James Gunn Was Reportedly Planning to Direct His Own DCU BATMAN Movie Before Getting Pushed Out
James Gunn apparently had some serious plans for the DCU before the shakeup at DC Studios, and one of them involved taking on the Dark Knight himself. Gunn was reportedly considering directing his own Batman movie, and now we may never get to see what he had in mind.
With Gunn and Peter Safran out as DC Studios co-CEOs and Jeremy Latcham taking over, the future of the DC Universe is looking pretty uncertain. Reports suggest Latcham will most likely scrap Gunn's original Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters plans in favor of another reboot. Because apparently, Hollywood just can't resist hitting the reset button on DC.
According to a new report from IndieWire, Gunn had already outlined a third Superman movie and was developing both a Justice League film and a Batman project. Either of those last two movies could have been his next directing gig after Man of Tomorrow.
The report explains: "Insiders also note that Gunn and Safran didn’t have a chance to fully realise their vision of making superhero films featuring a wider variety of characters across a greater diversity of genres made for a broader range of budgets."
" [Gunn] had outlined a third 'Superman' film and was working on a 'Justice League' and a 'Batman' film, either one of which was expected to be his next project."
Gunn's long-term DCU plans have been a point of debate since he first announced the franchise's direction. However, reports have consistently pointed to multiple Superman movies, with a potential fourth film bringing together the Justice League.
Batman has been a much bigger headache. When Gunn announced The Brave and the Bold back in 2023, the movie was supposed to introduce the DCU's Batman alongside his son Damian Wayne as Robin.
Andy Muschietti was attached to direct, with Christina Hodson writing the screenplay. The two previously worked together on The Flash, which Gunn famously praised as one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.
Three years later, The Brave and the Bold still hasn't made it into theaters. Part of the problem may have been figuring out how to introduce another Batman while Matt Reeves continues building his separate Gotham City universe with The Batman Part II. DC has two versions of the Caped Crusader to juggle, and getting them both on the big screen without confusing audiences has apparently been easier said than done.
Gunn stepping in to direct the DCU's Batman could have been an interesting solution. His work on Guardians of the Galaxy and Superman showed how well he handles unconventional superhero families, which could have made his take on Bruce Wayne and Damian Wayne particularly fun to watch.
The IndieWire report also offers some interesting details about why Gunn and Safran may have fallen out of favor with Skydance. Their compensation was reportedly higher than the company's leadership wanted, with Gunn potentially earning as much as $10 million per film, even on projects he wasn't writing or directing.
His social media activity also reportedly "raised eyebrows." So, between the money, the social media posts, and the change in leadership, Gunn's ambitious DCU plans may be headed straight into Hollywood's garbage disposal.
For now, the future of the DCU's Batman remains up in the air. Skydance could decide to concentrate on Reeves' The Batman franchise rather than introduce another version of the character anytime soon.
Would you have wanted to see Gunn take on Batman, or do you think the Dark Knight would be better off with another filmmaker?