James Gunn’s hopeful Superman with David Corenswet is the perfectly contrasting yet fitting world for Robert Pattinson’s Batman to crossover.

James Gunn has the perfect opportunity to introduce Batman to the DCU. Matt Reeves’ much-anticipated The Batman—Part II has reportedly been delayed by another year and will be released in 2027. As the DCU gears up for its big screen debut with Superman releasing next year, a crossover with Robert Pattinson’s Batman may do the DCU a lot of good.

Reeves has maintained that his Batman’s Epic Crime Saga is an Elseworld project that is separate from the DCU. Some are of the opinion that Reeves’ grounded and gritty Gotham is too different to believably crossover to Gunn’s Superman, which seems to be going more into the comic-book fantasy realm. However, that might be the perfect reason for them to crossover.

Fans opine that Robert Pattinson and David Corenswet’s superheroes should crossover

David Corenswet in Superman | Credits: DC Studios

The DCU has its Superman in David Corenswet but it is yet to recruit its caped crusader. James Gunn announced the DCU slate back in 2023 with a proper plan. He mentioned that the first chapter of the DCU would focus on ‘Gods and Monsters’, with films on Superman, Clayface, The Brave and the Bold, The Authority, and Supergirl being announced.

The DCU began officially this year with the Max series Creature Commandos. Earlier this month, Gunn also released the first teaser trailer for Superman, with Corenswet leading. Focusing on a younger Superman, the trailer showed a glimpse at the DCU world, which already has multiple superheroes and cosmic kaiju ready to attack Metropolis.

Robert Pattinson in The Batman | Credits: Warner Bros.

There has never been a more obvious contrast to Matt Reeves’ The Batman and its slate of films and shows, which recently expanded with The Penguin. While a crossover between these two entities in a World’s Finest adaptation might be far from reality, fans believe that the contrasting imagery might just be perfect for the DCU.

Couldn’t it be argued that that’s what makes a World’s Finest crossover so interesting? That their worlds are so inherently different, that they don’t seem like they belong together? Superman and Batman’s worlds should contrast. They should feel like two wholly different people.…

— RJ (@ResonantJustice) December 27, 2024

Robert Pattinson’s Batman is also a younger hero who has just begun his vigilante activities. Despite the raw and gritty Gotham might not fit into the cosmically ballistic world of Gunn’s Metropolis. However, this contrast itself may just be the perfect metaphor for a crossover.

James Gunn said that he had contemplated the inclusion of Robert Pattinson in the main DCU

James Gunn | Credits: YouTube/Josh Horowitz

One film that was announced as part of the first chapter of the DCU was a Batman film titled The Brave and the Bold, which would explore the caped crusader’s relationship with Damian Wayne and the Bat Family. Andy Muschietti is set to direct the film, although it is still reportedly in development and does not have a strict timeline.

With Matt Reeves’ The Batman–Part II now delayed to 2027, it is doubtful that WB and DC Studios would want two competing Batman titles released close to each other. Gunn definitely would want the DCU’s Batman to be considered as seriously as Reeves’, despite the seniority but it would be confusing for the audience if the timelines were too close.

A crossover between Robert Pattinson’s current Elseworld Batman with David Corenswet’s DCU Superman might just be the best idea and it is not just the fans who think so. James Gunn said in the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he had contemplated Pattinson’s role in the DCU. He said,

I’ve contemplated it, yeah. I contemplate everything. I talk about everything… I’d be an idiot not to think of how can this go or how can this go, but I’m committed to both telling stories in the DCU and telling Elseworlds stories.

He mentioned that it was ultimately Matt Reeves’ choice to keep his Batman separate from the DCU. It might be a good choice too as Reeves’ increasingly street-level world is a welcome change from all the multiversal shenanigans in the superhero genre. But if Pattinson remains outside the DCU, it might take longer for Batman to enter Gunn’s universe.