First Look at New Batman-Connected Character In James Gunn's DCU

The first official look at a brand-new Batman character has been revealed, offering fans a glimpse of what's to come in the DCU. With the first two live-action DC studios projects releasing this year, there's bound to be plenty of connections that lead back to Gotham.

A new still Peacemaker Season 2 gives fans their first official glimpse of Sol Rodriguez as Sasha Bordeaux, a character with deep ties to Batman lore in DC Comics. In the image, Sasha is dressed in sharp work attire, standing face-to-face with Langston Fleury, an A.R.G.U.S. agent played by Tim Meadows. Fleury appears to be frustrated, either yelling or frustratingly explaining something, while Sasha just listens.

Based on Fleury's crude comments in the Peacemaker Season 2 trailer, which featured two different John Cenas, who knows what this guy is saying to her. The setting and body language suggest a conversation around the 11th Street Kids and how to take them down. Rodriguez's composure seems to indicate that she's not new to this lifestyle, and she could jump into action like her comic-book counterpart.

Sasha appears to be an A.R.G.U.S. operative in James Gunn's DCU, which marks a logical pivot from her comic book origins. First introduced in Detective Comics #751, Sasha was assigned initially to Bruce Wayne as a bodyguard by Lucius Fox. Though Wayne resisted the arrangement, she proved herself competent and eventually uncovered his secret identity as Batman. Rather than dismiss her, Batman trained her as an apprentice, leading to a complicated dynamic between the two that involved crimefighting, emotional tension, and eventual romantic feelings on her part.

Her loyalty was tested further when both she and Wayne were framed for murder. Refusing to reveal Bruce's secret, Sasha stayed silent and landed in prison. After being nearly killed, she was rescued by the covert organization Checkmate, which faked her death and recruited her into their ranks. Sasha climbed the ranks and became the right hand to Maxwell Lord, a character who, coincidentally, also appears in Peacemaker Season 2, played by Sean Gunn, who made a surprise appearance in the new trailer.

In the comics, Sasha ultimately betrayed Lord after he killed Blue Beetle and hijacked Batman's surveillance satellite. Her resistance led to a violent conflict involving Superman, Wonder Woman, and the OMAC army. Whether or not Peacemaker explores any of this, the image already hints at Sasha being a capable A.R.G.U.S. agent that may confront Peacemaker at some point. With her layered comic history and direct ties to Batman, there's no telling how she could lead into The Brave and the Bold when Gotham's Dark Knight debuts in Gunn's new universe.

Setting Up the DCU Batman

After its initial announcement in 2023, The Brave and the Bold remains in early development, with several key aspects still being finalized. Director Andy Muschietti is still under consideration to helm the project. However, DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran were non-committal earlier this year when discussing the project, that's still in the writing stages. Regardless of the status of The Brave and The Bold, the DCU's Batman is coming. In fact, he was already briefly shown in an episode of Creature Commandos last year. This version is different than Robert Pattinson's from The Batman, with a sequel set to hit theaters in October 2027. 

Behind the scenes, there's seemingly a clearer picture of how Bruce Wayne will be introduced into the DCU, but it's seemingly not too soon, as the casting news surrounding him would likely be hard to contain. As fans, it seems like teases of the city of Gotham and connected characters like Peacemaker's Sasha Bordeaux are all that's to be excited about right now. Clayface, a notorious Batman villain, is notably getting his own film in the DCU, a surprising choice, but one that shows the importance of the hero's rogues' gallery in this reboot.