DC fans have criticized a social media user for spamming James Gunn about Spider-Man director Sam Raimi wanting to make a Batman movie after the DC Universe boss responded to the deluge on Instagram.
“I love Batman,” Raimi told Movieweb last week. “I tried to make a Batman film. I couldn’t get the rights.”
That was enough to set off Instagram user sethpelepchuk, who spammed Gunn’s page with the same message over and over again: “Sam Raimi said he wants to make a Batman movie.” Eventually Gunn responded: “Doesn’t mean you have to spam.” sethpelepchuk’s account was subsequently made private.
DC fans have criticized the social media user, while also expressing surprise that Gunn responded at all, fearing doing so might have encouraged copycats. “James Gunn should not be responding to these people. It sets a bad precedent,” said one fan. “The number one way to make sure your idea has zero chance of actually happening is to annoy the heck out of people with it,” said another. “This is embarrassing and leads to nothing,” added a fan. “At this point, if Sam Raimi DOESN’T make the Batman movie in the DCU it’s 100% sethpelepchuk’s fault,” declared another.
Y’all want Sam Raimi to direct DCU’s Batman so bad that James Gunn is getting annoyed by spam 💀 pic.twitter.com/NIgmBLb5Oz
— Buu 🍫 (@PogChampBuu) January 25, 2026
Spamming James Gunn’s IG comments is a brilliant way to make sure that writer/director/actor you want for the DCU doesn’t get a call.
— 🐦Shawn🤷♂️Lunn🐦 (@shawnlunn2002) January 25, 2026
Gunn is particularly chatty on social media, and will often respond to questions from fans about his DCU plans, and even spend time denying internet rumors about upcoming films, TV shows, and casting. He will of course be perfectly aware of Sam Raimi’s directing abilities, and who might be a good fit to spearhead his take on Batman.
For context, here’s Raimi’s quote on Batman in full:
“I love Batman. I tried to make a Batman film. I couldn’t get the rights. I love The Shadow. I also couldn’t get the rights to that one. But, um, Superman’s always been one of my favorites. Yeah, there’s a tremendous amount of DC characters that I love, and it would just take the writers to come up with an original story based on their character, that’s true to the character and part of their real universe, not something that disappoints the fans, but something that’s based on the fans love of the character and brings out the best moment of those characters and their proper conflicts, or the right challenges for the right hero. If it was a story that had a real journey for that particular individual. Then I’d love to make the movie.”
The issue of the DCU’s new Batman is very much a hot topic, with The Brave and the Bold getting a writer but with DC reportedly in no rush to put out yet another Batman movie.
Last week, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Christina Hodson is writing The Brave and the Bold, which will be the first Batman movie in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe. Hodson is best known for writing 2018’s Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, 2020 DCEU movie Birds of Prey, and 2023’s ill-fated The Flash.
She was thought to be set for a reunion with The Flash director Andy Muschietti, but according to THR, Muschietti remains on board The Brave and the Bold but his involvement is not set in stone given his commitments to Welcome to Derry Season 2. Either way, it sounds like The Brave and the Bold is some way away. THR said “it would be some time before a definitive draft comes in as the studio is taking a measured approach to its development.”
So, hearing of Raimi’s failed bid to direct a Batman movie has some fans hoping he will finally get the chance with The Brave and the Bold. While promoting the rebooted DCU kickstarter Superman last year, Gunn admitted “Batman’s my biggest issue in all of DC right now.” Gunn must navigate next year’s release of The Batman 2 and potentially The Batman 3. The Batman films exist in a universe separate to the ongoing DCU, and given Gunn has ruled out Pattinson’s Batman crossing over, we’re set for a new actor to play the Caped Crusader for The Brave and the Bold.
Last week Gunn suggested fans won’t get an update on The Brave and the Bold until after The Batman 2 comes out, so we’re probably looking at 2028 at the earliest for news. “I’m dependent on when there’s an actionable script ready so there is no way of me guessing this,” he said. “Also, frankly, we’re well into Batman 2, and I wouldn’t want to cloud the Batsphere until after that.”
Gunn then committed to never releasing two Batman movies in the same year. “I think both Batman and WW [Wonder Woman] are incredibly important,” he said in response to another fan. “But I’m also not going to have two Batman movies come out in the same year.”
Meanwhile, Raimi, who directed 2002’s Spider-Man, 2004’s Spider-Man 2, 2007’s Spider-Man 3, and 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has ruled out a Spider-Man 4 once and for all. He told ScreenRant that his versions of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, played by Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, “have gone elsewhere.”
“And then after my three movies, I handed the torch off to someone else,” he said. “And I think they’ve got to keep running with the storyline and the audience that is now following the torchbearer.”
Photo by L. Cohen/WireImage.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
