A new The Batman movie set photo features an extra dressed in costume as Superman. The Batman originally started development as a solo starring vehicle for Ben Affleck's version of Bruce Wayne, but as the actor pulled away from the DC Extended Universe after Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and especially Justice League, it's changed quite a bit. Now, Matt Reeves is directing the DC movie and cast Robert Pattinson as a new Batman. Although there was initially some uncertainty about whether Pattinson's Batman would star in a universe separate from the DCEU or play a younger version of Affleck's character, DC Films President Walter Hamada confirmed at DC FanDome over the summer The Batman is set in a different universe.
Reeves took the opportunity of DC FanDome in August to offer new insight into The Batman. While Pattinson's Batsuit and Batmobile had been officially unveiled earlier in the year when filming first started, Reeves revealed the first footage from the upcoming DC movie at FanDome. It featured a first look at Pattinson in action alongside Zoe Kravtiz's Catwoman and Colin Farrell's Penguin. Paul Dano's voice as The Riddler could be heard though he didn't appear in The Batman movie teaser trailer. More recently, since The Batman filming restarted in London, more unofficial looks at the film have surfaced online. And now a new photo indicates the movie will connect somehow to the larger DC mythology.
In The Batman movie set photo taken by Sam McGaw and posted by Twitter user Yassine, an extra wearing a Superman costume can be seen from a distance on the movie's London set. Yassine confirms in a later tweet that the man wearing the Superman costume is an extra and was seen among other extras for the film. It's further speculated this costume is being used for a Halloween party scene. Check out the photo below.
Based on the design of the yellow Superman symbol on the red cape, this particular costume looks quite a bit like the one Christopher Reeve wore in his Superman movie, especially with the red boots and blue pants. What's unclear, however, is whether Superman exists as an actual superhero in Pattinson's Batman universe, or if Superman is a fictional character, the way he is in the real world. For example, this extra's outfit could be a Halloween costume modeled after Reeve's movie costume because those Superman movies exist in the universe. Or it could be a Halloween costume modeled after an actual superhero in The Batman's world. As shown in Justice League and Shazam!, superheroes in the main DCEU have merchandise that fans can buy. In Shazam! particularly, Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) is a big collector of superhero merchandise that reference other movies like Man of Steel.
That said, it's unclear how The Batman will introduce the larger DC mythology to its world. It could be that Superman exists and is an active superhero when Pattinson's story kicks off. Or perhaps Superman is a fictional character who only appears in comics and/or movies. With The Batman establishing its own DC movie universe, Reeves have the freedom to reinvent Superman in any way they see fit without affecting Henry Cavill's portrayal in the DCEU, just like Pattinson can be Batman even as Affleck returns for The Flash. Since The Flash movie is set to further explore the DC multiverse, there's even a chance of Pattinson and his world's Superman (again, if he's a superhero in Reeves' continuity) crossing over with the DCEU. For now, we'll have to wait and see how exactly Superman fits into The Batman world, but it's at least known the DC hero will exist in some form.
Source: Yassine/Twitter
