A tie-in novel for The Batman reveals several intriguing details about the universe being created by director Matt Reeves, including the fact that Lex Luthor and Metropolis both exist in the world of Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight. The book, titled Before the Batman: An Original Movie Novel (The Batman Movie), explores the events before the upcoming movie and features a character named Dex, who seemingly mentions both the DC supervillain and Superman’s city.

"My dad and I need to get away. Maybe Metropolis,” the book says. “I hear LexCorp Race Team is taking on new mechanics." While the mentions of both of these familiar elements are brief, it does suggest that the wider world of DC will exist, at least in part, within the world of The Batman.

Of course, there is no suggestion that the likes of Lex Luthor and Metropolis will feature in the movie itself, but eagle-eyed fans will no doubt be keeping their eyes peeled for further clues relating to other DC heroes and villains. These details though are sure to have DC fans wondering whether the studio will be looking to spawn a completely separate shared universe off the back of The Batman. Could one of the upcoming Superman projects be set in the same reality as Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader?

The Batman Will Stand Separate from the Wider DC Cinematic Universe

Batman
Warner Bros. Pictures

While never quite as streamlined as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC’s shared cinematic universe has nonetheless staggered onward, with the upcoming The Flash set to throw the franchise into a multiverse. The Batman, however, will stand entirely separate from the shared DC universe, with director Matt Reeves working hard to persuade the studio to let him do his own thing with his take on The Dark Knight.

"Warner Bros. has a multiverse where they're exploring different ways to use the character," producer Dylan Clark previously explained. "We don't get involved in that. Matt is interested in pushing this character to his emotional depths and shaking him to his core."

The original intention for Batman was to give Ben Affleck’s iteration of the character his own adventure set within the DC shared universe. While Reeves recently praised the script for this Batman project saying, “I read a script that they had that was a totally valid take on the movie,” ultimately it was not personal enough for him. “I told them that there have been so many great movies, but if I were to do this, I’d have to make it personal, so that I understood what I was going to do with it, so that I know where to put the camera, so that I know what to tell the actors, so that I know what the story should be,” he said. “This take, I told them, pointing at the script, is a totally valid and exciting take. It is almost James Bond-ian, but it wasn’t something that I quite related to.”

The Batman will drop audiences into Gotham City, introducing a version of the costumed vigilante just two years into his unorthodox career as he comes face-to-face with The Riddler. The Batman is scheduled to hit theaters on March 4, 2022.