James Gunn Explains What’s Holding Up the DCU Batman Movie

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has opened up about the lack of updates on the Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, which will be part of the DC Universe.

The Brave and the Bold was announced in January 2023 alongside the rest of the initial DCU movie and television slate. However, as other hotly-anticipated projects like Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 have moved from casting to filming with relative ease, DC Studios has been light on details for the Batman movie. So far, the only major update fans have received is that IT and The Flash helmer Andy Muschietti will direct The Brave and the Bold.

During an interview with Collider, Gunn confirmed that The Brave and the Bold was still in development. However, unlike Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II, which has an October 2026 release date, the DC boss shared that there is no rush to get The Brave and the Bold into production.

“There’s no set timeline for anything. The one thing that I’ve tried to make clear to people from the beginning, in the way that I hope we’re different, is that everything in DC is going to be based on the writers,” Gunn explained. “Until we have a screenplay that I’m totally happy with, that movie is not going to get made, no matter what it is.”

Gunn also revealed that “there’s a couple of other things that people don’t know about, a couple of movies and TV shows that are greenlit or near greenlit” before reiterating that “it’s going to be based always on that, on the story, because at the end of the day if we’re happy with the story that we’re telling, that’s what matters most. And once The Brave and the Bold gets to that point, then we’ll make the movie.”

What will The Brave and the Bold be about?

The Brave and the Bold will take inspiration from writer Grant Morrison and artist Andy Kubert’s run on DC Comics’ Batman, specifically their 2006 comic book story arc, “Batman and Son”. The storyline focuses on Bruce Wayne/Batman learning that he has fathered a son, Damian, with Talia al Ghul, the daughter of his nemesis, Ra’s al Ghul. While Gunn’s comments imply that there is a writer (or writers) currently working on The Brave and the Bold screenplay, those names have not been officially announced at this time.

The first DCU movie, Superman, is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.