DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn hinted at a rebooted Batman being foundational in the upcoming reimagined DC Universe (DCU).
As James Gunn, and his partner Peter Safran, look to the future of Warner Bros.' super-powered franchise, change is the word of the day.
Gunn recently revealed a new "DC slate [is] ready to go;" however, that also comes with news of Henry Cavill officially being replaced as the franchise's Superman.
But when it comes to Batman and the Gunn and Safran plan, things have been murky. It was reported that the duo was looking to fold Matt Reeves' The Batman world into the DCU, something Gunn was quick to shut down after it made the rounds.
And now, the Peacemaker director, and new studio head, has offered a hint at what his plans for the Bat of Gotham are at DC Studios.
Another Batman Reboot Incoming
A rebooted Batman will have "a big part" in this next era of the DCU if newly-appointed DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn is to be believed.
Replying to a fan on Twitter who asked if "Batman was going to be a big part of the DCU", Gunn simply said, "He's a big part of the DCU."
Seeing as the DC Studios head recently confirmed Matt Reeves' The Batman universe would not be integrated into the new DCU, this more than likely means Warner Bros.' super-powered universe will feature a new, rebooted version of the Dark Knight.
In a similar vein, Gunn also tweeted noting that this next evolution of the franchise will "[focus] on the most well-known" and the "lesser known characters simultaneously:"
"We'll be focusing on the most well-known and some lesser known characters simultaneously."
What Are Gunn's "Big" Batman Plans?
So what could these "big" plans for the Dark Knight actually entail in Gunn and Safran's new vision for the DCU? Of course, it makes sense that for the new dawn this franchise is seeing its two biggest heroes (Batman and Superman) be an integral part of it early.
But this does pretty well throw out any theories some may have had about Gunn and co. waiting out The Batman trilogy before introducing a Bruce Wayne of their own to the DCU.
As it seems Superman will, Batman looks like he is going to be a foundational piece to this new era of on-screen DC storytelling.
Gunn himself has noted that former DCEU Batman actor Ben Affleck has been in talks to direct an upcoming DC film. So could he be the one to bring this new take on Gotham and the Bat to life?
Long before Matt Reeves and Robert Pattison came into the picture with The Batman, Affleck was set to star in and direct a solo Batman film. If the Justice League star were to be talking about a directing position at Gunn's DC Studios, perhaps finally getting to realize his Batman vision could be on the cards.
For now, though, all fans can do is wait, as Gunn has made it clear that audiences won't get their first official look at the new DCU plan until early 2023.
