Robert Pattinson Rules Out His Batman Joining James Gunn's DCU

Robert Pattinson has ended speculation that his Bruce Wayne could exist inside James Gunn's DC Universe. "I think it would be kind of tough to have this version of Bruce outside of that world," Pattinson told LADbible.

The actor explained what sets his take on the character apart. "It's one of the only characters, I guess, because of the length of the shoots, but also it's such a specific kind of [style]; the tone of it gets inside you," he said. "I remember that happened to me the last time I did it, it took a while. You're just in the dark the whole time. Both mood-wise and light-wise, I can't see anything for like months. It does affect you, like you feel strange afterwards."

Audiences first met Pattinson's caped crusader in Matt Reeves' "The Batman" in 2022. The film offered a distinctly darker interpretation of the comic book hero than previous screen versions. In his review for Variety, critic Peter Debruge framed the challenge Reeves faced: "Where do you go after 'The Dark Knight'? Ben Affleck blew it, and even Christopher Nolan, who brought unprecedented levels of realism and gravitas to that franchise-best Batman saga, couldn't improve on what he'd created in his 2012 sequel."

Debruge answered his own question by describing Reeves' strategy: "Go darker than 'The Dark Knight,' deadlier than 'No Time to Die' and longer than 'Dune' with a serious-minded Batman stand-alone of his own."

Gunn's "Superman," released in 2025, pointed in the opposite direction. Variety's Owen Gleiberman wrote that "the new movie isn't 'dark' (Zack Snyder's ambitious mistake) so much as it's a loopy, spinning, multifaceted story with genuine emotional stakes."

The tonal gap between the two franchises now appears formalized. Pattinson's Batman will remain in Reeves' standalone universe, separate from Gunn's DCU slate.

Fans will not have to wait long for a resolution in one direction, at least on the Reeves track. "The Batman Part II" is set to hit theaters on Feb. 18, 2028.