The planned TV spinoffs and a probable sequel to The Batman look to be protected amid a swathe of DC cancellations, it has been revealed.
Ever since Warner Bros abruptly cancelled Batgirl earlier this month, the fate of other DC Extended Universe projects have been hotly debated. Wonder Twins was also cancelled although the film was still at the development stage, unlike Batgirl which was completely shot and in post production. Questions have remained since about other DCEU projects and whilst it looks like the small screen ‘Arrowverse’ shows are being phased out permanently, most other cinematic projects such as Blue Beetle, The Flash and the upcoming Joker sequel have been declared as safe.
With Warner Bros Discovery’s new CEO recently stating that a unified Marvel Cinematic Universe was the way forward for the DCEU, some were left wondering what that meant for Matt Reeves’ version of Batman. The Batman released earlier this year to good box office and generally positive reviews but the character clearly does not exist inside of the main DC universe.
However, news today has cleared that up with the announcement that Reeves has signed a first-look deal with Warner Bros. It is being reported that not only does this secure the future of a sequel to The Batman, but also the spinoff shows that are set to come to Warner’s streaming platform, HBO Max. On top of that, it means that Reeves can also develop other original projects with the studio.
Warner Bros. Pictures Group Co-Chair/CEO Michael De Luca released a statement to announce the deal, clearly expressing that they hope to develop some of Reeves non-Batman ideas too, stating: “Pam and I gratefully inherited the relationship with Matt from The Batman, and through the beginning stages of planning The Penguin series for HBO Max. We were excited to nail down his overall deal because it’s a cornerstone of what we want to do with the filmmakers that are working at the studio. We want to create an atmosphere where all of these filmmakers can excel and do their work and stay with us once they are inside the Warners family. Keeping Matt and creating a home for him to do more projects in the Batman universe, but also originals, was very important to us.”
Establishing relationships with admired filmmakers like Reeves will be vital for Warner Bros to restore its reputation in the wake of a disastrous couple of years for the studio’s relationship with filmmaking talent. Once known as the go-to filmmaker-friendly studio, high-profile spats with directors such as Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder, not to mention the Batgirl cancellation, have reversed that perception entirely and deals like this will be vital for the studio moving forwards.
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