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The Batman Tie-In Novel Confirms the Existence of Lex Luthor in the Film's Universe


There's a lot of anticipation right now for Matt Reeves' The Batman as it will feature a new iteration of the Caped Crusader played by Robert Pattinson. One of the intriguing aspects of the film is that it won't be part of the DCEU as it is going to be set in its own universe. A lot of fans have been assuming that the film won't be referencing other DC properties since they are standing on their own. Now, it looks like that won't be the case according to the tie-in novel.

According to Comic Book Movie, the new tie-in novel Before The Batman: An Orginal Movie Novel (which is part of the official canon of The Batman) referenced the existence of LexCorp and Metropolis when a character named Dex said the line, "My dad and I need to get away. Maybe Metropolis. I hear LexCorp Race Team is taking on new mechanics."

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While you can say that the line might just be a throwaway or a fun easter egg, it is still interesting that they decided to make a direct reference to the existence of Lex Luthor and Metropolis in its universe. Since the novel is part of the film universe's canon, it implies that perhaps Superman also exists in the same universe, but it is also likely that it's only Lex Luthor who exists in the universe given the tone of the film which indicates that they are more grounded and there's no supernatural/fantasy element (at least to our knowledge so far).

Since the tie-in novel references the existence of Lex Luthor and Metropolis, does it mean that we might have the chance that they'll show up in future sequels? It is possible since the novel is part of the canon. However, it is more likely that Reeves will stick to the Batman characters and avoid any references to the other DC properties in order to stick with its plan that it will be on its own universe and avoid any crossovers that might feel gimmicky for the audience.

Either way, it is intriguing at the very least that the tie-in novel itself decided to make a reference to the Superman world. It's hard to tell right now if it's just an easter egg in the novel or if they will do something out of it in future sequels. We might have to wait for the film's release in order to find out the answer.

Also Read: The Batman Drops Eerie Riddler Theme

The Batman is set to be released in theaters on March 4.

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