*Sigh* Another day, another DCEU news story. This time, it’s a continuation of what was reported yesterday.

If you remember, yesterday saw Matt Reeves state in an interview that The Batman was “a standalone, it’s not part of the extended universe.” Now, the director has taken to social media to clarify his comments and ensure us all that the upcoming solo movie for the Caped Crusader will indeed be a part of the DC Extended Universe.

Speaking on Twitter, Reeves explained, “Just to be clear: Of COURSE Batman will be part of the D.C. Universe. Batman will be BATMAN… In my comments from a while back about not being part of the DCEU, I was talking about The Batman being a story specifically about Batman not about the others in the Universe. That it wouldn’t be filled with cameos servicing other stories – that it would be a BATMAN story.”

Right, so The Batman will be a part of the greater DCEU. Although, with the way things are going with Warner Brothers and this shared cinematic DC realm right now, who knows if things will change once more in the future.

After all, this isn’t the first issue that The Batman – let alone the DCEU as a whole – has had. First up, there was the news that Ben Affleck was no longer directing the movie, although he was still writing the screenplay with DC’s Geoff Johns. Then, only last month, Matt Reeves confirmed that he was completely scrapping the script and starting from scratch; a move which then through up questions over whether Joe Manganiello was still to feature as Deathstroke due to the extensive rewrite potentially majorly changing the story of the film. For good measure, you can then throw in the regular rumblings that Affleck isn’t happy as the World’s Greatest Detective, and those other stories that Warners aren’t totally sold on Batfleck.

If we’re honest, we’re a tad tired of reporting on this stuff right now. It seems that barely a day goes by where there’s not some sort of drama with the DCEU, and, let’s face it, we all just want to see a brilliant Batman movie with Affleck brooding and cracking skulls. You’d think, with Affleck in the cape and cowl, and with the director of Cloverfield, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes on board, we could get something truly special if things come together in the right way with The Batman. Let’s just hope that happens.

Another day, another story about Warner Brothers’ DC Extended Universe that will have you groaning into your orange juice. This time (yet again!) it revolves around Ben Affleck’s Caped Crusader.

In an interview with KCRW, as reported by Batman on Film, The Batman director Matt Reeves has revealed that the film will not take place in the DCEU. We know, we know…

As Reeves explained, “Well I have a vision for a way to do something with that character that feels like it resonates with me personally, and a perspective that can grow out into other things. When they approached me, what they said was ‘Look, it’s a standalone, it’s not part of the extended universe.’”

This, of course, comes hot on the heels of the news earlier this week that an ’80s-set Joker origin movie was in development, with that film looking to re-cast the Clown Prince of Crime despite Jared Leto confirmed to appear in Suicide Squad 2 and Gotham City Sirens.

So, could The Batman be the same sort of arrangement as the Joker picture? As in, could the movie existing outside of the DCEU be an excuse for Warners to bring in a new Batman? After all, there have been constant rumblings of how unhappy Ben Affleck has been with the DCEU for a while now, not to mention those stories last month of The WB possibly looking to replace their latest cinematic Dark Knight. Then again, the “standalone” part could possibly mean something akin to what 20th Century Fox did with the mesmerising Logan, but then that may be giving too much credit to the decision-makers at Warners. With The Batman seen as a launching point for a new trilogy of Bat-flicks, getting things right for the first of these films is vital, and we’d advise Warner Brothers to tread very carefully, old chum.

To date, the problems with the DCEU have been near-enough endless. Stating the obvious, all three of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad endured critical maulings as well as disappointing many longtime DC fans. Wonder Woman may have been a shining light in this murky turd of a shared cinematic realm, but the problems elsewhere have given many reasons to be concerned. Let’s just look at Ezra Miller’s Scarlet Speedster, shall we. Titled The Flash, the Sultan of Speed’s solo movie was originally booked in to be released in February 2018. That release date is now completely off the table due to the fact that the film hasn’t even got a director by this point, with both Seth Grahame-Smith and Rick Famuyiwa having departed the project over the ever-familiar creative differences. Then, this year’s San Diego Comic-Con saw the dick-kicking decision to retitle that movie as Flashpoint; the same name of Geoff John’s famed comic book arc in which Barry Allen completely alters the present-day timeline due to time-travel – essentially a move which gives Warner Bothers a ‘way out’ if they want to reshuffle the continuity and key figures of their DCEU.

And while this shared universe may have a ridiculous amount of movies announced, there’s worryingly only confirmed release dates for, at the last count, three of them; Justice League, Aquaman, Wonder Woman 2. All still confirmed but a tad in limbo are the aforementioned Flashpoint, the Ray Fisher-headlined Cyborg picture that nobody wants to see, the Emerald Knights coming together for Green Lantern Corps., David Ayer’s female-driven Gotham City Sirens, the Suicide Squad sequel that’s currently on the hunt for a director, David F. Sandberg’s Shazam!, the Dwayne Johnson-starring Black Adam, Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Joss Whedon’s Batgirl, Chris McKay’s Nightwing, the long-gestating Justice League Dark, and then surely another movie down the line for Henry Cavill’s Big Blue Boy Scout. And they’re just the ones we know about, with Warners already revealing plans for plenty of other TBD DCEU efforts.

