We haven't seen a full-blown Batman solo movie since The Dark Knight Rises rounded out Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy back in 2012, and the wait for Matt Reeves' take on The Caped Crusader has become one of the most daunting challenges for many DC fans. There's a lot of anticipation for the film, with a series of ever-changing developments and announcements keeping us from getting a proper read on the situation. Now it looks like things have once again become even more confusing, as new reports related to Matt Reeves' solo Batman movie suggest that it won't even be in continuity with the recent DCEU outings.
At this point it's only a rumor, but not an entirely outlandish one. It sounds like some rumors suggest that the War for the Planet of the Apes director wants a clean slate for his Batman story, and that will involve entirely exiting the DCEU banner to tell a tale in a new continuity. What will that new continuity look like (or even be called)? We still have no idea.
The idea of a Batman movie set outside the continuity of the DCEU seems like a distinct possibility when we consider other projects that have been rumored (if not fully-announced) over the last few months. In the same way that Warner Bros. has reportedly explored the possibility of a solo Batman movie that has nothing to do with the DC Extended Universe, we have also heard rumors of a Joker origin movie, as well as other Elseworlds-esque films that would have nothing to do with the chronology between Man of Steel and Justice League.
This report from Batman-On-Film comes on the heels of similar stories that surfaced several months ago in which Matt Reeves stated that his Batman movie wouldn't be part of the DCEU. Fans quickly scrutinized his words, which caused him to walk back his remarks and clarify that he merely meant that he intended to tell a standalone story. That said, with the DCEU now arguably in a weaker position than it was before the release of Justice League, this new report once again has us thinking of the possibility of a new Batman (Jake Gyllenhaal has been widely-rumored for the part) with no connection to films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice or Suicide Squad making an appearance.
For now, however, Ben Affleck seems to still be in place as our one and only Batman in the DCEU. The character is expected to make at least one more appearance, with The Flash: Flashpoint possibly representing his moment to walk away from his role as The Caped Crusader. There's clearly a lot of Batman-related factors that are currently in flux, so we will bring you more information about the entire Bat situation as more information is made available.
As for the DCEU's next major movie, James Wan's Aquaman will debut in theaters later this year on December 21. Here's everything that we currently know about Arthur Curry's solo film.
