With James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU in troubled waters amid Supergirl‘s box office performance and critical reception, fans continue to ask whether the Snyderverse could return
Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and Justice League (2021) are collectively referred to as the Snyderverse, so named because fans view those films as an entirely separate entity from the wider DC Extended Universe (DCEU), which includes everything else from Suicide Squad (2016) to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
While the DCEU has been rendered defunct by the newly established DCU, which officially launched last year with Superman (2025) and continues with Supergirl (2026), fans have been clamoring for years for the three Zack Snyder films at least to return in some shape or form
It isn’t the most unrealistic scenario given the fact that the massive fan-led campaign #RestoreTheSnyderCut saw Warner Bros. bring the director back to essentially remake the poorly received 2017 Justice League film in his original vision. Consequently, Zack Snyder’s Justice League was released on HBO in 2021 to critical praise. And since then, fans have refused to stay quiet in the hope for a continuation
Is the Snyderverse Coming Back?
Earlier this year, when asked if the Snyderverse could return in the future as a comic, an animated series, or a film, Zack Snyder told the Happy Sad Confused podcast, “We live in a world where all that is possible,” adding, “whatever form it would take, that would be amazing.”
This, coupled with the fact that the director has been sharing images and production stills from his films on Instagram over the past year, has left fans convinced the Snyderverse will return
However, for now, there are no plans for Snyder’s three films, or any part of the wider DCEU, to be revisited. As such, Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot won’t be reprising their roles as Clark Kent/Superman, Bruce Wayne/Batman, and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, respectively
Meanwhile, however, another official “Snyderverse” has quietly emerged, and is now getting a brand-new adaptation for the small screen
Scott Snyder (no relation to Zack) is the writer behind Absolute Batman, which forms part of DC’s Absolute Universe initiative alongside Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman and several other such titles, including the upcoming Absolute Catwoman, co-
These stories are bold reimaginings of iconic DC heroes and villains
What Is Different About Absolute Batman?
In Snyder’s world, Bruce Wayne isn’t a billionaire playboy—he’s an industrial blue-collar worker and gym-rat from Gotham’s crime alley, whose inner circle of friends includes the likes of Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin) and Harvey Dent (Two-Face). And, as a re brutal force of nature with a chest emblem that doubles as an ax blade, a Batmobile that’s essentially a giant dump truck, and with Batcaves all over the city
Related: James Gunn’s DCU Falls Apart as Zack Snyder Confirms That Henry Cavill Is Still Superman
The Absolute Universe launched in 2024 and has been a huge success for DC. Absolute Batmanalone became the best-selling comic that year, selling just under 400,000 copies across multiple printings. In March of this year, the first issue in the ongoing series received its 11th reprinting. Collectively, the Absolute titles have also been nominated for and have picked up several awards
Earlier this year, the Absolute versions of Batman and Catwoman appeared in the highly anticipated video game LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (2026), which is an homage to several depictions of the Dark Knight spanning all media, largely his extensive film resume:
A Batman Project Has Been Confirmed
Now, Absolute Batman is getting its own animated series
As shared by The Hollywood Reporter, during this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, it was announced that an animated series adaptation of Absolute Batman was in development at Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios. Scott Snyder himself will serve as showrunner and executive producer while the comic’s illustrator Nick Dragotta is onboard as producer
Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and DC have several other animated Batman projects in development, including DC’s first anime series, Joker: Laugh Riot,and season two of Batman: Caped Crusader
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival also recently screened a premiere of the upcoming animated feature film Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall (2026), the first installment in a trilogy of adaptations based on the well-known comic storyline of the same name
Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall releases later this year
There’s no release date for the Absolute Batman animated series
Whether Zack Snyder’s saga could return remains to be seen; however, with all these animated Batman projects now in development, the DCEU’s Snyderverse could indeed return in that form
Many fans believe that the DCU could be rendered inactive in the same way the previous franchise was; largely because films such as Superman (2025) and Supergirl (2026) have failed to resonate with audiences and have also underperformed at the box office
Should this happen, fans remain convinced it would allow for the return of the Snyderverse
For now, there’s plenty to look forward to on both the animated and live-action Batman front
Not only is the DCU film Clayface (2026), which centers on the Rogues’ Gallery villain and takes place in Gotham City, releasing in theaters on October 23, but The Batman – Part II (2027), which will see the return of Robert Pattinson’s version of the Dark Knight, is set for October 1, 2027. The Batman reboot, The Brave and the Bold, which is expected to cast a new actor as the DCU’s Caped Crusader, currently remains in active development with no release date announced
Which upcoming Batman project are you most excited about? Let us know!
