Robert Pattinson’sBatmanand David Corenswet’sSupermanmight inhabit two tonally different worlds, but in the realm of comic book movies, anything is possible. According to a key creative on the DCU’s first tentpole movie, James Gunn’sSuperman, Robert Pattinson’s Batman could make the leap to the DC Universe easier than fans once thought. The moment the first look at Corenswet’s Superman was revealed, fans were desperate for him to team up with Pattinson’s version of Bruce Wayne, who stars inMatt Reeves’The Batman.While James Gunn is adamant that the crossover isn’t happening (at least, not anytime soon), the film’s VFX supervisor has other thoughts.
Superman’s VFX supervisor, Guy Williams, recently spoke toScreen Rantabout their work on the movie and the future of the DCU. When asked if they think Robert Pattinson’s Batman could be brought from the Elsewhere universe into the fold of the DCU, Williams gave a very optimistic answer. “I would say yes,” Williams said. While they want to see it happen, they know it would take a talented director to actually make it so, as they explained:
“You’ve got to understand, directors are some of the most amazing creative people in the world. Their job is to figure out how to take a concept that barely holds in your brain and turn it into a two-hour story that you can see. So, I guarantee you that there’s a handful of directors out there that could figure out how to tie those two together and make it work.”
One of the biggest roadblocks for the cinematic crossover is the stark contrast in tones betweenThe BatmanandSuperman. The former is a dark and brooding movie set in the crime-ridden Gotham City, whereas the latter embraces thebright and optimistic side of Superman,which was forgotten about in the DCEU. But just because the films are visually different, it doesn’t mean they can’t work together, as Williams explained:
“There are movies that do that all the time, where you have a horrific movie and, all of a sudden, the guy looks out to the water and sees a moment of beauty, and it reminds him that the world’s [beautiful.] I totally see that you could tie those two together.”
Should Robert Pattinson’s Batman Join the DCU?
It’s hard to argue that David Corenswet’s Superman and Robert Pattinson’s Batman wouldn’t create an interesting dynamic on screen. Both actors are playing younger versions of their respective characters. Bruce Wayne is only two years into his mission tofight crime in Gotham inThe Batman,and Clark Kent only came out as Superman three years ago in his respective film.
However, there’s one major problem standing in the way of a believable crossover: Superman would crush Batman like an ant. Say what you will about the DCEU, at least it gave fans a Batman who could potentially stand a chance against Superman. However, the world ofThe Batmanis too realistic and gritty for Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne to believably be a threat/ally to Superman in any meaningful way.
More to come…
