For a character as iconic and important as Superman, it makes perfect sense for not one but two cinematic universes to start with him. The DCU started with Superman and turned out to be a huge success. So successful that it has set up a strong foundation for the future of the universe. It has also set up the future for Superman projects. Supergirl will be the next to release in this Superman corner of the universe. James Gunn has plans to expand this corner by writing another Superman related project. He’s calling this the Superman Saga. But the Man of Steel is not the only iconic and important character for DC. Batman is the other. For a world that is as rich as Batman’s, a Batman saga in the DCU could be a possibility. Batman has more than enough in his corner of the DC universe that could be strong foundations for this type of treatment. If Gunn does go down this path, what will it look like? And is it something that should happen?
Well, parts of it are already happening. Again, with a very rich corner of the DC universe, making stories revolving around Batman and Batman adjacent characters is bound to happen. This is set to happen in the early days of the DCU. The first project will be a Clayface film which has been described by James Gunn as a body horror film. Whether there will be Batman references is another question entirely but fans will know that this film does have some ties to him. Then obviously, the Batman film is part of this collection. This film will have Batman and Robin (Damien Wayne) fighting a threat. Other projects adjacent to the Dark Knight will be the Dynamic Duo, an animated movie that will have Dick Grayson and Jason Todd sharing screentime. And a Deathstroke and Bane film which will have them at odds. For this villain movie, it will probably be in the same lens as Clayface, it will be a standalone film but fans will know it too has slim ties to Batman. So, the pieces to have Batman Saga are already there and confirmed by James Gunn. It already doubles the amount of confirmed Superman adjacent projects but no commitment to group them together has been announced. But since there’s already a handful of Batman adjacent projects, it shows that Gunn is interested in embracing the plentiful world of Batman.
There’s also so many other characters that are tied to Batman that could be at the center of a project. One of the most sought out ones is a Nightwing project. A Nightwing led story has been in developmental hell for several years now. This has been a project that has bounced between different teams and just continues to be left on the shelf year after year. DC has done a great job over recent years to push Nightwing to a more prominent character and lift him to A-List status. Fans have taken notice of this and advocate for Nightwing as a character. It would make sense for DC to capitalize on the success and momentum and put Nightwing, not just Dick Grayson, in a project that stars him only. Then of course Batman has a prominent list of villains that could receive the same treatment as Deathstroke and Bane. A series following Ra’s al Ghul over the centuries will be epic. A horror movie starring Scarecrow will be diverse storytelling to the DCU. A separate series revolving around the Court of Owls (if Reeves doesn’t adapt them first) will be a cerebral, political thriller, crime series. There is so much to choose from within the Batman universe that it makes perfect sense to create a Batman saga.
Then of course, Batman himself needs to be at the center of this. Perhaps he is the best character in DC’s lineup to be at the center of one of these sagas. In fact, it has already happened. In the DC animated movie universe, some Justice League movies were in the lineup but the movies filling in the gaps were Batman movies. Even though they didn’t connect to the wider story the Justice League was telling, it was still set in the same universe. Very similar to how James Gunn is running the DCU. And having a Batman saga will come easy because arguably among all the comic book characters, Batman has the most iconic storylines. And perhaps the most in quantity. Since James Gunn has adopted a graphic novel for Superman and another graphic novel for Supergirl, it’ll make sense for him to the same thing for Batman. Plus, since Batman is such a versatile character, a Batman saga could allow those sides of his characters to be explored. There could a story that leans into more of his mystical side. One that leans into his horror side. One that leans more into supernatural. One that shows off his combat skills or detective skills. And his supporting characters is a long list as well. Perhaps a story where he gets help from Nightwing. A story where Tim Drake teams up with Batman to stop Red Hood. There are plenty of stories that revolve around Batman. Some others that go through him. Others that use him to great effect. So, a Batman saga has a strong and broad foundation.
But is a Batman saga something that James Gunn should consider then commit to? Again, some pieces are already there to advance into a Batman Saga. If James Gunn wants Batman to be another strong foundation of the DCU to join Superman, then it should at least be considered. But how far could it go? Batman still draws in a lot of attention so to dedicate a large section of the DCU to him makes sense. It says that James Gunn must get a Batman Saga started. But there’s a strong argument to say otherwise. Batman has been the center, played a large part or absorbed most of the spotlight for plenty of stories. These stories are in video games, animated shared universes and even big events in the books. So, perhaps it would be a bit smart to give Batman a strong but lesser presence in the DCU. Which will mean, skip over a potential Batman saga. The DCU has the potential and is already giving other characters a chance to finally be brought to the big screen. Batman has been there several times. So, for other characters to step in the spots that a Batman Saga could have taken is actually better for the DCU and for DC. Plus, even though these films won’t release in the same years, lessening the appearances of the DCU Batman will keep him from colliding with Matt Reeves Batman. It will help avoid confusion among the general audience. Even though it would make sense to develop another saga for DC’s other prominent and quintessential character, it would be more beneficial for the brand and the universe to tame his impact by a few projects. Batman’s presence will loom large but his appearances should be used strategically.
All the ingredients are there to make a Batman Saga. It could definitely ride the momentum and serve as an interesting juxtaposition to the Superman Saga. However, there needs to be some restraint when it comes to the Dark Knight. Even though it could be tempting to make his impact on the DCU quite large, it would perhaps be better for the brand, the universe, and the character if his appearances in the universe are limited.