Anyway, all of this continues to make our heads hurt here at Moonbase Alpha, but, as ever, expect more on this as we get it.

While a Joker origin tale is now in development, and Matt Reeves’ The Batman won’t take place in the DCEU, now comes news of some developments on Gotham City Sirens.

First up, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline are reporting that director David Ayer is now out, with Crazy Stupid Love’s Glenn Ficarra and John Requa in talks to write, direct and produce. Ayer, of course, had helmed Suicide Squad and followed Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn over to the female-driven Gotham City Sirens.

Secondly, Gotham City Sirens is now being referred to as a “criminal love story” centred around Robbie’s Harleen and Jared Leto’s Joker. Previously, the word was that the picture would focus on Harley Quinn and female characters such as Black Canary, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, and possibly Barbara Gordon. Now, while the plan is still to feature plenty of female DC faces, the focus here will instead be on Harley and her Mr. J.

From sifting through the various reports out there, it seems as if some people are thinking that Gotham City Sirens and the Joker and Harley love story will be two separate movies, but it appears that both are actually one and the same from what we’re hearing.

As ever, expect more on this as we get it.

Well, this is certainly some news we didn’t expect to be hearing today: a Joker origin movie is in the early stages of development.

As per Deadline, Warners Bros. Pictures and DC have plans to explore the Clown Prince of Crime’s early days, with The Hangover’s Tod Phillips on board to pen the screenplay along with 8 Mile’s Scott Silver. Additionally, it’s believed that Phillips will also direct the picture, too.

This Joker effort will be the first film under a new banner that The WB has yet to give an official title to. Said banner will look to delve deeper into the stories of certain DC Comics characters and deliver movies that have different actors playing these famed heroes and villains. And no, it’s very much still August, so this isn’t some barmy April Fools gag. And yes, this does indeed mean that Jared Leto won’t be playing the Jester of Genocide in this film.

Leto, of course, previously played Mr. J in the so-so Suicide Squad, with his take on Batman’s greatest nemesis firmly splitting opinion amongst fans and critics. To make things even more muddled, Leto will be reprising the Joker gig for the Suicide Squad sequel and the Harley Quinn-driven Gotham City Sirens.

From the Deadline report, it’s said that the movie will be developed as a “gritty and grounded hard-boiled crime film set in early-‘80s Gotham City” that’s meant to feel like Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, Raging Bull or The King of Comedy. As it happens, the legendary Scorsese is actually involved in this picture in a producing capacity.

At first, you could maybe think that a non-Leto starring Joker flick could mean either a change in casting or that it merely gives more credence to the idea that the Scarlet Speedster-centred Flashpoint film will indeed reshape the DCEU completely. Then there’s the school of thought that maybe this is the start of an almost Elseworlds-based realm of movies. With the news that Leto is still sticking around, just not featuring as the Harlequin of Hate here, it has us all a little stumped as to what the thought process is right now at Warner Brothers. Then again, given some of the choices already made for the DCEU, that would almost be like trying to rationalise one of Mr. J’s famed erratic, bonkers schemes.

As ever, expect more on all of this as we get it.

With Disney’s young Han Solo movie currently in production with Ron Howard now on board to direct, there’s some unfortunate news for one of the film’s cast.

Due to Howard replacing Phil Lord and Chris Miller in the director’s chair, Michael K. Williams has had to step away from the film due to the reworking and reshoots overlapping with his other projects, such as the currently-shooting The Red Sea Diving Resort with Chris Evans. As such, the Boardwalk Empire and The Wire actor will have all of his Solo scenes cut from the picture.

As Williams explained to Deadline, “I felt great about what I created with the directors that I worked with. It is what it is. We created a kick-ass character, in my opinion. I’m proud of it. When Ron Howard got hired to finish out the film, there were some reshoot issues that needed to be done in regards to my character, in order for it to match the new direction which the producers wanted Ron to carry the film in. And that would have required me on a plane a month ago to London, to Pinewood, to do reshoots. But I’m here, on location in Africa. It’s scheduling. I’m not going to be back on the market until the end of November after ‘Hap and Leonard,’ and for them to wait that long for me, that would have pushed back the release date, which I believe is in May 2018. They wanted me now; I couldn’t go. So they had to clip-clip-clip.”

While the exact details of Williams’ character in the film still remain unknown, we do know that he was playing a half-human, half-animal hybrid of sorts. Whether that character has been recast or completely removed from the movie, we’ll have to wait and see.

With Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, and roles for Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the still-to-be-titled Solo movie is currently booked in for May 25th, 2018.