Robert Pattinson's Batman Universe Has An Official Name & We Have Mixed Feelings

As of right now, 2022's "The Batman" exists as a single film and nothing more. That's all going to change this fall when the spin-off series "The Penguin" arrives, as the show picks up in the aftermath of director Matt Reeves' film, bringing back Colin Farrell as the title character, aka "Oz Cobb," short for Oswald Cobblepot, his name from the pages of DC Comics. It turns out that Reeves and his producing partner Dylan Clark have a name for this forthcoming franchise within the larger DC Universe. Get ready for the "Batman Epic Crime Saga."

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Reeves and Clark spoke about "The Penguin" and how it will bridge the gap between the films, with "The Batman: Part II" currently set to hit theaters in 2026 after being delayed a full year. Within the story, it's revealed that will be the title they are using internally to describe their corner of the DC Universe. It's not quite as snappy as the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the MonsterVerse, to say the very least of it.

At the same time, it's not quite as bad as "Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters" either. The piece explains that the duo intends to launch a universe of movies and shows that branches off from the 2022 film, which stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne. At one point, there were shows about the Gotham P.D. and Arkham Asylum in the works, both of which have since been put on the backburner. So, for the time being, the shape and scope of this so-called epic crime saga remains elusive. Reeves explained how the notion of this universe came together, saying the following:

"As we were writing the movie ['The Batman'], I was like, 'Hey, you know what? I think there are some cool shows that we could do.' It was actually why I wanted to make our deal at Warner Bros."

Reeves is referring to the overall deal he and his company 6th and Idaho signed with Warner Bros. in 2022, which has allowed for the "Batman Epic Crime Saga" to unfold. Whether or not the name catches on? That's another question entirely. "Can't wait to not call it that," Parrot Analytics strategist Brandon Katz quipped on Twitter. (Only the Riddler calls it X.). Another Twitter user going by the name of eri questioned, "They couldn't come up with a better name?" Others, such as Twitter user @ResonantJustice, pointed out that "The Batman Saga" seemingly would have been snappier.

The bigger thing here is that Reeves and Clark still believe there is a larger universe to mine from their version of Gotham City, even though a couple of planned TV spin-offs have gone by the wayside. Clark revealed that they still have plans for an as-of-yet unnamed TV show:

"There's another television exploration we're going to do. We're looking at this entire world as it relates to who Batman is — the antagonists around them, all the crime that has to be navigated in the city — and trying to figure out where are the areas that are best to explore."

Reeves also chimed in, saying that the HBO execs had some guidance. "They were like, 'We like what you're doing, and we want to lean harder into the marquee characters,'" he explained. Perhaps we'll see shows centered on different villains or heroes from Batman's universe, so long as they fit that "epic crime saga" mold.

Another consideration is James Gunn and Peter Safran's reboot of the DC Universe. They will be casting another Batman for director Andy Muschietti's "The Brave and the Bold" movie. Is there fear of brand confusion? Does Warner Bros. want to avoid overlap? It's all a little hazy right now but, for the time being, Reeves and Clark seem ever-committed to turning this into a bigger, standalone franchise under the DC umbrella.

"The Penguin" premieres in September on both HBO and Max.