DC has made Robert Pattinson and Ben Affleck's Batman statuses even more confusing after Pattinson's Bat has been used on a banner at CCXP. Ever since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the new DC Studios, one of the main questions has been which Batman is going to be the main DCU Batman. There are arguments to be made for both - Affleck is already established with the rest of the heroes, but on the other hand, Pattinson has just starred in a movie that grossed nearly $800 million.
Per Collider, the banner shows Pattinson alongside others from the DCU. From this, it is clear that Henry Cavill's Superman is back in the fold but putting Bruce Wayne from The Batman confuses things. If, for instance, Aquaman was left out and in his place, Joaquin Phoenix's Joker was on the banner, that would indicate that the promotion is for DC in general and not specifically for the DCU. However, putting just Pattinson alongside the rest of the DCU's main players leaves a bit of confusion about whether Ben Affleck is still a major player, or whether this was just done due to the fact Pattinson had a really successful movie out in 2022.
Why Pattinson Is DC's Biggest & Most Important Batman Now
Pattinson is the most important Batman DC has right now, for a few reasons. Not only was The Batman really successful, but it is spawning a whole universe of spin-offs itself, starting with the Penguin spin-off TV series. DC is all in on the Matt Reeves universe, showing real faith in him and his team.
On top of that, Ben Affleck holds an awkward Batman record - he is the only live-action actor to play Batman who hasn't had his own solo movie. After appearing in a handful of other films to mixed reactions, it's not clear if Ben Affleck's Batman is bankable for DC. What is clear is that Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves's Batman has a financially viable future and fans all over the world, which could persuade DC to incorporate him into the DCU.
Why Pattinson & Affleck Can Co-Exist As Batman
Despite the potential complications with having two iterations of its most famous character, DC can actually have the best of both worlds with its multiple Batmans. Since both Affleck and Pattinson represent different facets of the same character, there's an argument that having multiple active versions can make Batman as a whole a more interesting and compelling figure, without being restricted to one storytelling style. What's clear from WB boss David Zaslav's "there's not going to be four Batmans" comment, is that the studio is not going to focus on Michael Keaton's Batman after The Flash. Instead, what it could do is keep Ben Affleck's Batman in the DCU, popping in and out of different films to keep with the continuity. This way, Pattinson's Batman, much like Joker, can stand on its own without the pressure of needing to connect to a wider DC shared universe. Such an approach could be a potentially interesting future for the character.
