James Gunn and Peter Safran Confirm Robert Pattinson Will Not Be the DCU's BATMAN

Robert Pattinson was established as our current Dark Knight in writer and director Matt Reeves’ The Batman before the big shake up at DC when James Gunn and Peter Safran stepped in to be the co-CEOs of the DC Film Department at Warner Bros. In fact, the sequel was already greenlit by the studio several months before they stepped in.

Then, it was public knowledge that Gunn and Safran were going to reboot everything DC and fans were pretty glad to hear it, considering the spotty history of the DC film slate.

But some wondered if Pattinson would be included going forward, as he was newly established, and very highly-regarded. The rumor was that his films would move forward, but would not be a part of the greater universe, and it turns out those assumptions are true.

During a recent red carpet event, ComicBook reports that Gunn and Safran were asked about Pattinson’s place in the DCU, and while they praised The Batman and Pattinson’s performance, they confirmed that they have their own plans for Batman going into the “Gods and Monsters” story arc.

They also referenced their only Batman-specific title on the slate, The Brave and the Bold, though some fans are still hoping we’ll see the Caped Crusader before then in another DCU title.

Members of the press asked Gunn and Safran about the persistent rumors that Pattinson would play Batman in the DCU, but Gunn shot it down. “It’s certainly not the plan. Like, it’s certainly not the plan,” he said. He nodded along as Safran praised Pattinson while also shutting the door on this rumor.

“And we love him,” Safran said. “But we’ve got to introduce a Batman into the DCU. It’s imperative, and so that’s the plan with Brave and the Bold.”

The Batman: Part II is scheduled to shoot later this year, and is set to hit theaters on October 1, 2027.