James Gunn confirms new Batman TV spin-off based on Arkham Asylum

Matt Reeves’ ‘Arkham Asylum’ project has been in development for quite some time but would be part of the revamped DCU

A new TV spin-off from The Batman movie called “The Arkham Project” has been confirmed by DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn.

Director Matt Reeves’ Arkham Asylum project has been in development for some time, but Gunn took to social media to officially confirm the spin-off was happening and would be a part of the wider DC universe.

A fan asked Gunn on Threads if Reeves was working on more projects in the “Batverse”, according to Deadline, to which he replied: “Right now Matt is producing Arkham as a DCU series, so there’s just the two for now.

“Yes. We love Matt as a director and producer so he’ll be producing stories both within his The Batman universe and within the DCU.”

Speaking further on the Arkham series, Gunn added: “It was one of the first pitches we bought when Peter and I came onboard. I don’t know the permutations it went through before that time.”

Colin Farrell played The Penguin in the most recent Batman film (Courtesy of Max)

In the Batman universe, Arkham refers to the Arkham Asylum, the fictional psychiatric hospital or prison where some of Batman’s most notorious enemies are staying. The official plot of the show has not yet been released.

The Batman: Part II and Joker: Folie à Deux is another upcoming project that is part of the Elseworlds franchise, a separate universe from the main DCU. Reeves is also currently working on another spin-off, The Penguin, which is set to premiere next year.

Speaking about the spin-off series last year, Colin Farrell, who plays the role of Penguin, said that he was excited to explore Oswald Cobblepot’s (Penguin’s) rise to power.

"The world that Matt Reeves created for The Batman is one that warrants a deeper gaze through the eyes of Oswald Cobblepot," he said.

"I couldn’t be more excited about continuing this exploration of Oz as he rises through the darkened ranks to become The Penguin," he added.

"[It] will be good to get him back on the streets of Gotham for a little madness and a little mayhem."

Pattinson will reprise his role as Batman in the film sequel (AFP via Getty Images)

As the Batman universe continues to grow, lead actor Robert Pattinson spoke about his role in the movie and what it meant for him.

In a new interview with Total Film in 2022, Pattinson said his desire to play Batman shocked his agents, who had assumed that the actor only wanted to portray “total freaks”.

He said that The Batman was the first superhero film he’d auditioned for and had come at a time when he was “aiming for quite different stuff”.

“Obviously it’s basically the jewel in the crown of the parts you can really get as an actor,” he added.

“But I’d never really thought I was anywhere close to doing it, and especially with the other parts I was attracted to at the time. I just kept obsessively checking up on it for the next year or so. Even my agents were like, ‘Oh, interesting. I thought you only wanted to play total freaks?’ And I was like, ‘He is a freak.”