since been labeled an Elseworld story, distinct from what will be offered in the DCU. However, despite the more grounded approach that the character and the universe have taken, it is possible to tie it in with characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, and the wider DC Universe.
Matt Reeves’ version of The Dark Knight will exist in its own little universe for the time being. A different version of Batman will be part of the wider DCU, one that will make its debut with Damien Wayne as its Robin. However, should the need arise to include Robert Pattinson’s Batman into the mix, multiple avenues are afforded to the DCU, to stitch the Reeves-verse with the wider DCU.
While Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight is grounded, other versions in the multiverse are not
In Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, we are introduced to a version of Lex Luthor that was able to travel the multiverse by using a handheld device, allowing him to visit the version of Earth where the Justice League is good and is not the Crime Syndicate of America. While Robert Pattinson’s Batman is thoroughly grounded in reality and does not exist in a world with such advanced technology, other versions of the Caped Crusader can travel the multiverse and could get Reeves’ Bruce Wayne into the DCU, without compromising the integrity of either universe.
A similar approach was taken with Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of the character existed in a universe without the means of multiversal travel, Tom Holland’s neck of the multiverse was able to bring them into the mainline MCU, without creating issues for their respective universes, which will now continue to function in their grounded realities without having to worry about traveling the multiverse.
Warner Bros. has focused a lot on Batman in the recent years
While it could simply be charted to the fact that The Caped Crusader is a popular IP that WB has been milking for revenue, it does seem odd that multiple versions of The Dark Knight would be introduced across the DC multiverse, despite James Gunn‘s explicit vision of unifying the various media verticals of DC under one banner. While shows like Superman and Lois are being canceled to remove ‘competing’ products, The Bat of Gotham has been allowed to exist in all his versions, whether it be animated, comics, TV shows, or other live-action films.
This might seem to some like a push to create a Spider-verse-type event for Batman, which is something that has been whispered by fans across Batman’s media appearances. It was also recently revealed that a Spider-verse-style Batman Beyond animated film was rejected by execs at WB, who might want to keep the concept on the shelf until it becomes time to use it for Batman.
