James Gunn isn't afraid to change his mind, even as DC Studios co-chair, where he has to make tough choices. When he first announced his Man of Steel-focused movie, he called it Superman: Legacy. That title didn't stick, though, and Gunn eventually settled on Superman. Supergirl underwent a similar transformation, dropping the Woman of Tomorrow subtitle before it hit theaters. Well, a new Batman villain movie from DC Studios has finally landed a title, and it feels like a winner right out of the gate.
In 2024, the Hollywood trades announced that DC Studios was developing a movie about Bane and Deathstroke, two of the deadliest villains in DC Comics lore. The concept felt odd initially because they don't spend much time together in the source material. But Gunn's influx of complicated characters into his superhero franchise suggests he and writer Matthew Orton have cooked up a unique story that will change perceptions of the evildoers.
And now Bane and Deathstroke have a working title they can stake their menacing reputations on: Savage Hunters. What stands out about the name is that it positions the titular duo as the hunters, not the hunted. Sure, they aren't the kind of villains who find themselves running for the hills. However, most movie drama comes from the main characters overcoming obstacles.
Savage Hunters is also a great title for a project set on Salvation, the prison world introduced in Peacemaker 2. Rick Flag Sr. sent Christopher Smith there as revenge for killing his son. Reaching the mountaintop doesn't mean Flag Sr. is ready to pack it up, though. The DCU has plenty of miscreants worse than Peacemaker roaming around, and a trip to Salvation might be the only way to knock some sense into them.
Maybe Savager Hunters sends Bane and Deathstroke after all of Salvation's inhabitants, letting them play target practice with characters far less capable than they are. But they can't stay on the planet forever, because they both have to take a trip to Gotham in the future and cross paths with Batman himself. Of course, they'll have to get in line because several other Dark Knight adversaries are waiting for their turn to wreak havoc.
Batman Villains Expected to Appear in James Gunn's DCU
Poison Ivy
Like Deathstroke and Bane, Poison Ivy is having the red carpet rolled out for her (or, in her case, the green carpet). The Penguin showrunner, Lauren LeFranc, is developing a show centered on the iconic villain, who can't seem to shake the baggage from Uma Thurman's performance in Batman & Robin. Hopefully her schemes make more sense in a universe that takes the material, at the very least, semi-seriously.
Joker
No DC Universe is complete without a version of The Joker. While James Gunn hasn't teased a role for the Clown Prince of Crime in the DCU, it's only a matter of time before he puts smiles on faces across Gotham. Gunn might want Matt Reeves to get the first crack at Joker, since the director of The Batman teased a new iteration of the villain in his first DC movie back in 2022.
Harley Quinn
Given Joker and Harley Quinn's long, complicated history, one might think she'll have to wait for his arrival in the DCU to get another live-action shot. But that's not the case. In recent years, Harley and Poison Ivy's relationship has become the talk of the town. Harley could play second fiddle in the Poison Ivy series, an idea potentially enticing enough to bring Margot Robbie back on board.
Ra's Al Ghul
Unlike most other live-action iterations, the DCU Batman will have a Robin. Damian Wayne, Bruce's son, will stress his father out from the moment he steps on screen in The Brave and the Bold. And it won't help Batman's blood pressure that Damian's grandfather, Ra's al Ghul, is going to want a say in how the boy is raised. Their conflicting parenting methods could lead to a brawl for the ages.
Talia Al Ghul
If Ra's is in the picture in The Brave and the Bold, Talia al Ghul will almost certainly be in his corner. The daughter of the Demon isn't as ruthless as her father. She still has a pretty bleak outlook on the world, though, which means she won't have Damian walking the right path. It'll be up to Batman to ensure he doesn't turn into a villain.
Mr. Freeze
Reeves has plans for The Joker, but a few Batman villains don't fit his grounded world, including Mr. Freeze. The character Arnold Schwarzenegger made famous recently made a memorable appearance in the HBO Max series Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. It felt like a tease of things to come for one of the Dark Knight's most tragic villains.
Killer Croc
As co-chair of DC Studios, James Gunn can right DC's wrongs, including those from 2016's Suicide Squad. Killer Croc had a great design in the much-maligned film. However, he had little impact on the story. Gunn can give him another chance in a future DCU project and send him after Batman, who will certainly struggle against his opponent's strength.
