James Gunn's Man of Tomorrow movie will once again be missing this one key hero from the DC Trinity. The idea of the Trinity is one of the foundational pillars of the DC universe. This triumvirate of heroes, comprising Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, is a cornerstone of the DC canon, uniting three of its most iconic heroes.
While the trio of comic book tentpoles previously appeared on-screen together in the now-defunct DCEU (which came to a close with the introduction of James Gunn as DC Studios co-CEO), fans have been itching to see what the team would look like in Gunn's new on-screen world, the DCU. Audiences were given a piece of the Trinity puzzle in 2025's Superman with the introduction of the Man of Steel, but there are still two corners of this super-powered pyramid missing from the franchise.
At least one of these Trinity heroes will remain off the board through the events of Gunn's upcoming Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, according to noted insider Jeff Sneider. During a recent appearance on The Hot Mic podcast, the industry veteran revealed that he's heard, "Man of Tomorrow will feature a reference to Batman, but it won't physically have Batman in it:"
"Here's what I do know. I know that James Gunn is casting Wonder Woman. And I am told that 'Man of Tomorrow' will feature a reference to Batman, but it won't physically have Batman in it...It sounds like he met with some folks before the holidays for Wonder Woman."
He added that there is potential for Wonder Woman to appear in the movie, as she is reportedly being cast now, but DC's Dark Knight will be absent, as the character remains uncast in the new superhero universe.
A Bat-based project has been confirmed to be in development at DC Studios, The Brave and the Bold, but by all accounts, it is still several years off. The Brave and the Bold remains in development at DC, but no release timeframe has been publicly announced. With no clear indication of when the film will go into production, a DCU Batman remains uncast, meaning the character cannot physically appear in movies like Man of Tomorrow.
Fans have already been teased with the Caped Crusader by Gunn and the DC Studios brain trust, as the character previously appeared in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in the hit Creature Commandos series.
Man of Tomorrow is due out in theaters on July 9, 2027. Production on the Superman sequel is expected to begin sometime in 2026, with James Gunn at the helm once again. The new film from the DC Studios CEO is set to follow David Corenswet's Superman teaming up with Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor to take on a common threat: Brainiac.
Why Is DC Studios Keeping Batman From Fans?
The waiting game is always tough. This is especially the case when it comes to the world of comic book movies. Ever since the debut of the DCU, fans have known that a new Batman is coming to the interconnected universe; yet, several years later, the character remains on the bench.
Of course, audiences will continue to get their Bat-based fill thanks to Matt Reeves' out-of-canon The Batman franchise (which will return to theaters next year with The Batman 2), but it is hard not to get excited about the potential of the Dark Knight joining James Gunn's new interconnected comic book universe.
At present, it seems as though fans will not see the DCU Batman appear on-screen in any meaningful capacity until The Brave and the Bold is ready to get in front of the camera.
Gunn has made it clear in his building of this new franchise that he will not move forward with anything unless the developmental foundation is solid enough to do so. This is to avoid actors, characters, and stories being introduced or announced only to hang in the ether for years to come (looking at you, Marvel's Blade).
So, until a script is locked and a production pipeline for The Brave and the Bold is set in place, this Trinity hero will remain off the table. And, ultimately, that may be a good thing. Yes, it is hard now. Knowing a new Batman is coming, and the DC Trinity is one step closer to reassembling on the big screen, is a rousing prospect, but the wait could ultimately be worth it.
One of the biggest sins of the former DCEU was doing too much, too fast. In the ill-fated franchise's second movie, the Trinity was brought together for the first time. While this brought the hype in the moment, it is hard to argue that, looking back, that was the right decision.
So, even if it may take a few more years to see the DCU Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman all on-screen together, waiting can allow Gunn to flesh out his universe even more, knowing that getting characters like Batman right is more important than bringing them to screen as fast as he can.
