As both DC and Marvel move towards exploring the idea of a cinematic multiverse, it has been confirmed in a recent report that director Matt Reeves' The Batman will be set in DCEU's Earth-2. An alternate Earth that will be familiar to comic book fans, this puts Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight in a completely separate universe to the likes of Ben Affleck's (something which had already been assumed) enabling The Batman to craft its own world away from the idea of a shared universe.

Of course, The Batman could potentially one day crossover with the likes of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League much like in the pages of DC comics.

This same report also claims that, while The Batman will stand alone in Earth-2, DC is planning for its upcoming movies and shows to share the same universe. The news that The Batman is being set on Earth-2 away from the rest of the DCEU is further confirmation that the studio are moving towards exploring the idea of a multiverse, which will no doubt lead to all manner of comic book movie craziness.

DC's Earth-2 will be familiar to fans of the comic book source material, having first appeared in the 60s as a way to establish the concept of a multiverse in the DC mythos. It should also be familiar to fans of The CW's DC shows, with Earth-2 making appearances in the likes of Arrow and The Flash.

The Batman will evidently be the beginning of an Earth-2 shared universe, with a small screen spin-off already being planned based around the Gotham City Police Department, Gotham PD, with the intention for crossover with characters from Pattinson's big screen outing, including the likes of Jeffrey Wright as Batman ally Jim Gordon. Where Joaquin Phoenix's Joker fits into proceedings is anyone's guess...

Looking beyond The Batman, there have been ongoing rumors that J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates' upcoming Superman Reboot will be set within the DCEU, but with the news that Earth-2 is being brought into the fray, it's very possible that The Batman and the new Superman will be set in the same alternate universe. This is further supported by the other ongoing rumor surrounding Abrams' Superman, which claims that a black actor is being sought after for the new Man of Steel. This should have bells in the heads of DC fans ringing, as Earth-2 is known as the home of Val-Zod, one of the last Kryptonians of his universe and the second to use the mantle of Superman.

Before any of these multiverse shenanigans though, audiences are still awaiting the release of The Batman, which follows the early days of the Caped Crusader and focuses on a young Bruce Wayne who has become disheartened by the lack of impact he is having on crime in Gotham. Suddenly, Batman is needed more than ever when a series of murders occur at the hands of The Riddler. Led down a path that will reveal dark secrets about his parents, Bruce is forced to confront the corruption going on in the shadows of his city, all while trying to catch The Riddler before he kills again.

After a series of delays amid the ongoing global situation, director Matt Reeves recently confirmed that The Batman has finally wrapped filming, with the movie scheduled for release on March 4, 2022.

This comes to us courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter.