‘The Batman’ Delayed To 2022 As Entire DCEU Shifts; ‘The Matrix 4’ Moves Up

This had to happen, following Dune‘s move to October 1st 2021. That spot, previously occupied by Matt Reeves’ The Batman, wasn’t going to be big enough for both films under the best of circumstances. Since both films are from Warner Bros., it was inevitable the superhero flick would get a new date. And now it has one in 2022.

The Batman is now slated to open on March 4th 2022, meaning we’ll be waiting a while longer to see Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight.

But this is just the start as all of the DCEU flicks are getting moved, with the exception of Wonder Woman 1984. For now.  The Flash, which has had its share of release date issues already, is now moving to November 4th 2022. That was the spot previously occupied by Shazam 2, which shifts to summer 2023.

Hit worst of all is Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam, already very long in the works, which has been taken off the board completely. The antihero flick, which is expected to eventually crossover with Shazam, was to open on December 22nd 2021. Keeping those two franchises fairly close together would make sense so don’t be surprised if it arrives in early 2023 or somewhere around then.

As for Wonder Woman 1984? Well, nothing on that yet but it has to be coming. That December date isn’t going to hold. Nothing on Aquaman 2, either, but 2024 seems like a good spot. Seriously, these are VERY long waits for some of these movies and could hurt the DCEU if audiences lose interest.

Meanwhile, there is one bit of good news. The Matrix 4 is actually arriving earlier than expected by taking the December 22nd 2021 slot vacated by Black Adam.

Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.