The future of DC got a bit clearer, even with some complications along the way. James Gunn confirmed on Threads that the Arkham Asylum series Matt Reeves was producing will be a part of the DCU, not the Batverse (seen below). It was previously reported that it would be a prequel to The Batman, which is still set to have a series on Colin Farrell’s Penguin and a sequel in the future to expand the universe from the Planet of the Apes director.
In a thread on the Meta-owned social media site, the director confirmed multiple details about the previously misconceived series. When asked about what The Batman director was making beyond his confirmed shows and the sequel to the Robert Pattinson-led film, the DC co-CEO confirmed its continuity with his revamped version of the DC Universe. This is a significant development as it confirms that the Cloverfield director will be taking on projects for his universe and the canonical universe being developed.
Yes. We love Matt as a director and producer so he’ll be producing stories both within his The Batman universe and within the DCU.
James Gunn on Threads
Matt Reeves Is Making DCU and Batverse Projects as James Gunn Confirms the Continuity of the Arkham Asylum Series
It can be confusing after so much reporting on the series before. Trades like Deadline had reported that the show would be a prequel. It has set Antonio Campos (The Staircase) as the showrunner of the series that was previously reported to be about the Gotham police. With this revelation, we cannot currently confirm if Campos is still attached.
It is uncertain if the Arkham Asylum series was originally set as a Gotham PD series that evolved into the current idea. The DC co-CEO confirmed that it was “one of the first pitches we [Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran] bought.” He does not “know the permutations it went through before that time.”
After Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom release this month, the DC brand will be split into two camps. We will have branded DCU projects, like Superman: Legacy. Then, non-canonical movies like Joker 2 and The Batman 2 will be Elseworlds, similarly to how the comics handled non-canonical stories.
