Only a short time remains until Warner Bros. returns to the big screen with Robert Pattinson's The Batman, the first-ever Batman solo movie in the DC Extended Universe. Becoming the third and final member of DC's Holy Trinity to receive a DCEU solo film after Superman and Wonder Woman, this outing will also introduce the franchise's second of three Batmen set to play a role in the plot.
The Batman will explore a new side of Bruce Wayne as he takes on his first year of crime-fighting in Gotham City, which also takes place in a universe where no version of the Justice League exists yet. Although places like Superman's home city of Metropolis are a part of the story, Pattinson's Batman is largely operating on his own in his early superhero career.
Under the leadership of director Matt Reeves, The Batman will deliver one of the DCEU's more grounded stories centered on a hero with no true superpowers outside of his intelligence. In a recent interview about the film, Pattinson shared how that lack of superpowers would mesh with some of the more powerful players in DC's catalog of heroes.
Will Superman Appear In The Batman Movie Franchise?
In an interview with ComicBook, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz shared some insight into their relationship and the universe in which the film is set.
Speaking on the idea of the Justice League existing in this world, Kravitz looked at how difficult it is for only Batman and Catwoman to "be together" in the plot:
"I think it's hard enough, just for us two to be together. I don't know!"
Pattinson added his interest in exploring how to "get the fantastical elements" into play in this universe with everything being so grounded:
"I love the idea of trying to figure out how make... We've been talking about how to get the fantastical elements because Matt's world, his take on it is so grounded, and I'm thinking like, 'How can you add...?'"
When asked if his and Kravitz's characters could work well enough together to team up with the Justice League, Pattinson asked about adding Superman into the world without his powers:
"Like, we were talking the other day, like, 'Can you add Superman into it but he just doesn't have any powers? He's just a guy in a cape?' He's just like, 'I'm Superman!' And they're like, 'So?'"
Kravitz added to that idea by admitting that those worlds don't exactly mesh together, even adding a joke about Superman's use of the phone booth:
"The worlds kind of just don't work together. 'Sir, can you stop straining in the phone booth?'"
Batman and Superman - Two Different Worlds
Batman and Superman are undoubtedly the two most popular heroes in DC's history, both with eight decades of comics and other media appearances under their belts. However, with this new take on Bruce Wayne coming in The Batman, it doesn't appear that Clark Kent would be quite a seamless fit into this particular narrative.
The two heroes have had plenty of interactions with each other in past DCEU outings like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and its semi-sequel Justice League. However, with Pattinson's Batman being at this stage of his career in a more grounded story than any of the DCEU's past movies, a Kryptonian in a red cape doesn't exactly seem like a natural part of Bruce Wayne's world.
In reality, there are no signs pointing to if or when heroes like Superman will come into play around Robert Pattinson's Batman, and that's if he ties into the larger DCEU at all. Whether that happens or not, it's clear that this version of the Caped Crusader lives in a world that's fairly down to Earth and that he's not actively looking for the more fantastical parts of the DC universe.
The Batman is set to debut in theaters on March 4.
