In 2016, a new iteration of the character was introduced in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), portrayed by Ben Affleck.
In Joker (2019), Dante Pereira-Olson portrays a younger version of Bruce Wayne in a minor role.
The two Burton-films left a legacy and influenced Hollywood's modern marketing and development techniques of the superhero film genre.
The inspiration for the DCEU version of Batman is based on The Dark Knight Returns and A Death in the Family.
Spin-off films based on Batman-supporting characters such as Harley Quinn, the Birds of Prey and the Suicide Squad were released.
The DC Universe (DCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics.
The story of the DCU is divided into chapters, starting with "Gods and Monsters" which will begin in 2024 with the animated series Creature Commandos.
DC Studios co-Chairmen and co-CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran considered the chapter's first film Superman (2025), to be the true beginning of the DCU.
The series takes inspiration from gritty psychological films such as Taxi Driver (1976) and The King of Comedy (1982), both directed by Martin Scorsese as well as loosely adapting plot elements from the storylines Batman: The Killing Joke and The Batman Adventures: Mad Love, although the filmmakers otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration.
The storylines loosely adapted were Batman and Son, Night of the Owls, Hush and The Long Halloween.