One fan-favorite creator has joined DC Studios' new Batman movie. DCU boss James Gunn has spoken plenty about his upcoming Bat-based plans. The world of the Dark Knight will be explored thoroughly under Gunn's watch with a full-on DCU Batman movie coming in the form of The Brave and the Bold, a villain-centric horror film in next year's Clayface, and a couple of Elseworlds projects (including Matt Reeves' The Batman 2).
Renowned comic artist and cartoonist Jock (aka Mark Simpson) has confirmed his involvement in DC's new Batman movie, Dynamic Duo, which is set to focus on a pair of Robins working in the DC world. The well-known Batman artist shared the news in a recent interview with Popverse, confirming his addition to the film's creative team.
"I'm currently working on Dynamic Duo for DC," Jock told the outlet, adding, "I cannot wait to share what [we've] been up to:"
"I'm currently working on 'Dynamic Duo' for DC. I actually came to New Orleans so that I could visit [Swaybox Studios]. They've got studios down there, so I've been designing stuff for them. Those guys are geniuses. I cannot wait to share what they've been up to."
Jock is best known for his work in comics, TV, and film. The Scottish creator has worked on mega hits like the X-Men movies, Children of Men, and DC Comics' Batman, Nightwing, and Swamp Thing series.
When prodded on what exactly he will be doing on Dynamic Duo, Jock posited, "visual development," without going any further:
"Visual development basically. I'd love to tell you what I've been doing, but I guess I've got to be a little bit careful. But it's very exciting and it's right in my wheelhouse. Let's put it that way."
From there, he went into what brought him onto the Dynamic Duo team and how he first discovered the studio behind the upcoming film, Syawbox Studios. Hyping up the movie further, Jock lamented, "I'm lucky to have worked on a lot of things, but I'm really excited about this:"
"I heard from them out of the blue. The title of the email was 'Batman puppet film.' And I thought, 'Oh, okay. What's this?' But then there was a link to their showreel, which you can see on [Swaybox’s] website. I was blown away. Seeing what they're doing, applying what they do to the world of Gotham is a sight to behold. I'm lucky to have worked on a lot of things, but I'm really excited about this. I think it could be really, really special. That's why I was in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. I had the week with them."
"I just can't say enough good things about them," he continued, describing the "amalgamation of lots of different disciplines" like animation, puppetry, and CG, that will be present in the finished product:
"I just can't say enough good things about them. I'm really excited about that project. Like, genuinely. This is puppets, though, of course. There's an animation sort of element, well, a CG element, I should say. It's amazing. It's like an amalgamation of lots of different disciplines brought together, and the visuals are just stunning. It's quite something honestly. I'm really excited about it."
Dynamic Duo is a new DC film from animation house Swaybox Studios. The upcoming Batman-adjacent blockbuster will follow former Robins Jason Todd and Dick Grayson on a unique on-screen adventure that combines stop-motion, computer animation, and puppetry. Dynamic Duo comes to theaters on June 30, 2028.
Everything We Know About DC Studios' Batman Plans
Dynamic Duo is just one piece of DC Studios' new Batman movie plans. There are already several Batman of Batman-adjacent projects in the works at the super-powered studio, both in and out of the DCU.
Of course, Dynamic Duo will arrive in 2028, telling the story of two of the Dark Knight's former sidekicks, but whether that film falls within the DCU canon remains to be seen.
Coming one year before that will be Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II, led once again by Robert Pattinson. The Batman 2 takes place firmly outside of the DCU canon (much to the shegrin of fans). This time around, Pattinson's Caped Crusader will take on a new threat said to hit closer to home than anything that has come before.
Also in the works is The Brave and the Bold. This will be the DCU Batman project fans have been waiting for, as the first solo Bat-based effort within James Gunn's new DC continuity. The Flash director Andy Muschietti is attached to direct The Brave and the Bold, but no release information has been disclosed as of yet.
Lastly, later next year, fans will get the very first taste of the DCU's version of Gotham City. Clayface, written by renowned horror creator Mike Flanagan, is described as a super-powered work of body horror, drawing as much from movies like The Thing and The Fly as it does from DC Comics.
