James Gunn inherited more than a superhero universe when he took charge of DC Studios; he also inherited a rather persistent Batman problem. Ever since his DCU plans took shape, fans have repeatedly wondered whether Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight, Matt Reeves’ Gotham, and spin-offs like The Penguin would find a home in the new continuity. Gunn has consistently shut down those crossover theories, keeping the Reeves-verse firmly under the DC Elseworlds banner.

Now, Gunn is once again explaining why Reeves’ grounded Gotham, with its crime-driven stories and absence of metahumans, does not fit his superpowered DCU vision.

James Gunn on why Reeseverse does not fit into the DCU

James Gunn has heard the Batman crossover theories more times than Gotham has had crime scenes, and he is once again setting the record straight. During his appearance on HBO Max’s The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon?, the DC Studios co-chief addressed persistent fan speculation about Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight joining the main DCU. The discussion has become particularly noisy among fans campaigning for Matt Reeves’ universe to merge with Gunn’s continuity.

“There are Elseworlds tales like Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which is a very grounded, gritty crime story where there are no superpowers or metahumans or anything like that,” he said.

The distinction goes beyond keeping two Batman actors from stepping on each other’s capes. Gunn pointed to the fundamental differences between Reeves’ grounded Gotham and the wider DCU, where extraordinary abilities and metahuman characters are part of the world’s fabric. A crime saga built around corruption, street-level violence and ordinary human limitations operates under very different rules.

That also explains why James Gunn has continued to champion separate Batman projects rather than fold everything into one continuity. Robert Pattinson’s version remains part of DC Elseworlds, while The Brave and the Bold is being developed to introduce the DCU’s own Caped Crusader alongside Damian Wayne. For fans hoping the two worlds would eventually collide, Gunn has another reminder: not every Gotham needs a Superman.

Gunn has literally needed a podcast to separate DCU fact from fan fiction, but Matt Reeves has faced the same persistent Batman merger questions and offered much the same answer.

Why Matt Reeves thinks his Batman universe is not a DCU fit

There is a reason Matt Reeves has been so protective of his Batman corner, and it has little to do with keeping Robert Pattinson away from another actor wearing the cape. When Reeves first developed The Batman, he envisioned a self-contained, neo-noir detective story rooted in Gotham’s criminal underworld. His approach centered on Bruce Wayne’s psychological struggles rather than setting up a larger superhero franchise.

That creative foundation is precisely what makes the Reeves-verse a difficult fit for James Gunn’s DCU. Reeves has built Gotham around one fantastical element: Batman himself, with the rest of the world operating under recognisably realistic rules. Introducing metahumans, shape-shifting villains or supernatural mythology would fundamentally change that vision, which is why his Batman was never designed to belong to the interconnected DCU.

Do you still feel like Matt Reeves’ Batman universe can still fit into James Gunn’s DCU? Let us know in the comments!