As DC fans wait to see Robert Pattinson star in The Batman Part II, they’re also looking forward to learning who will play Batman in James Gunn’s and Peter Safran’s DC Universe franchise. Based on the latest comments from Gunn, such a casting announcement is not imminent. On the social media platform Threads, a fan asked Gunn about rumors purporting that DC Studios is already in the process of casting the DCU’s Caped Crusader. Always one to clear the air about speculation concerning upcoming projects, the DC Studios co-head was brief but direct in his response to the question.
“Nope,” Gunn wrote, confirming that DC Studios is currently not looking at actors to play the next big-screen Caped Crusader.
As Matt Reeves continues to work on his Batman Epic Crime Saga franchise, which is set in its own continuity, DC Studios is developing a separate Batman project for the DCU. Titled The Brave and the Bold, it will follow an older Batman and explore the dynamic between Bruce Wayne and his son Damian. No release date has been set, but Gunn has said he wouldn’t want The Brave and the Bold to come out in the same year as The Batman Part II. The script for The Brave and the Bold is currently being written.
Until DC Studios officially casts someone as the DCU’s Batman, fans will continue to nominate their choices for the role. A popular pick has been Reacher star Alan Ritchson, who has already expressed interest in playing the character. When asked about the possibility of Ritchson joining the DCU, Gunn stated he’s a fan of the actor and “let’s just wait and see what happens.”
Since he became co-head of DC Studios in 2022, Gunn has maintained no project will start production until a script is completed. With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise The Brave and the Bold casting hasn’t started yet. Similar to the DCU’s new Wonder Woman movie, Gunn likely wants to wait until the screenplay is finished before he looks at actors. With a completed script in hand, he’ll have a strong idea of how the character is written, which will probably influence the types of performers he considers. Instead of tailoring Batman in The Brave and the Bold to a specific actor at the top of a wishlist, the writer has the freedom to mold the character however best fits the story, and then an actor will be hired based on how well they fit the material on the page.
Even if the Brave and the Bold script goes smoothly, it’ll probably be a while before someone is cast in the starring role. After several delays, The Batman Part II is scheduled to hit theaters in October 2027, so The Brave and the Bold likely won’t premiere until 2028 at the earliest. There’s no rush to find the DCU’s Batman. In the meantime, DC Studios is cooking up plenty of exciting projects for fans, including the movies Supergirl and Clayface and the TV series Lanterns. Plus, Gunn is working on a mysterious Superman follow-up.
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