James Gunn Confirms DCU Batman Plans Have Changed Since THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Was Announced
It looks like James Gunn has made some changes to his plans for Batman in the DCU. The filmmaker and DC Studios co-CEO recently confirmed that the upcoming Batman movie,
The Brave and the Bold, has gone through some creative changes since it was first announced in 2023. Of course, he isn't giving away any details just yet.
When DC Studios first revealed the project, the movie was going to introduce a new version of Bruce Wayne alongside his biological son, Damian Wayne, who becomes Robin in DC Comics. The story would explore their complicated father-son relationship as the two fight crime together in Gotham City.
However, it sounds like Gunn and his team may have taken the story in a different direction. During a recent exchange on Threads, a fan asked Gunn, "have the plans for DCU Batman changed creatively in some way since the 2023 announcement of The Brave and the Bold?"
Gunn's response was short and to the point: "Yep." That's all he offered, leaving fans to wonder just how much has changed. Is Damian Wayne still part of the story? Has Batman's introduction to the DCU been reworked? Or has the entire direction of the movie shifted?
At this point, we have no idea. There hasn't been much movement on The Brave and the Bold publicly, and DC Studios still hasn't announced who will play its new Batman. So far, the character has only made a brief silhouette appearance in the DCU, leaving plenty of room for Gunn and his team to figure out exactly how they want to introduce the Dark Knight.
Meanwhile, Matt Reeves is continuing to develop his own version of Gotham City with The Batman: Part II, which exists outside the main DCU under the Elseworlds banner.
The sequel recently made headlines when it was revealed that Steven Soderbergh would step in to handle the remaining weeks of principal photography while Reeves deals with a personal matter.
Reeves reassured fans that he remains involved with the project, saying: "Just to be clear, I am not leaving The Batman: Part II. I am profoundly grateful to Steven for coming to my aid during this challenging time to help me finish principal photography. Thank you to all for your concern and well wishes."
The Batman: Part II is currently scheduled to hit theaters on February 18, 2028, while The Brave and the Bold still doesn't have an official release date.
With two different versions of Batman heading to the big screen, DC has some interesting decisions to make about how it handles the character moving forward.
I'm curious about whether Gunn is still looking to introduce Damian Wayne right away or if he's decided to establish the DCU's Batman before bringing Robin into the picture.