Summary
With theBatman: The Brave and the Boldrelease date still a long way out, rumors surrounding the upcoming project in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new cinematic DC Universe have reached an all-time high, with Gunn taking to social media to squash some false information regarding the film’s release.
Batmanis easily the most important hero in DC comics and has been a mainstay of the company in print and on-screen ever since. As such, it was no surprise when Gunn and SafranannouncedBatman: The Brave and the Boldas part of the DCU’s first chapter alongside other integral characters like Superman and a few less well-known ones in projects likeCreature Commandos.While the Man of Steel will be the one to kick off the live-action DCU with the already underwaySuperman: Legacy,The Brave and the Boldis still in development, leading to a lot of wild speculation.
Quite a few of these rumors are related to Matt Reeves' planned trilogy, which some fans have linked toThe Brave and the BolddespiteReeves’The Batmanuniverse existing outside the new DCUas an Elseworlds story. Taking to his Threads account, DC Studios bossGunnaddressed one fan’s speculation thatBatman: The Brave and the Boldwould only be released on completion of Reeves' trilogy of Batman films, to which the filmmaker gave a curt “No” in response. The question had come up in response to a post by Gunn celebrating the first anniversary of the DCU’s “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters” slate that included the first announcement ofThe Brave and the Boldand the progress made so far onCreature CommandosandSuperman: Legacy.
Gunn is quite actively engaged with fans and critics on social media, and this isn’t the first time he’s taken to Threads todemolish rumors concerningBatman: The Brave and the Boldsince the project was announced. While nothing said so far concerning the film has indicated that Reeves' projects will have any bearing on the new DCU orThe Brave and the Boldspecifically, a lot of fans recall the controversy surrounding Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy and George Miller’s scrapped plans forJustice League: Mortal. Miller’s ambitious $300 million budget film was days away from filming and would have done the MCU’sAvengersconcept before the rival franchise had even taken off. However, the idea of having two conflicting interpretations of Batman on screen at the time was partly why Warner Bros. decided to killJustice League: Mortal.
While fan concerns that history could repeat itself are understandable, there has been a massive shift in how fans understand the inner workings of the media they consume. With social media and years of precedent to lean on, there’s no doubt that fans will be able to separate Reeves' grounded take on Batman from Gunn’s Justice League-ready version. Not only can two different interpretations exist simultaneously, like Grant Gustin’s The Flash not being mixed up with Ezra Miller’s, but many fans would say thatBatman: The Brave and the Boldneeds to go in a different directionfrom the Elseworlds story specifically because this newer Batman would need to exist in an interconnected cinematic universe.
WhileThe Brave and the Boldisn’t going to be delayed byThe Batmantrilogy, the fact that Gunn’s answer still doesn’t give any idea of when fans can expect to see the DCU project come to fruition means that the speculation will carry on just as intently. Fans must sit patiently and wait to see ifAndy Muschietti’s selection to directBatman: The Brave and the Boldwas prematureor if the starting point for the DCU’s Dark Knight will be able to meet expectations.
Batman: The Brave and the Boldis currently in early development at DC Studios.
Batman
Batman is one of the most popular and well-known superheroes of all time. Created in 1939 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Batman has become a cultural icon.As a child, Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered in front of him. Since that day, Bruce made it his mission to fight back against the criminal element in Gotham City. Taking on the appearance of what scares him most, Batman faces off against powerful villains like the Joker, Two-Face, Bane, and the Penguin.
