The Shared Universe Before the DCEU: A Look at the Complicated Timeline of Batman Movies
Exploring the interconnected franchise of Batman movies and the subtle references that tie them together, despite the lack of a shared timeline.
The Predecessor to the DCEU
Catwoman (2004) - Catwomen Through The Ages Scene (5/10) | Movieclips
Long before the DCEU or MCU, an ironclad contender to be named the comic book company's worst live-action adaptation ever tied itself directly to a classic Batman movie, despite offering no indications it occupied the same continuity. It wasn't until 2013 that DC went all-in on the idea of a cinematic universe when Zack Snyder's Man of Steel was released to launch the DCEU timeline - but a missed Batman Returns reference technically began the process far earlier. The shared timeline - or lack thereof - of the initial film series, which began with Tim Burton's 1989 Batman and ended with Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin eight years later, has been a constant source of discussion and debate.
Halle Berry's Catwoman provided one of the earlier examples of how a superhero franchise could link its releases through less entirely overt ways. In a scene that focuses on Berry's Patience Phillips discovering she's the latest in a long line of women to attain feline-attuned abilities, Frances Conroy's Ophelia Powers explains that Patience is the latest person chosen to be a messenger of the Egyptian deity Bast following a near-death experience. When coming to terms with her newfound status, a photo of Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman is clearly visible on the ground in front of Patience, strongly suggesting that Burton's Batman Returns unfolds in the same timeline as Berry's four-time Razzie-winning bust. It's never outwardly stated which city the 2004 movie takes place in, but the confirmation that Pfeiffer's Selina Kyle exists somewhere in Patience's world explicitly indicates the Gotham City patrolled by Michael Keaton over a decade previously is part of Catwoman's universe.
The Complicated Timeline
Catwoman first entered development as a direct spinoff to Batman Returns that was supposed to have Pfeiffer reprising her role, but it spent a decade going through constant rewrites and revisions before Berry's iteration hit the big screen in 2004. Warner Bros. and DC never directly or indirectly acknowledged Berry's Catwoman as part of the pre-Batman Begins timeline, but the brief glimpse of Pfeiffer nodded towards both films being part of the same interconnected franchise. Michael Gough and Pat Hingle playing Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner Gordon in the first four movies created the belief that the quartet unfolded linearly, but it was never confirmed.
Keaton's return in The Flash would appear to negate the possibility that the first four Batman movies are connected, too, with his presence in an alternate timeline highlighting how he continued as the costumed superhero. Furthermore, George Clooney's cameo enhances the belief that he existed in his own universe, drawing a clear distinction between the Burton duology and what came after. Pfeiffer's visual cameo in Catwoman only creates more confusion, with the photo effectively confirming her existence in Berry's world to tie it to Batman Returns, even though it's the sole reference to any other Batman movie made throughout.
The Unanswered Questions
The shared timeline - or lack thereof - of the initial film series, which began with Tim Burton's 1989 Batman and ended with Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin eight years later, has been a constant source of discussion and debate, and yet it almost always goes unmentioned that a notorious box office bomb is also part of the conversation. It's long since been swept under the rug following the advent of the DCEU and now James Gunn's upcoming DC Universe overhaul, but it nonetheless serves to offer more questions than answers.
The connection between the Burton and Schumacher eras, and how they fit into the broader Batman movie universe, remains a topic of speculation and intrigue. The subtle references and visual nods in Catwoman and the earlier Batman movies have sparked debates among fans, adding layers of complexity to the cinematic portrayal of Gotham City and its inhabitants. As the DCEU expands and evolves, the legacy of the pre-DCEU Batman movies continues to raise intriguing questions about the interconnectedness of superhero franchises and the enduring allure of classic comic book adaptations.
