The Batman's co-writer/director Matt Reeves revealed he'd like to expand the standalone DC movie into a fully-fledged shared universe.
Reeves shared his hopes of creating a "Batverse" in a recent interview with EW. "What I really wanted this movie to do is create a Batverse...," he said. "You don't do a story and go, 'This is Chapter 1' because you might not get to do Chapter 2. So, the story had to stand on its own. But the thing about it is that the Bat world is so rich with character that as you're starting to come to an end, you can already start thinking about the next thing. Because the idea, of course, is that Gotham's story never ends."
Reeves is currently developing two spinoff series set in the same continuity as The Batman for HBO Max. One of these shows is tentatively titled Gotham PD and will (as its name suggests) focus on the Gotham City Police Department. The other show doesn't yet have a title, but it has been confirmed that one of The Batman's supporting villains, The Penguin, will headline the film, with Colin Farrell reprising the role.
Alongside these spinoffs, Reeves is also reportedly starting to map out sequels that would reframe The Batman as the first entry in an epic trilogy. The filmmaker recently talked about the creative challenge of bringing fantastical villains like Mr. Freeze into the more grounded reality of Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight, while Pattinson himself has expressed interest in seeing Reeves' take on Batman's youthful sidekick, Robin.
Prior to Reeves joining The Batman, Ben Affleck was on board to direct and star in a different version of the project that was going to be set in the DC Extended Universe. Affleck's version of the movie was apparently more of an outright action blockbuster and boasted cameos by several other, high-profile superheroes from the DCEU.
The Batman was overhauled completely following Affleck's departure, and its connection to the DCEU was removed. Despite this, Reeves had kind words for Affleck's original vision for the film. "It was a totally valid take on the story," Reeves said of the discarded script. "I just felt that I was not going to be their guy because having read it, I thought, 'Wow, I don't know if I can find my emotional way into this version.'"
The Batman premieres in cinemas on March 4 and HBO Max on April 19.
Comments