According to DC Studios head James Gunn, the DCU Batman movie is being held back by two key things. Originally announced as part of DC Studios' initial slate of movies (alongside names like Creature Commandos and Superman), The Brave and the Bold, the DCU take on the Batman mythos, has been stalled in development for years.
Despite now having been in the works for just about three years (at least publicly), DC Studio's Bat-Based blockbuster is still being written. Gunn himself has previously called the project one of the tougher nuts to crack within the new super-powered universe, which is why it has taken so long from update to update.
However, the DC Studios co-CEO recently took to Threads, providing a bit more context on where The Brave and the Bold sits on the development track and a few hurdles the project needs to overcome before it can move into production and an eventual release.
The 2 Things Holding The Brave and the Bold Back
A Finished Script
In a reply to fans inquiring about the still-in-the-works DCU Batman movie, Gunn provided two reasons we have not heard more about the project. The first is that the project still does not have a finished script.
After being asked when we may see DC Studios' The Brave and the Bold movie, Gunn posited, "I'm dependent on when there's an actionable script ready, so there is no way of me guessing this."
In his time as the head of DC's on-screen efforts, Gunn has had a clear mandate of not greenlighting anything for production without a finished script. This has meant that no casting, release information, or anything else can be locked in until he has a finished draft he is happy with on his desk at Warner Bros.
In December 2024, Gunn put this mandate into writing, posting on Threads, "nothing is greenlit before [they] have a finished script," adding that he prioritizes writing over a set timeline for the franchise:
Q: "Will you ever do a release schedule like Fiege for MCU? Or will you just say another movie is in development when it starts"
Gunn: "It won’t be exactly like Marvel because nothing is greenlit before we have a finished script."
As for where the DCU Batman stands in all this, the film still seemingly does not have a finished script that Gunn is happy with. Last July, Gunn teased that the script for The Brave and the Bold was seemingly almost done, but that no longer appears to be the case.
Mere days before his latest update on the project, Gunn shared online that a "screenplay [still] isn't finished," meaning it could still be some time before fans see the film in theaters. It has not yet been announced who is actually penning said screenplay, but whoever it is, Gunn is most likely keeping a keen eye on the process to ensure that when the Dark Knight does make his DCU debut, it is worth the wait.
Another Batman Movie
The other point Gunn mentioned in talking about what is holding up The Brave and the Bold is the fact that DC Studios is actively working on another, further along Batman film.
Gunn and DC Studios are currently in early preparations for The Batman 2, directed by Matt Reeves. Production on the project is set to start sometime early this year, with a release locked in for October 2027.
So, it would appear that the DC Studios head does not want to confuse audiences by releasing two Batman movies too close to one another. In his most recent Brave and the Bold update, Gunn wrote, "frankly, we're well into Batman 2, and I wouldn't want to cloud the Batsphere until after that."
Now that it has been confirmed that Robert Pattinson's Elseworlds Batman (from The Batman series of films) will not be the DCU Batman after all, Gunn and the DC Studios brand have a delicate dance to navigate in having more than one take on the character going at the same time.
This logic makes sense coming from someone like Gunn. Why would he and the DC brain trust want to confuse audiences with two different Batman blockbusters releasing in the same window? It could not only be confusing to fans but also present a financial scenario in which Warner Bros. steps on its own toes by having one Batman movie stymie the box-office potential of the other.
What's Next for the DCU Batman Movie?
So, what is next for the DCU Batman movie? It still does not have a script. Because of this, no star has been announced. And a release date still appears to be years away.
Luckily, there are a few things we know about the movie. The Flash director Andy Muschietti is still confirmed to helm the project for DC Studios. Muschetti just came off the stellar first season of IT: Welcome to Derry, and has fans hoping he can bring some of the fantastical horror flair over to his take on Gotham City and the Batman mythos.
It has also been teased that The Brave and the Bold will feature an older Batman, one who is now a father and is navigating his own superheroing pursuits along with those of his son, Damian.
From there, though, the DCU Batman film still has some significant blanks to fill. Hopefully, with the Caped Crusader among DC Studios' priorities, a script for the film can be finished sometime in the first two-thirds of 2026.
This would give the studio enough time to start casting and lock in a release date for late 2028 or maybe even 2029. Then, production would likley begin sometime in 2027, finally putting an end to fans' waiting for this newest take on the Bat.
