If you were concerned about Batman’s future in the DCU, don’t be. James Gunn is working on it, addressing everything you need to know about his Brave and the Bold movie and Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
Gunn is stepping in to reshape the DC Cinematic Universe after the divisive Snyderverse era, and naturally, all eyes are on how he’ll handle its most iconic characters.
First up we’ve got Superman, which is just weeks away and sees David Corenswet stepping into the titular role, while Rachel Brosnahan takes on Lois Lane. But the outlook hasn’t been so bright for our Caped Crusader.
Both Andy Muschietti’s The Brave and the Bold and Reeves’ The Batman 2 have been delayed, leaving fans unsure about what to expect. Thankfully, Gunn’s recent comments are starting to clear things up.
James Gunn talks Brave and the Bold and The Batman 2
It’s not that The Brave and the Bold has been canceled. It’s just that Gunn has been busy getting Superman out. The good news is that Batman is the priority at DCU now, as is Wonder Woman.
“Batman’s my biggest issue in all of DC right now, personally,” he said in a new interview with Rolling Stone.
“And it’s not – I’m not writing Batman, but I am working with the writer of Batman and trying to get it right, because he’s incredibly important to DC, as is Wonder Woman.
“So outside of the stuff that I’m doing in the projects that are actively going, our two priorities are finishing our Wonder Woman and our Batman scripts.”
When asked if the DCU’s Batman movie is still called The Brave and the Bold, Gunn replied, “Right now, yeah. Right now.”
It goes without saying that getting Batman nailed is no mean feat. As one of the biggest superheroes in the whole of the franchise, Gunn and the creative team are tasked with nailing the tone, one that reflects the new continuity.
“Batman has to have a reason for existing, right? So Batman can’t just be ‘Oh, we’re making a Batman movie because Batman’s the biggest character in all of Warner Bros.,’ which he is,” Gunn continued.
“But because there’s a need for him in the DCU and a need that he’s not exactly the same as Matt’s Batman. But yet he’s not a campy Batman. I’m not interested in that. I’m not interested in a funny, campy Batman, really.
“So we’re dealing with that. I think I have a way in, by the way. I think I really know what it’s – I just am dealing with the writer to make sure that we can make it a reality.”
As for whether Robert Pattinson’s Elseworlds Batman could ever cross over into the DCU, it’s not impossible – but highly unlikely.
“It would be a consideration. We’d have to think about it. We’d have to think about it. It is not like we’ve never discussed it,” added Gunn, referring to Reeves.
He later elaborated, “I would never say zero, because you just never know. But it’s not likely. It’s not likely at all. I’ll also say The Batman Part II is not canceled.
“That’s the other thing I hear all the time – that The Batman Part II is canceled. It’s not canceled. We don’t have a script. Matt’s slow. Let him take his time. Let him do what he’s doing. God, people are mean. Let him do his thing, man.”
In the meantime, check out the upcoming DCU TV shows and movies, obscure villains suitable for The Batman 2, and our ranking of Batman movies.
