David Ellison Reportedly Wants Robert Pattinson’s Batman in the DCU Justice League

Hollywood loves a shortcut, and David Ellison may have found one for the DC Universe. Rather than introduce another Batman, the Skydance boss reportedly wants Robert Pattinson to bring his version of the Dark Knight into the DCU and eventually join the Justice League. It's an interesting idea, but it could also create one hell of a continuity headache.

According to a report from Nexus Point News, Ellison is looking to get DC's biggest superheroes back on the big screen as quickly as possible following James Gunn' removal from power.

Gunn had spent years developing a decade-long plan for the DCU, taking a script-first approach rather than rushing projects into production. Ellison reportedly has a different philosophy. He wants Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of DC's heavy hitters leading the charge sooner rather than later.

That could mean some familiar faces getting kicked to the curb. The report suggests Milly Alcock may not continue as Supergirl, while Xolo Maridueña could also be out as Blue Beetle. Meanwhile, David Corenswet is reportedly expected to remain Superman, with Skydance interested in keeping Pattinson as Batman.

Sure, it’s easy to see why Ellison would want this. Pattinson already has an established Batman franchise, and Corenswet has already made his Superman debut. Why spend years introducing another Dark Knight when there's a perfectly good one beating criminals to a pulp in Gotham City?

The problem is that Pattinson's Batman wasn't created to exist alongside Superman, Wonder Woman, and alien threats.

Matt Reeves built The Batman as a grounded crime thriller, with Gotham operating in its own corner of the DC multiverse. Throwing that version of Bruce Wayne into a Justice League movie alongside Corenswet's Superman would require some serious explaining. Also, the tones just don’t mesh at all!

The DCU's Superman never mentioned Batman, although the director of Clayface previously indicated that the Dark Knight was active during that film's timeline. Even so, the Gotham established in Reeves' universe looks nothing like the world being developed for the DCU.

Of course, this is Hollywood. If the people signing the checks want Pattinson standing next to Superman, they'll find a way to make it happen. Whether audiences buy it is another question.

Ellison reportedly also wants Wonder Woman and Aquaman back in action as soon as possible, with rumors suggesting he's interested in bringing Hal Jordan's Green Lantern into the picture. That could create additional complications for the Lanterns TV series and its place in the shared universe.

The apparent goal is to get a Justice League movie moving quickly, using recognizable DC characters rather than spending years building toward the team-up, which is such a stupid idea, and I hope that it’s not true. But, there are so many studio executives that don’t learn from the mistakes of the past.

There's also another potentially massive obstacle standing in the way of Pattinson's DCU future… James Bond. Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult, who plays Lex Luthor in the DCU, are both up for the role of 007 in Amazon MGM Studios' upcoming James Bond reboot.

If Pattinson lands Bond, his chances of committing to an accelerated Justice League schedule could take a serious hit. Playing Batman and James Bond simultaneously would be a logistical nightmare.

Hoult landing the Bond role could cause problems of its own, potentially forcing DC Studios to recast Lex Luthor if the character remains part of its future plans.

For now, none of these reported casting plans are confirmed. Pattinson hasn't been officially announced as the DCU's Batman, and there's no guarantee that Ellison's reported Justice League ambitions will play out this way.

Still, the possibility raises an interesting question about where DC is headed. Gunn was building a connected universe with a long-term roadmap, while Ellison reportedly wants to get the biggest characters together and start making blockbuster movies.

Personally, I'd rather see Reeves finish telling his Batman story without having to worry about how his Gotham fits into a universe filled with gods, monsters, and superheroes. Pattinson's Batman works because his world has its own identity, and forcing him into the DCU just to speed up a Justice League movie could undermine what makes that version of the character so good.

What do you think? Should Robert Pattinson become the official Batman of the DCU, or should DC leave Reeves' Batman universe alone and cast someone new for the Justice League?