Matt Reeves had no interest in fitting his vision for The Batman into the DC Extended Universe.

Speaking to Esquire magazine, The Batman's director discussed his approach to the Caped Crusader and why the film takes place outside of the DCEU. Ultimately, Reeves says the hero's Justice League colleagues heavily influenced the creative decision. Though Reeves respects the continuity between Warner Bros.' other superhero movies, he had no interest in incorporating the characters' lore into his story. He felt that another Batman movie "shouldn't have to carry the weight of connecting the characters from all those other movies. I didn't want them in there."

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Batman first appeared in the DCEU in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, with Ben Affleck under the cape and cowl. There were plans for Affleck to helm his own Batman film at one point, with Joe Manganiello playing the film's main villain, Deathstroke. However, after Justice League's tumultuous production and poor reception, Affleck realized he was no longer interested in directing Batman and stepped away from the film. In the wake of Affleck's departure, Warner Bros. reached out to Reeves for a new vision of the Dark Knight. While Affleck's proposed Batman film would have focused on Deathstroke dismantling the life of an aging Bruce Wayne, Reeves' concept focused on a young Caped Crusader in his second year as Batman taking on the Riddler. Immediately, this creative direction distinguished The Batman from the DCEU and made appearances from any super friends less likely.

With Affleck out, Robert Pattinson will portray Batman in Matt Reeves' film. The actor says his version of Bruce Wayne wants to be Batman all the time and masks the pain of his sorrow with an addiction to crime-fighting. This dark insight into the mind of the hero reflects a dark film, which has been rated PG-13 for "strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material."

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As Reeves' vision for the Dark Knight unfolds in The Batman, Affleck will return to the character for his next appearance in the DCEU. The character will appear in Andy Muschietti's The Flash and is Affleck's favorite Batman work to date. Additionally, The Flash will bring back Michael Keaton's incarnation of Batman, last seen in 1992's Batman Returns. However, since the film is a loose adaptation of Flashpoint, which rewrote many elements of DC's comic book continuity, many theorize that The Flash will permanently alter the DCEU and replace Affleck with Keaton.

The Batman hits theaters on March 4.

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Source: Esquire