The Arkham Asylum Dilemma: Navigating Through the Confusion of the DC Universe

The Arkham Asylum Series: A Confusing Journey

The announcement of an Arkham Asylum television series prompted much excitement but also provoked some confusion over how the show would fit into the wider DC Universe. Conflicting announcements have positioned the series in different universes within the franchise, which would greatly alter the series' trajectory and the future of the DCU. This has, of course, been greatly complicated by the DCEU reboot, which will see a flurry of new movies and TV shows across an intricate universe. The DCEU timeline officially concluded with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and will be rebooted as the DCU with James Gunn at the helm. The consequence of this was that several movies and shows were either scrapped or changed. However, certain shows and movies are being preserved as part of a parallel franchise known as DC Elseworlds. These include The Batman and Joker: Folie \

The Batman Robert Pattinson and Paul Dano as Batman and The Riddler Arkham State Hospital

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Robert Pattinson in full costume as Batman in The Batman

The Evolution of the Arkham Asylum Series

Before the DCU reboot, the Arkham Asylum series was announced as a spin-off to The Batman. Matt Reeves revealed in March 2022 that a spin-off he was working on was based on the Gotham City Police Department, set within his The Batman universe. Subsequently, this evolved into a series about Arkham Asylum, exploring its history and patients. The series would have expanded upon the brief depiction of the infamous hospital from Reeves' The Batman, and he noted that it would have featured a horror tone, presenting the institution as a 'haunted house.' This vision for an Arkham Asylum series proved popular and was notable for its similarities to the unmade Ben Affleck Batman movie. Reeves was reportedly planning to depict origin stories for Batman's infamous rogues' gallery, including Professor Pyg, Scarecrow, and Clayface. However, after the DCU reboot was announced, these plans changed, including how the Arkham Asylum series would fit into the franchise.

Close up of Barry Keoghan as Joker

After James Gunn took over the DCU reboot, it was announced that the Arkham Asylum series would be repositioned. James Gunn clarified that the Arkham Asylum series would be considered part of the DCU rather than Reeves' separate The Batman universe. Gunn also clarified that Matt Reeves would still be involved. Reeves is set to work on the DCU Arkham project and his Batman franchise, which will be placed beneath the DC Elseworlds umbrella. The Penguin spin-off starring Colin Farrell will remain within The Batman's timeline and will also fall under the DC Elseworlds label. Meanwhile, Arkham Asylum will exist alongside the other DCU television series, such as Waller, Creature Commandos, and Lanterns.

The Batman Colin Farrell as the Penguin Final Scene

Deciphering the Confusion: Gunn's Confirmation and Industry Dynamics

The confusion seems to boil down to two main factors. Firstly, conflicting reports with scant information have been released since the DCU reboot was announced, some of which suggested that the Arkham Asylum series would not change - and thus would continue with Reeve's The Batman franchise. Meanwhile, subsequent reports maintain that it is firmly within Gunn's DCU. Moreover, Gunn's comments have been somewhat ambiguous, specifically stating that much of the series hasn't changed despite these conflicting announcements (via Threads). Consequently, depending on where and when readers are sourcing their information, Arkham Asylum's status appears very different. This unveils the second major cause of confusion: the difference between 'pitches' and 'proposals' within the movie industry. Gunn's comment that the series 'wasn’t proposed to us yet. Yet it was one of the first projects pitched to us,' is very confusing for those unfamiliar with the industry's differentiation between the two terms. Essentially, a pitch is a more basic overview that happens first, while a proposal comes later and is more formal and detailed. In terms of the Arkham Asylum series, this means that Reeve's basic idea for the series was pitched and entered development as a The Batman spin-off alongside other projects like The Penguin. However, a more official and detailed proposal hadn't been proffered by the time James Gunn began rebooting the franchise. At this point, Gunn chose to fold it into the wider DCU franchise, working with Reeves to establish the show within the reboot. Ironically, Gunn's attempt to clarify this may have caused further confusion but has since confirmed the Arkham Asylum show's status.

A split image of Joker, Batman, and the Riddler in The Batman