Batman and Superman team up in new fan art that explores something that both Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight and Tyler Hoechlin's Man of Steel have in common. Hoechlin was the first to debut as one of DC's two most iconic heroes, giving live to Clark Kent first in an array of Arrowverse shows, before getting his own solo series, the acclaimed Superman & Lois, in 2021. Pattinson is the latest cinematic actor to give life to Bruce Wayne, playing the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves' The Batman, and already set to return to the role with The Batman Part 2.

Artist SPDRMNKYXXIII shared on Instagram an image of the latest actor to play Batman in a live-action movie, Pattinson, alongside the current television Superman, Hoechlin. Both characters can be seen walking away from fire in stunning shots.

Pattinson's Batman and Hoechlin's Superman are in a similar situation. The duo of heroes is now under DC's Elseworlds label, as new DC Studios chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran prepare to create shows and movies set in the new DC continuity, while certain projects like The Batman and Superman & Lois will be allowed to continue separately. After all, the new DC Universe will have its own Batman and Superman.

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How The DC Universe Should Handle Batman & Superman’s Friendship?

Split image of covers for All-Star Superman + Batman & Robin with James Gunn

Gunn's creative plan for the new DC Universe is to bring the characters more closely in line with the comic books. The DC Universe's Batman and Superman inspiration from Grant Morrison's runs in the comics with both heroes is very exciting for the duo's DC future. The biggest complaint surrounding both characters, and perhaps the old DCEU as a whole, was related to how the interactions between heroes, and their characterizations, were at times extremely removed from the comics. However, Gunn will be taking on that criticism from the start, and he will be very involved in doing so.

Besides being one of DC's new top two executives, Gunn is a writer/ director at heart, and he will be using his full arsenal of talents in order to course correct DC. Gunn's Superman: Legacy updates have recently revealed that Gunn himself will be directing the movie, which he had already announced that he was writing the script for. While Superman: Legacy has already set its writer/director in Gunn, and announced a release date for 2025, the DC Universe's Batman reboot movie — The Brave and the Bold — is still mostly a mystery at this point.

What is known about The Brave and the Bold is that the movie will focus on the father/son relationship between Bruce and Damian Wayne. As DC gets ready to debut its new shared universe Batman and Superman, Gunn has the job of letting go off the baggage both characters shared in the old canon DC movies, instead pivoting the heroes to bring to the big screen the camaraderie the pair share in the comics. Batman and Superman should be best friends — the World's Finest — in Gunn's DC Universe.

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Source: SPDRMNKYXXIII/Instagram

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