Matt Reeves’ the Batman vs. Christopher Wozniak Lawsuit Finally Settled as the Judge Rules on Whether Story Was Plagiarized or Not

Back in 2022 former freelance artist for DC Comics, Christopher Wozniak sued Warner Brothers for apparently plagiarising his work. Not long after ‘The Batman’ premiered, Wozniak expressed shock at Warner Bros., Matt Reeves, and Peter Craig, alleging they copied his story ‘The Ultimate Riddle,’ renamed ‘The Blind Man’s Hat.’ Wozniak promptly hired a lawyer, leading to a copyright infringement lawsuit dubbed “Batmangate.”

The original lawsuit, filed in October 2022, led to Warner Bros. countersuing Wozniak, arguing his story infringed on their copyright by including Batman characters without permission. Despite Wozniak’s defense, the judge ruled in DC’s favor, stating Reeves and Craig didn’t plagiarize Wozniak. Instead, Wozniak was found guilty of copyright infringement for using DC characters without authorization.

In a 45-page decision, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer concluded that Warner Bros. and ‘The Batman’ writer/director Matt Reeves did not copy Christopher Wozniak’s story ‘The Ultimate Riddle’. Wozniak had submitted his story to DC multiple times since writing it in 1990, claiming it served as the basis for ‘The Batman’ script. However, the judge found no evidence of plagiarism. Wozniak’s attorney, R. Terry Parker, made this claim when the lawsuit was announced:

There are so many original expressions from my client’s story found in the defendant’s movie that we believe this is clear case of copyright infringement. The similarities are just too uncanny to be accidental.

The court deemed the framework of ‘The Batman’ story, featuring a detective pursuing a serial killer with big plot twists, as too common to warrant a lawsuit. Additionally, the judge found insufficient evidence to support Wozniak’s claim that Warner Bros. had access to his story and adapted it for ‘The Batman.’

Soon after the decision was made Wozniak went public with a statement:

We respectfully disagree with the court’s decision and are considering our next steps.

The news comes just weeks after ‘The Batman Part II’ was delayed for more than a whole year for unknown reasons, now aiming to release in 2026.

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