The Batman vs Superman '25

[AndrewGilkison]

I think the only way Pattinson's Batman being in the DCU would work is if Matt Reeves moved away from the Chris Nolan "grounded realism" take he seems to want to stick with. Start introducing sci fi and fantasy elements as part of the world, and the threats his Batman deals with. Having metahuman villains like Mr. Freeze or Poison Ivy would go a long way to set that up. But does Reeves want to do that? I don't think he does.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Yeah I do wonder about the people who just go and see a new Superman or Batman movie and don’t even think of it as all being connected. Or maybe they do but they just assume that the current Batman exists in the Superman universe. Would they just roll with it if Pattinson showed up in the DCU? Or would they care that a different actor was fitting alongside Superman? Would any of it matter?

 

[chintai80]

i would not have a problem if pattinson showed up in the dcu.

i'd welcome it and think he'll be great in it.

i like him that much as batman.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I’d have been down for Battinson in A DCU but tbh I just think it’d be a bad fit for Gunn’s. I feel like if you’re super into the DCU you’d want Gunn’s specific vision and if you’re super into what Reeves is doing you don’t want him beholden to anything but his own story.

Plus, for me the dream is always for these characters on film to get full stories that END - I want to see the Battinson story have a beginning, middle and end. If he’s DCU Batman you can’t destroy the status quo or do anything too radical, I’d imagine.

 

[AndyTrevino]

I’d have been down for Battinson in A DCU but tbh I just think it’d be a bad fit for Gunn’s. I feel like if you’re super into the DCU you’d want Gunn’s specific vision and if you’re super into what Reeves is doing you don’t want him beholden to anything but his own story.

Plus, for me the dream is always for these characters on film to get full stories that END - I want to see the Battinson story have a beginning, middle and end. If he’s DCU Batman you can’t destroy the status quo or do anything too radical, I’d imagine.

I've been saying this for a year and a half. I never really had much confidence in Reeves straying from his own plans just so Battinson could be in the DCU, which is FINE. Just gives Reeves more leeway to do more of his own thing the way he did in the first movie.

 

[AheadOfTheCurve]

I’m gonna go with The Batman, but I absolutely friggin loved Superman 2025

 

[Peyton Westlake]

I believe Superman (2025) is the stronger film overall—and it has nothing to do with Batman’s runtime in 2022. James Gunn faced the tougher challenge: making a hero who seems unbeatable feel engaging to skeptics. While many view Superman as all-powerful and predictable, Gunn cleverly introduced vulnerability, proving he isn’t infallible. He also tackled the problem of Superman’s purity by emphasizing his alien nature—showing that even when humanity rejects him, he still chooses to protect us. And by skipping a retread of his origin story and presenting him already established in the DCU, Gunn made one of the smartest choices in the film.

 

[Detective Conan]

The Batman easily; Superman was good but I just felt it was too messy and unfocused didn’t flow as well as it could have, imo. Superman may have been more fun to watch but overall in terms direction, cinematography, editing and score - you know the little things The Batman is the better film.

 

[Lantern Venom]

I'm going to be incredibly myopic in my assessment. Forget acting, directing, tone, and messaging. Superman 2025 had a Green Lantern in it, so it wins. There, I said it.

 

[B]

Superman for me quite comfortably.

I liked The Batman overall, but Superman was more enjoyable, didn't feel like there was as many points of the film that dragged & there was less creative choices I disagreed with.

 

[psylockolussus]

Superman, simply because I was kinda bored watching The Batman.

 

[Gothamsknight]

The Batman. I very very much enjoyed Superman, but The Batman takes the cake imo.

 

[BatLobster]

I believe Superman (2025) is the stronger film overall—and it has nothing to do with Batman’s runtime in 2022. James Gunn faced the tougher challenge: making a hero who seems unbeatable feel engaging to skeptics. While many view Superman as all-powerful and predictable, Gunn cleverly introduced vulnerability, proving he isn’t infallible. He also tackled the problem of Superman’s purity by emphasizing his alien nature—showing that even when humanity rejects him, he still chooses to protect us. And by skipping a retread of his origin story and presenting him already established in the DCU, Gunn made one of the smartest choices in the film.

I actually think this is a fair point. Making Superman relevant in 2025 was possibly a more challenging thing to sell audiences on than yet another dark(er) and serious take on Batman.

I also thing Superman found something new and fresh to say about the character whereas I feel The Batman, with its considerable runtime ultimately boils down to a theme and message we've seen multiple times before in the franchise. Delivered a bit differently, sure. But that's a fairly major shortcoming for me. Hoping the sequel will break more new ground.

That said, The Batman is full of elements that are clearly more refined- score, overall creative direction, cinematography etc. It's more a feast of a film. But that's also what I've come to expect of a quality Batman movie, and it's overall more to my tastes.

After seeing Superman, yeah, it's very hard to see how a crossover could work tonally. But for the first time in history, WB has successfully launched a Batman and Superman series at the same time, so I can't blame people for dreaming.