DC Studios is putting all of its eggs in the Batman basket. On the animation front, Batman: Knightfall - Part 2: Knightquest is coming soon, continuing the story that pits the Dark Knight against his strongest foe, Bane. An animated adaptation of Absolute Batman also looms large, as it'll adapt one of the most beloved modern DC Comics titles. But all eyes remain on Batman's live-action future, which may be less complicated than DC Studios Co-Chair James Gunn once predicted.
Before Gunn took the reins at DC, he was working on Peacemaker, a spinoff of his 2021 critically acclaimed film The Suicide Squad. Taking his talents to the other side of the aisle gave the filmmaker a unique perspective on the superhero genre, which he often used to join conversations on social media. One topic that caught his eye on X in 2022 was the idea of multiple live-action projects about the same character running at the same time.
Gunn had strong feelings on the subject, mostly because fans had called for him to add a popular movie character to Peacemaker.
"There are always going to be people who complain or are confused by when the same company is telling different stories with the same character but different actors. Comics readers are used to it. But every day I hear 'why isn't Joaquin's Joker in Peacemaker?' or similar."
Later in the same thread, Gunn doubled down on his take, describing the mindset from some fans as "disurbing."
"I've found an increasing inability to accept different versions though, as if canon in one version = reality, and any other version is a threat to that. It's a bit disturbing."
Time can do wonders, though, because late in 2025, Gunn was singing a different tune, embracing the idea of DC Studios working on two live-action versions of Batman. In an interview with Brandon Davis, he said he felt audiences were ready to take on the challenge of accepting multiple Dark Knights.
"I think that people are really starting to learn about stuff like that. One of the weirdest things for me is that big fans are often like, 'Well, listen, I understand this, but normies will never understand this. Casuals will never understand this.' But the truth is, guys, that you're the ones that don't understand. The casuals always understand.
An optimistic mindset like Gunn's is sure to pay off for a franchise that finally seems to be finding its footing after Lanterns' success. Getting people on board with more Batman just won't be an issue, especially when both iterations have everything they need to take the world by storm.
DC Studios Continues to Prove It Has Batman's Best Interest in Mind
As with Joke in Peacemaker, James Gunn has fielded his share of questions about adding Matt Reeves' Batman to the DCU. It would be so easy, since the character is already established. However, Reeves joined the DC family with the understanding that he would have carte blanche with his projects. So far, DC Studios has kept its word, even amid multiple delays.
And despite a major break between The Batman and its sequel, there's no reason to expect a drop-off in quality. The Batman - Part II has assembled a star-studded cast, including two superhero-movie icons: Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan. They'll share the screen with Robert Pattinson and keep the Elseworlds version of Gotham firing on all cylinders.
Reeves doing his thing allows Gunn to focus on the DCU's Batman, who's already made his presence felt. He made a small cameo in Creature Commandos and was mentioned in an episode of Lanterns, a series that also pulled back the curtain on Gotham's criminal underworld. The stage is clearly set for another big-screen Batman, and now it's all about finding the right moment for him to swoop down from a rooftop.
