DC’s Next Batman Will Copy The Biggest Element From James Gunn’s DCU Batman

Before James Gunn's highly anticipated DC Universe film The Brave and the Bold even begins principal photography, the new animated series Bat-Fam is set to steal the spotlight with the same core concept. It will feature a unique father-son dynamic between Bruce Wayne/Batman and his fiercely independent son, Damian Wayne/Robin.

Gunn repeatedly emphasized that his live-action DCU Batman strategy for The Brave and the Bold hinges on introducing Damian Wayne as the definitive Robin, showcasing the broad and complex Bat-Family that cinema has largely overlooked. However, this foundational relationship will debut on screen in a comprehensive way on Prime Video first.

When DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran unveiled the Gods and Monsters slate, The Brave and the Bold was highlighted as the feature film that would introduce the DCU's version of the Dark Knight. Crucially, it would be based on the famed Grant Morrison run, which centered on Batman discovering his biological son, Damian Wayne, raised as an assassin by the League of Shadows. 

Gunn described Damian as a "little son of a bitch" and "our favorite Robin" during a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, confirming that the father-son tension and the expansive Bat-Family dynamic would be the bedrock of the new cinematic Batman.

However, the upcoming animated series, Bat-Fam, is poised to debut this core concept on a major streaming platform well ahead of the live-action film’s expected timeline. Arriving on Prime Video on November 10, this series is a direct continuation of the visually distinct, family-oriented holiday feature, Merry Little Batman. While the film established a lighter, more grounded, and beard-sporting Bruce Wayne, Bat-Fam immediately expands that foundation to explore the domestic chaos of integrating an extended roster of personalities into Wayne Manor. The show will also feature these exciting and iconic villains.

This expansion is what directly mirrors the DCU's proposed focus. The synopsis reveals that the series foregrounds the core trio, Batman, Alfred, and Damian (now Little Batman), before introducing new, complex dynamics, including the comedic and canonical inclusion of Damian’s maternal grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul, referred to as his "Pap Pap." This focus on the full, messy Bat-Family unit, a concept championed by the live-action DCU, is what the animated series will establish in the public consciousness first.

How Soon Will James Gunn’s The Brave and the Bold Be Here?

While Bat-Fam brings the family dynamic to streaming immediately, audiences will have to wait much longer for James Gunn’s DCU version of Batman to arrive on the big screen. DC Studios has yet to announce a firm release date for The Brave and the Bold. The project is confirmed to be directed by Andy Muschietti, but James Gunn indicated that development is proceeding deliberately, stating that script approval is the necessary precursor to any scheduling. 

Given that the DCU's first official film, Superman, only recently premiered, and other projects are still deep in production or pre-production, industry estimates place The Brave and the Bold at the latter end of the current DCU roadmap, with late 2028 or 2029 being the most frequently speculated windows. This significant gap ensures that Matt Reeves' separate, noir-leaning The Batman saga (with The Batman Part II releasing in October 2027) has ample room to exist without confusing the main continuity.  

The tone of Gunn’s The Brave and the Bold is designed to be immediately distinct from its Elseworlds counterpart. Reeves’ Batman is an intense, grounded, and deeply noir detective story. Gunn, in an interview with Rolling Stone, explicitly stated he is not interested in making his DCU Batman "funny, campy," or a straight duplicate of the brooding style.  

Instead, the tone of The Brave and the Bold is expected to lean into the vibrant, high-stakes, and often outlandish elements of the Morrison comic run it adapts. This suggests a departure from grounded realism toward a more fantastical or neo-Gothic aesthetic, allowing for the introduction of characters like Damian Wayne and the broader Bat-Family, who thrive better in a slightly more theatrical Gotham. The core emotional element will be Batman evolving from a solitary vigilante into a stern, yet sometimes overwhelmed, father figure, learning to manage the chaos that Damian brings. This creates dramatic tension through family rather than just street-level crime.