The Batman Part II is quietly derailing James Gunn’s DCU—and it should have been canceled years ago

Right, let’s get into it: the Bat-saga at DC continues to be a bit of a shambles, and the latest shake-up probably won’t win them any fans. 'The Batman Part II,' Matt Reeves’s much-anticipated follow-up with Robert Pattinson under the cowl, has officially been punted back to February 2028. Yep, you read that right—February. 2028. At this point, the modern DC film universe is so tangled up that even the Joker would struggle to see the punchline.

How Did We Get Here?

Quick bit of background: when James Gunn took control of DC Studios in late 2022, he came in promising a complete reboot. No more confusion, no overlapping storylines, a proper shared universe. Sounds fine on paper, but that’s not how it’s played out.

Back then, you already had Matt Reeves busy with his own gritty, noir-inspired Batman continuity—and fans seemed to like it, for the most part. Still, Gunn was ruthless elsewhere, tearing up any previous plans involving Henry Cavill’s Superman (remember that cameo in 'Black Adam'? Ancient history) so he could bring in his own Man of Steel. Yet, when it came to Reeves and Pattinson, Gunn apparently tried to fold their Batman into the new DCU, was rebuffed, and… decided to just run both. Which, shocker, is now making everything even messier.

Four Delay Notices and Counting

Here’s the timeline for Reeves’s sequel, just for context:

• Initially meant to be out in October 2025
• Then delayed to 2026
• Shunted again to 2027
• Now officially due in February 2028 (yes, your hair will be greyer by then)

The repeated schedule slippage isn’t just down to perfectionism—Reeves is apparently notorious for taking his sweet time with screenplays—but it underscores the central issue: this film is distracting DC from what it desperately needs, a single, coherent Batman in its main universe. And let’s face it, Batman is DC’s golden ticket. Not splashing him front and centre feels like putting the Batmobile in storage while the studio lurches from one box-office misfire to the next.

Why This Matters (and Hurts Gunn’s Plans)

The longer Reeves gets to play in his own dark Gotham corner, the more it muddies the water for Gunn’s DC Universe (DCU for those who like their acronyms). Gunn can’t properly introduce his Batman—in 'The Brave and the Bold,' the DCU’s planned mainline Bat-film—until Reeves has wrapped up, or at least until the audience isn’t juggling two different Batmen. The absolute earliest a DCU Batman could turn up now? 2029, if we’re being generous.

Let’s add a bit of bite to that: after Supergirl sank at the box office (and Superman’s latest outing gave barely a ripple), DC is leaving its most reliable cash machine in a holding pattern. Any sensible exec would’ve started the whole shared universe with Batman. Instead, the studio’s hoping audiences are still invested in a franchise that hasn’t truly started yet.

What’s the Endgame Here?

Currently, Reeves is being allowed to continue in what Gunn calls the 'Elseworlds' sandbox. Maybe there’s logic in letting a filmmaker finish his story, but what if 'Part II' is a success? Are we in for Part III in 2031 and another glorious bloat of continuity headaches? Meanwhile, the actual DC Universe—the one meant to rival Marvel—is twiddling its thumbs, waiting for a caped crusader of its own.

Here’s a (theoretical) way round it: could Gunn have Corenswet’s Superman pop up in a post-credits scene for 'The Batman Part II,' merging the two worlds? Rumour is, highly unlikely. If the studio wants to build a true shared universe, the decision to give Reeves this much rope will look, in hindsight, like one of Gunn’s biggest missteps.

'Every time The Batman Part II gets delayed, it’s hurting the DCU, because the DCU needs Batman. He’s DC’s biggest superhero. He should be in the DCU by now…'

And with early talk about a possible Warner Bros. and Paramount merger swirling about, who knows if the DCU even survives, let alone gets its own Bat-franchise in before the decade’s out.

Funny how the Flash is never around when you actually need to fix the timeline, isn’t it.