The Batman Director Clears Up Arkham Spin-Off Series Confusion

While there are a number of plans for The Batman’s future, Matt Reeves has now explained more about the recently mentioned Arkham series.

Photo: Gage Skidmore

As The Batman arrived in cinemas, talk of sequels and spin-offs have already begun, with a lot being teased about the future of the new Batman franchise. As well as a sequel, there will also be a spin-off series focusing on Colin Farrell’s Penguin, and there was the rumored Gotham PD spin-off also in contention. However, in a recent interview, director Matt Reeves has fired-up speculation of a third spin-off based on Arkham Asylum also being in development. However, as some suspected, Reeves has now confirmed that the show will not be a new spin-off but is an evolved version of the Gotham PD series.

The Batman blew away its opening weekend expectations, delivering a $250 million opening weekend worldwide and producing some of the best reviews for any Dark Knight movie ever. Warner Bros. had already put a lot of faith in the Robert Pattinson-led film, with spin-off series and a sequel already going ahead before the release of The Batman, and it would have taken an absolutely catastrophic box office to have changed that. So with Batman being big business again, it is time to start thoroughly discussing where the franchise goes next.

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In an interview with The Cyber Nerds, Reeves was asked about the Gotham PD spin-off series, which had not been mentioned during the press tour despite apparently being green-lit months ago. Reeves cleared up the recent confusion over a new third spin-off being in development, but explaining the GCPD series has simply evolved into one that focuses more on Arkham. He said:

“That story has kind of evolved. We are now moving more into the realm of exactly what would happen in the world of Arkham as it relates coming off of our movie and some of the characters again in their origins that you would, you know, leaning almost into the idea of like a horror movie or a haunted house that is Arkham. Again the way that Gotham is a character in the movie, I really want Arkham to exist as a character so you go into this environment and encounter these characters that feels really fresh. So in our work on Gotham that story started to evolve and felt like we should really lean into this and that’s where that’s gone.”

The Batman’s Arkham Spin-Off Could Introduce Many of DC’s Best Known Villains

While there was a lot of buzz around the planned Gotham PD spin-off series, there are many reasons why an Arkham-based series would make more sense in the long run. Obviously, the cops of Gotham will still be a feature of the series, but the Police Department featured quite heavily in the TV series of Gotham, and could have felt like it was retreading some of that path.

To turn the focus on Arkham means that Reeves can explore the villainous fraternity of Gotham in this new dark, twisted and gritty world that The Batman has created, and being able to delve deeper into the characters found there could also open up many possibilities when it comes to potential sequels to The Batman and who the Caped Crusader could be facing in those movies.

While the series is clearly still in early development, the appetite for more from The Batman’s world is clearly there, and it looks to be a meal that Matt Reeves is more than happy to provide audiences with. Expect more news on the series as it goes into full production sometime soon.

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