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Who will play the DC Universe’s new Batman? We’ve no idea yet. Indeed, we know more about who’s not playing Batman in The Brave and the Bold than who may. You can forget about Robert Pattinson, who plays The Batman in Matt Reeves’ self-contained DC universe, the ‘Batman Epic Crime Saga.’ Reacher star Alan Ritchson has said he’s not in the running, either. Nor is Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has so-far kept his cards close to his chest when it comes to his Batman, going as far as to admitting earlier this year that “Batman’s my biggest issue in all of DC right now.”
Now, speaking in a new interview with 2 Bears, 1 Cave, Gunn has revealed what it’s like dealing with the fan requests around Batman. The discussion started when Tom Segura asked Gunn whether we’ll ever get a ‘blue gray Batman,’ the kind we’re used to seeing in the DC comics. Segura suggested that’s what everyone wants, although Gunn questioned that theory.
“No, it’s not everybody,” he replied. “It’s not everybody cuz I have somebody saying, ‘Please give us this Batman,’ and then they put a picture of the blue gray Batman on Threads or whatever. And then somebody else says, ‘You’re a piece of s**t. I’m like, ‘He’s a piece of s**t because he likes…’ that is pretty harsh!
“There’s a religious aspect to so much of this stuff that’s very uncomfortable because… should Batman have white eyes? That’s a big subject of conversation. And it’s like guys, like, that’s really what matters? But those are the things they care about. Should his utility belt be yellow? Should he have the yellow crest around the bat? All of that sort of stuff.
“And none of those things are what’s most important to me. What matters is the character, the story. And I think that we have a really really good story now for what’s happening with Batman.”
He continued: “I think that’s one of the fun things about Batman though, is that there are so many expressions of Batman that are cool. And different ways to access that character is one of the ways in which he’s so iconic.
“So, I don’t think it’s a matter of the blue and the gray or the black Batman. I think both those things are really cool. I like the detective Batman, but I also really like the fighter Batman that’s just the brute that’s fighting. I like the silly 50s Silver Age Batman with Bat-Mite that’s kind of closer to what the original Batman TV show was like. I like all of these different versions of Batman.”
Gunn’s response touches on the intense scrutiny around the DCU’s Batman, not only in terms of the actor who will play the iconic superhero, but the suit he will wear. Gunn has discussed in vague terms the kind of Batman he’s going for — or, perhaps it would be better to say the kind of Batman he’s trying to avoid.
Speaking earlier this year, Gunn said: “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. 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.”
While fans wait for The Brave and the Bold to see Gunn’s Batman, Episode 6 of DCU canon kickstarter Creature Commandos showed Batman standing on a rooftop looking down at crime boss Doctor Phosphorus. The image below revealed a mega-stacked Caped Crusader in his iconic costume, but there was little else that could be discerned about Gunn’s take on the superhero.
Based on comments Gunn issued to Rotten Tomatoes TV following the release of Episode 6, it’s easy to see why this brief look at Batman was so generic. Gunn said he asked for “more silhouette” after the original Batman on show was more detailed than he was ready to commit to at the time.
What this look at Batman did provide fans with, Gunn explained, was a clear indication that Batman not only already exists within the DCU during the events we’re seeing in Creature Commandos and the Superman movie, but that he is well-known within the universe, and that’s why there’s no need to tell his well-documented origin story.
Gunn then made an interesting comment that suggested the DCU Batman will team up with Superman at some point.
“This is the DCU Batman,” he said of the Creature Commandos cameo. “Listen I gotta tell you, I just love Batman. I love him. I’ve loved him since I was a little kid. He’s one of my favorite characters. I’ve gone on the record in the past when I was at Marvel saying my favorite character is Batman. I love him and we’re going to do great things with him. He’s the most popular superhero in the world and I can’t wait for people to see more of him, along with Superman, and together.”
Later in the interview with 2 Bears, 1 Cave, Gunn talked about his favorite version of Batman growing up, which some are suggesting offers a tease as to what to expect from The Brave and the Bold. He pointed to 1970’s Batman #227, which was a supernatural take on the Caped Crusader by writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Irv Novick, with an iconic cover by Neal Adams. It was this O’Neil/Adams era of Batman comics, which dragged Batman away from the campy tone of the TV series and back to its dark, gritty roots, that proved formative for Gunn.
“As a kid, reading the early ‘70s Neal Adams Batman comics that were much darker and grittier, I was like, ‘Oh, I like this Batman.’ I had seen the sillier Batman on TV and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is gritty, cool Batman.’ That was the thing that made me feel more like, if not an adult, at least a teenager when I was eight or nine years old.
“That was a Batman that we’ve never seen. That was my favorite story. That was in a compilation of Batman comics that I read and I just thought it was the greatest ever. And it was supernatural Batman, too, which is something we’ve never seen, Batman in like a sort of supernatural environment.”
Could we see something similar from the DCU Batman? It feels like it could be a while before we get our first look, with the likes of Supergirl, Clayface, and Man of Tomorrow due out in 2026 and 2027. Reeves’ The Batman 2, due out in 2027, and a potential The Batman 3 coming out after means Gunn faces the potentially confusing situation of having two actors playing Batman in movies across two different DC universes.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
