‘The Batman’ Director Wants to Keep Robert Pattinson’s Turn as the Caped Crusader Out of the DCEU

Despite Warner Bros.’s grand plans for the DC Extended Universe, The Batman director Matt Reeves is reportedly pushing to keep Robert Pattinson’s caped crusader out of the mix. While the studio would love to get Batman back into the DCEU following the disastrous Justice League project, Reeves wants the character to stand on his own. So why does Reeves want to keep Batman a solo project?

Warner Bros. looks to expand DCEU

After years of struggling to find its way, the DCEU is actually starting to take shape. Warner Bros. has enjoyed a few successful movies and seems to be taking its time in developing various franchises.

On the heels of major flops like Justice League, the studio is moving forward with projects that have a much lighter feel to them. This includes the likes of Aquaman. Shazam!, and the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984.

Warner Bros. also has some interesting movies in the works. Director James Gunn, who was behind Guardians of the Galaxy, is helming The Suicide Squad, while Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is set to star in Black Adam.

With things looking up for the DCEU, it makes sense that Warner Bros. wants to bring Pattinson’s Batman into the fold. The only problem with that is Reeves does not agree that The Batman should be included in the DCEU.

Why is Reeves keeping ‘The Batman’ out of the DCEU?

There is little doubt that Batman is one of DC’s most popular heroes. He could also play an integral part in the DCEU, especially when it comes to larger ensemble projects.

That said, Reeves may have a good argument for keeping The Batman a solo movie. According to We Got This Covered, the main reason Reeves wants to develop a stand-alone project is to prevent over-exposure.

The franchise has been through three reboots in just under a decade, and Ben Affleck, the last actor to play Bruce Wayne, received mixed reviews for his performance. Affleck didn’t even get his own solo film, yet he still managed to appear in the same amount of movies as Christian Bale.

Reeves does not want Pattinson to suffer the same fate. So instead of crafting a story that could introduce Batman to the DCEU down the road, Reeves is content with keeping the film out of the mix.

Inside Pattinson’s new Batsuit

Reeves has not commented on the rumors surrounding The Batman and the DCEU. The cast and crew of the film are currently gearing up for production, which is set to begin in a few weeks.

Few details have emerged about the project, though an inside source recently revealed that Pattinson’s Batsuit will be modeled after Lee Bermejo’s design.

The suit is a lot more rugged than what we have seen in recent iterations. It features plenty of buckles and mesh inserts that hold everything together and is more grey in color than black.

It is important to note that the Batsuit news has not been confirmed by Reeves. But with filming set to kick off, the director will likely release more information in the coming weeks.

‘The Batman’ set image leaked

While we wait for official confirmation, the first image from the set of The Batman has reportedly been revealed. The photo in question was released on Twitter and seems to show what looks like a cathedral of some sort.

Fans have speculated that the scene is a funeral. This coincides with recent casting calls for extras for a funeral, though we do not know any more details about the scene.

The image also features a few blimps flying around the cathedral. As fans may recall, blimps played a role in Batman: The Animated Series, which Reeves used as inspiration for the main storyline.

It is possible that we are looking at Thomas and Martha Wayne’s funeral, though Reeves has already said that he does not want to go over old ground. More than likely, the funeral is for a different character.

Fans can watch Robert Pattinson in action when The Batman opens in theaters on June 25, 2021.