After a series of missteps with their initial Batman V Superman (2015) and Justice League (2017) films, Warner Bros. is now no longer trying to emulate a shared universe franchise similar to its Marvel’s Avengers.

It hasn’t been all lows for Warner Bros., however. The multinational media conglomerate that owns DC comics and its related properties did see success with Wonder Woman, Shazam, Aquaman, and Joker.

However, The success of these films was largely in part due to their standalone nature—except for a few loose references that could have been disregarded altogether. 

The success of these standalone DC films has led Warner Bros. to create a more diverse universe, each with different tones. 

Zack Snyder’s Cut: Starting Point to the Multiverse

In a recent interview with Grace Randolph, Zack Snyder revealed that his upcoming Justice League on HBO Max belonged to a separate universe on its own. 

This revelation affirmed the theory that Warner Bros. was silently changing its cinematic model from a shared universe to standalone multiverses. 

And this certainly seems to be a feasible structure. Warner Bros. has always allowed for more creative freedom to filmmakers in terms of their vision. That freedom, however, has resulted in different tones for different films.

Thus, the only way to make sense of this incoherence is to make the movies stand out in their own universe going forward, and that’s precisely what the media conglomerate seems to be doing.

When the Snyder Cut is released in 2021, it will become the first official entry into the DC Multiverse (DCM). It will also be a breakthrough for Zack Snyder’s “Snyderverse” vision.

“The Batman” a Priority for Warner Bros.

Batman is definitely the most valuable IP that Warner Bros. has. Now, it seems as though WB is putting him in front and center in their multiverse as well. 

Currently, Matt Reeves is in the final stages of the production of The Batman starring Robert Pattinson.

On The Batman, Reeves has gone on record saying that his upcoming film would not be a shared universe and that it would be a standalone film grounded to reality. 

WB is also reportedly moving forward with Michael Keaton’s 1989 version of Batman by having him appear in the upcoming Flash movie.

Reports of Keaton reprising his role as Batman is unofficial as of yet, but this comes from Umberto Gonzalez from The Wrap. In his previous releases, he had accurately reported about Harley Quinn spin-off film, and Ciaran Hinds' voice-over of Justice League Villain Steppenwolf character.

DC may Have Found their Winning Formula

In creating various movies with different tones that exist in their own universe, DC may have finally moved away from emulating Marvel’s shared structure.

This current model allows for more creative freedom to filmmakers since they will be able to have their own voice without worrying too much about continuity.

DC’s Multiverse model will also cater to every fan of DC. A darker and somber-styled take on the Dark Knight might please more adult, hard-core fans while a more light-hearted The Flash movie might cater to the younger audiences.