Matt Reeves' The Batman spinoff TV show focusing on Gotham PD will reportedly take place before Robert Pattinson's first solo movie. As the DC Extended Universe continues to move forward, the need for every property to be connected has vanished in favor of a model that gives creators more freedom. This will allow Matt Reeves to create a brand new Batman universe with Pattinson playing a younger Bruce Wayne, while DC also is bringing Michael Keaton back as Batman in The Flash.

Even before the first installment of Reeves' likely Batman franchise can complete production (which is currently paused due to coronavirus), there is already news of how The Batman will spawn even more content. It was recently reported that Reeves is developing a Gotham PD series for HBO Max. The show is being written by Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter and is confirmed to take place in the same universe as The Batman. But, when it takes place might not be when some fans expected.

Related: What The Batman TV Show Means For Robert Pattinson's Future

Instead of the untitled Gotham PD series picking up after the events of The Batman, a new piece of information from Variety reporter Justin Kroll says otherwise. Kroll tweeted that he's heard the series will be set before Pattinson's solo movie. When the series was announced, the press release noted that the show will "build upon the motion picture’s examination of the anatomy of corruption in Gotham City." According to Kroll, this will be done by showing "how Gotham became corrupt and infested with criminals."

Robert Pattinson Batman Batsuit Symbol

If this report is accurate, this should change expectations, in terms of how the Gotham PD show will tie into The Batman. There's no word on how long before the movies that the series will take place, though, so the show could be set a year or so before The Batman or maybe even multiple years in the past. As a result of the setting, the TV show can be used to give audiences a better understanding of the state of Gotham, the police force, and maybe even specific characters. However, it is not yet known if Pattinson or Jeffrey Wright's Commissioner Gordon will appear.

What makes this report all the more interesting is what it could mean for what the show contains. If the Gotham PD series is meant to help introduce audiences to the corrupt state of Gotham, then it would be best for the series to come out before The Batman. But, it could be difficult for a new show that was just announced to be on HBO Max before October 2021. Instead, it's possible that the series could build off of a twist in The Batman and show the backstory to an evil turn for a character, like Peter Sarsgaard's Gotham DA Gil Colson or the rise of Colin Farrell's Penguin or Paul Dano's Riddler. That is strictly speculation at this point, but Reeves' Gotham series taking place before The Batman does open up some intriguing possibilities.

MORE: Batman: What Matt Reeves' TV Series Needs To Do Differently To Gotham

Source: Justin Kroll

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