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Credit: DC / Warner Bros.It’s easy to lose track of everything that’s going on with DC at the moment. Not only are there currently multiple different continuities spanning live-action and animated film and television, but some projects that were previously announced have yet to see the light of day.
It’s also strange that it’s been three years since The Batman (2022) was released. The film was a huge commercial success, and though we’ve had a spinoff in the form of a TV series on HBO since, the movie sequel, The Batman — Part II, seems to have fallen off DC’s radar.
The Batman (2022)
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The Batman was a huge hit when it hit theaters in 2022. Directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson, it follows Bruce Wayne during his second year fighting crime in Gotham City, which sees him go up against Edward Nashton/The Riddler (Paul Dano) and Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot/The Penguin (Colin Farrell).
But Batman finds unlikely alliances in Commissioner Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz).
The film grossed $772.3 million against a $185–200 million budget and received positive reviews from audiences and critics for its gritty, noir-ish take on the Caped Crusader.
Pattinson, who followed in the footsteps of actors such as Michael Keaton (Tim Burton’s Batman films), Christian Bale (Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy), and Ben Affleck (the DC Extended Universe), also received wide praise.
It also became the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2022 and Warner Bros.’s highest-grossing COVID-19 release, setting pandemic-era box office records, particularly for IMAX. It was also nominated for three Academy Awards and won numerous other accolades.
The Penguin
The Batman forms part of a shared cinematic universe dubbed the “Batman Epic Crime Saga” — which exists within the standalone “DC Elseworlds”, a separate continuity from DC Studios’ main franchise run by James Gunn and Peter Safran, the DC Universe (DCU).
The 2022 film spawned a live-action TV series on HBO, The Penguin, which saw the return of Colin Farrell as the Rogues Gallery villain. That series also received wide praise from viewers and critics, and was nominated for 24 Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards, which included wins for both Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti’s performances.
The Batman: Part II
While there’s been no announcement for a second season of The Penguin, Matt Reeves’ “Batman Epic Crime Saga” was expected to continue this year with The Batman: Part II, which was originally scheduled for release earlier this month.
However, the film was delayed a number of times and eventually landed on an October 1, 2027 release, with filming expected to begin sometime in early 2026.
Other Rogues Gallery TV Projects
Reeves previously outlined plans for a trilogy of Batman films, and has talked about other television projects focusing on villains such as Scarecrow, Clayface, and Professor Pyg.
As for the upcoming DC film Clayface (2026), which is being directed by James Watkins, it is part of the DCU slate and not the “Batman Epic Crime Saga”.
“Batman Epic Crime Saga” Series Canceled
Another TV series intended to be set in The Batman universe would have centered on the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD). The project went into development at HBO Max in July 2020 but would eventually be repurposed into an Arkham-set “horror”.
However, in 2022, Reeves said the project was on indefinite hold, and by July 2024, it was scrapped — although elements of the project in its initial phase were integrated into The Penguin.
Now, James Gunn has confirmed that the spinoff series (presumably in both its forms) is dead. “That isn’t something that is being developed by anyone right now,” Gunn recently told BobaTalks (via IGN), adding, “You know, it just didn’t work.”
With all that said, it was never fully confirmed whether this show would have actually taken place within The Batman universe — although, as the GCPD series, it was said to be set the year before the 2022 film. Either way, there was a lot of indecisiveness around placement.
In fact, even up until recently, there has been quite a bit of back and forth on what will or won’t be part of the new DCU.
Robert Pattinson’s Batman in the DCU?
Previously, Gunn and Safran reportedly considered integrating Robert Pattinson’s Batman into the DCU opposite David Corenswet’s Superman, but Reeves chose to keep his series separate. As such, plans to cast a new Batman in the DCU film The Brave and the Bold remain.
However, confusion around what’s canon in the DCU continues, with Gunn admittedly cherry-picking characters and content from the defunct DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
Fortunately, this leaves the “Batman Epic Crime Saga” free from clutter and issues with canon. For now, the only confirmed installment in Reeves’ shared universe in The Batman — Part II, which releases on October 1, 2027.
Upcoming DCU Projects
Among the DCU’s several upcoming projects on both the big-screen and television are Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which stars Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) as Kara Zor-El and is set for theatrical release on June 26, 2026, and Superman: Man of Tomorrow, which will see the return of David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and will follow the year after on July 9, 2027.
Are you a fan of Matt Reeves’ “Batman Epic Crime Saga”? Let us know in the comments!