Robert Pattinson unknowingly missed an off-ramp that would've allowed him to return as Batman much earlier than 2028. Matt Reeves' Bat-Verse takes as much as it gives. Despite the cameras finally rolling on the set of The Batman - Part 2, DC Studios announced the film's release date has been pushed back from October 2027 to February 2028. The only silver lining was the screen test that accompanied the bombshell, revealing Pattinson's new costume, complete with longer ears.
With the Caped Crusader off the menu in 2027, fans will have to get their fix elsewhere. Prime Video plans to drop Batman: Caped Crusader later in 2026, and the animated movie Batman: Knightfall Part 1 is also on the way. But neither of those projects has the juice of a live-action Dark Knight movie. All hope now rests on a film that's flying under the radar because it shows love to a villain, not a hero.
Clayface, directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan, follows Matt Hagen, a struggling actor who turns to a scientist for help after being disfigured in a scuffle. At some point in his life, he's going to cross paths with Bruce Wayne's alter ego. His first solo act won't focus on that. However, it's apparently not from a lack of trying.
While sitting down with EW to promote Clayface, which hit theaters on October 23, 2026, Naomi Ackie, who plays Caitlyn Corr, explained that there was a running bit on set involving Pattinson.
"We were joking that we could go and get Rob to do a little cameo for us. But he was busy being Batman, saving another Gotham."
Ackie's choice of words seems very intentional. Rather than being vague, she outright confirms that Pattinson wasn't available to make an appearance in Clayface because it takes place in a different continuity than the Bat-Verse. James Gunn, Peter Safran, and the rest of the DC Studios cohort have gone out of their way to say as much. But actions speak much louder than words.
Once Clayface comes and goes and Reeves' version of Batman is nowhere to be found, the winds will surely start to change. Online chatter about Pattinson finding his way into a DCU project won't be nearly as common. There is a topic that can take its place, though, if DC Studios plays its cards right.
Clayface Is The Perfect Place To Officially Introduce The DCU's Batman
Gunn has yet to cast an actor to play Batman in the upcoming film The Brave and the Bold. That hasn't stopped him from teasing the daylights out of the character. In Creature Commandos, a silhouette with pointy ears showed up and busted Doctor Phosphorus. Gotham City, Batman's hometown, also got name-dropped in the DCU's first film, Superman.
A sequel to the 2025 film is in the works, and it's set to be a who's who of the DCU, featuring at least two Green Lanterns, Blue Beetle, and more. Showing his mask in the bright and vibrant city of Metropolis isn't really Batman's style. Maybe he'd be better off skipping out on Man of Tomorrow and setting his sights on a movie closer to home.
The easiest way for Clayface to step out of Batman's massive shadow while also setting up what's to come is by utilizing the oldest trick in the superhero movie book: post-credits scenes. After Hagen embraces his new status quo as a clay-based evildoer and the credits roll, Gunn can roll out the black carpet for his new Caped Crusader.
The shock value alone will be enough to hold fans over until The Batman - Part 2 hits theaters early in 2028, even if none of them agree on whether the actor Gunn is handing the cape and cowl to is the right choice.
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