The DC Universe's Batman in The Brave and the Bold will be very different from Robert Pattinson's version. After years of Ben Affleck playing Batman in the DC Extended Universe, the plan for James Gunn's DCU is to introduce a new version of the Dark Knight. The DCU's Batman will debut in The Brave and the Bold, one of five movies announced as part of Chapter 1 of the new shared universe. Not only is Affleck not returning to play the iconic hero, but Robert Pattinson's Batman will not join the shared universe, as The Batman franchise is confirmed to remain separated from Gunn's plans.Introducing the DCU's Batman will come only a few years after audiences met Robert Pattinson's version, and it could even fall relatively close to when he returns for Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II. There will be no confusion about whether Pattinson's Batman is part of Gunn's shared universe, as the DC Studios co-CEO and Reeves have spoken about their individual goals for the character. This will ensure that the two iterations will be very different from each other. While The Brave and the Bold is still years away from releasing in theaters, early details on the film reveal how the DCU's Batman is different from Robert Pattinson's.
5 The DCU’s Batman Actor Will Be Older Than Robert Pattinson
One way that the DCU's Batman will be different from Robert Pattinson's is with their age. The Batman star is in his mid-30s, and his Bruce Wayne is estimated to be slightly younger during his first solo movie. The younger take on Batman works for Matt Reeves' take on the character, as The Batman showed Bruce during only his second year as a crime fighter. With Reeves' The Batman trilogy plans, it is expected that Robert Pattinson will wrap up his time as Batman when he is in his 40s, but Bruce could still be in his 30s throughout the franchise.
The difference for the DCU's Batman is that he will likely be in his late-30s or early-40s when The Brave and the Bold takes place. James Gunn has not confirmed the exact age that Batman will be in the DCU, but he did hint that Bruce will be older than Superman, who is confirmed to be a younger iteration compared to Henry Cavill. The irony here is that there is a good chance that the DCU's Batman will cast someone close to Ben Affleck's age, 42, when he debuted. But since Affleck is now in his 50s, he's too old for the role as James Gunn envisions it.
4 The DCU’s Batman Has A Kid
Part of the reason that the DCU's Batman will be older is to reflect his parental status, as The Brave and the Bold will introduce Bruce Wayne's son, Damian Wayne. The addition of Damian Wayne in The Brave and the Bold was confirmed by James Gunn when the movie was announced. While no specific age was given for the character, he will likely be somewhere between 10-13 years old. That means that the DCU's Batman needs to be a bit older to have the necessary history with Talia al Ghul and the League of Assassins to be the father of Damian.
While the DCU gives Batman a kid, Robert Pattinson's version of the character is nowhere close to being a father. He's largely a recluse in The Batman and does not show much interest in romantic relationships at this point in his life. It does not seem that Damian Wayne or any other potential child of Bruce's is part of Matt Reeves' plans for the franchise. As a result, the DCU's Batman should remain the only movie iteration of the character to include this dynamic.
3 The DCU's Batman Will Have A Robin
Introducing Damian Wayne to the DCU means that James Gunn's Batman will have a Robin. Damian is expected to be his father's sidekick in The Brave and the Bold. Damian Wayne being the Robin to the DCU's Batman comes even as he was the fifth person to hold the mantle in the comics. The DCU using Robin in the film will be the first time anyone uses the mantle in a live-action movie since Chris O’Donnell played Dick Grayson in Batman and Robin back in 1997. Now, the DCU will get to show what this Batman is like as both a father and a mentor to a younger superhero.
There is currently no Robin to Robert Pattinson's Batman, though. Some The Batman theories suggest an option for Bruce Wayne's first Boy Wonder was secretly included in the movie. While no plans have been confirmed to include any form of Robin in The Batman 2, Pattinson has expressed his desire for a version of the character to join the franchise. Only time will tell whether he gets his wish, but it definitely will not be Damian if he does. For now, Robin is one of the many ways that the DCU's Batman is different from Robert Pattinson's.
2 The DCU’s Batman Has The Bat Family Already
Not only will the DCU's Batman have a Robin, but he will also interact with other members of the Bat Family. This was officially confirmed as part of the intention for The Brave and the Bold. It has not been decided which members of the Bat Family will be part of Batman's backstory in the DCU or which ones will appear in the movie. Popular characters like Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon are among the most likely candidates to be included. But, The Brave and the Bold could have the Bat Family debut with most others also established, ranging from Jason Todd to Stephanie Brown to Cassandra Cain.
This is another way that Robert Pattinson's Batman is different from the DCU's plan. The Batman made it quite clear that Bruce Wayne works mostly alone. While he does team up with Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) in the film, there is no indication that Nightwing, Batgirl, or another Robin exists in this universe. Introducing some of these characters could be part of Matt Reeves' plans for The Batman's shared universe. However, bringing any of these characters into the mix would mean telling their origin, while the DCU will use many of them as established heroes.
1 The DCU’s Batman Can Meet Other DC Superheroes
Another critical difference between the DCU's Batman and Robert Pattinson's version is the state of the superhero world they operate in. James Gunn plans to make Batman a cornerstone of the DCU after The Brave and the Bold, but his role comes as part of a universe where superheroes have been around for a while. This means that Gunn's Batman can interact with other DCU superheroes as the franchise expands. This will undoubtedly include the DCU's new Superman and Batman meeting and likely encounter many other Justice League-level heroes before potentially uniting as a team down the road.
Interacting with other DC superheroes is not something that will happen for Robert Pattinson's Batman, though. The Batman is remaining separate from the DCU, and there is no expectation that other superheroes will appear in The Batman 2 or other sequels. So, even though The Batman teased that Superman, Wonder Woman, and other superheroes could exist in this universe, these Easter eggs should not materialize with more DC characters appearing. Batman's crossovers with other DC superheroes will be kept for the DCU and could even begin in The Brave and the Bold.
