Tough fit? Robert Pattinson weighs in on his Batman joining James Gunn’s DCU
Robert Pattinson isn’t dodging the DCU question—whether his Batman could join James Gunn’s DCU—and he points to Bruce Wayne’s distinct tone and style as the key.
Asked in a new interview whether his brooding Bruce Wayne could ever rub shoulders with the brighter, shared world James Gunn is building, Robert Pattinson didn’t slam the door — but he did explain why it ’d be a tough fit. Speaking to LADbible while promoting his movie Primetime, the actor said Reeves’ Gotham gets under your skin in a way that doesn’t easily translate to another corner of the DC map. He even laughed about spending months shooting in darkness and how that mood lingered long after cameras stopped.
“I think it would be kind of tough to have this version of Bruce outside of that world.”
Pattinson added that the film ’s vibe is so specific it becomes second nature on set.
“It’s such a specific kind of [style], the tone of it gets inside you.”
He joked that if this Bruce suddenly wandered into another DC movie, he’d probably hide behind his hands. The bit landed even better because Pattinson was sitting next to Skyler Gisondo — who plays Jimmy Olsen in David Corenswet’s Superman — and the two riffed about how his ultra-serious Dark Knight might accidentally drag everyone else’s tone down a notch.
For now, Gunn has already made clear that Pattinson’s Batman lives outside the new DCU , while Matt Reeves ’ films continue on their own track. That separation mirrors the creative gap Pattinson described: a rain-soaked, detective-story Gotham versus a growing interconnected universe where Corenswet’s Superman will set the tone.
Next up: Part II
Pattinson isn’t done with Reeves’ corner of Gotham. The Batman Part II is on the calendar for February 18, 2028, with familiar faces returning and a couple of intriguing additions whose roles are still under wraps.
- Robert Pattinson — Bruce Wayne / Batman
- Colin Farrell — Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin
- Jeffrey Wright — Jim Gordon
- Andy Serkis — Alfred Pennyworth
- Scarlett Johansson — role undisclosed
- Sebastian Stan — role undisclosed
Pattinson has teased the sequel as a “real left turn” from the first movie — a hint that Reeves is steering deeper into his own Gotham rather than merging it with somebody else’s mythology.
The Batman Part II is currently set to open February 18, 2028.