James Gunn Says Batman Is 'My Biggest Issue in All of DC Right Now': 'I'm Not Interested in a Funny, Campy Batman'

What’s happening with Batman movies? It sounds similar things are moving astatine a glacial gait for the live-action incarnation of the Caped Crusader, with DC Universe co-chief James Gunn admitting: "Batman's my biggest contented successful each of DC close now."

In February, James Gunn and chap DCU steward Peter Safran confirmed The Brave and the Bold volition present a caller Batman into the DCU, ruling retired existent Batman histrion Robert Pattinson successful the process.

At the time, Safran and Gunn said Pattinson would play Batman successful manager Matt Reeves’ Batman universe, dubbed The Batman Epic Crime Saga, only. Pattinson played Batman successful 2022’s The Batman, with The Batman - Part 2 confirmed to beryllium successful development.

However, past twelvemonth The Batman Part 2 was delayed erstwhile again, this clip to October 1, 2027. If this day stands, it volition extremity up being 5 years betwixt the satellite archetypal seeing Robert Pattinson go the Dark Knight and again successful its sequel.

And what does this mean for the timing of The Brave and the Bold? Gunn faces the perchance confusing concern of having 2 actors playing Batman successful movies crossed 2 antithetic DC universes.

So possibly it comes arsenic nary astonishment to perceive Gunn explicate the situation helium faces with Batman close now. In an interrogation with Rolling Stone (the aforesaid interrogation successful which Gunn touched connected the Snyderverse fandom and the determination to ditch subtitles from the Superman and Supergirl movie titles), helium erstwhile again formed uncertainty connected Pattinson crossing implicit into the DCU to play Batman successful some versions.

“I would ne'er accidental zero, due to the fact that you conscionable ne'er know,” helium said. “But it’s not likely. It’s not apt astatine all.”

Amid the speculation astir however Gunn volition grip Batman, rumors person sprung up that The Batman - Part 2 is canceled. But Gunn denied this, insisting manager Matt Reeves is conscionable being “slow.” However, it sounds similar the movie is immoderate mode off, fixed there's nary script.

“I’ll besides accidental Batman Part 2 is not canceled,” Gunn said. “That’s the different happening I perceive each the clip — that Batman Part 2 is canceled. It’s not canceled. We don’t person a script. Matt’s slow. Let him instrumentality his time. Let him bash what he’s doing. God, radical are mean. Let him bash his thing, man.”

So, thoughts crook to The Brave and the Bold, which immoderate person suggested whitethorn extremity up taking The Batman Part 2’s October 2027 slot. As of February, The Brave and the Bold was said to beryllium successful “very progressive development,” and the communicative was “coming unneurotic precise nicely.” But is The Flash manager Andy Muschietti inactive directing? Gunn and Safran are processing the script, and volition amusement it to Muschietti "when we person it successful a spot wherever we deliberation it's acceptable to go... and spot if it's a acceptable for him," Safran said earlier this year. "I'm very, precise actively progressive successful that script," Gunn said, besides earlier this year.

Speaking present connected Batman, Gunn said he’s not really penning The Brave and the Bold, but is moving with an unnamed writer to “get it right.”

“Batman’s my biggest contented successful each of DC close now, personally,” helium said. “And it’s not — I’m not penning Batman, but I americium moving with the writer of Batman and trying to get it right, due to the fact that he’s incredibly important to DC, arsenic is Wonder Woman.

“So extracurricular of the worldly that I’m doing successful the projects that are actively going, our 2 priorities are finishing our Wonder Woman and our Batman scripts.”

Gunn past discussed successful vague presumption the benignant of Batman he’s going for — or, possibly it would beryllium amended to accidental the benignant of Batman he's trying to avoid.

“Batman has to person a crushed for existing, right? So Batman can’t conscionable beryllium ‘Oh, we’re making a Batman movie due to the fact that Batman’s the biggest quality successful each of Warner Bros.,’ which helium is. But due to the fact that there’s a request for him successful the DCU and a request that he’s not precisely the aforesaid arsenic Matt’s Batman.

“But yet he’s not a campy Batman. I’m not funny successful that. I’m not funny successful a funny, campy Batman, really. So we’re dealing with that. I deliberation I person a mode in, by the way. I deliberation I truly cognize what it’s — I conscionable americium dealing with the writer to marque definite that we tin marque it a reality.”

While fans hold for The Brave and the Bold to spot Gunn's Batman, Episode 6 of DCU canon kickstarter Creature Commandos showed Batman lasting connected a rooftop looking down astatine transgression brag Doctor Phosphorus. The representation beneath revealed a mega-stacked Caped Crusader successful his iconic costume, but determination was small other that could beryllium discerned astir Gunn’s instrumentality connected the superhero.

Batman successful Creature Commandos. Image credit: HBO Max.

Based connected comments Gunn issued to Rotten Tomatoes TV pursuing the merchandise of Episode 6, it’s casual to spot wherefore this little look astatine Batman was truthful generic. Gunn said helium asked for "more silhouette" aft the archetypal Batman connected amusement was much elaborate than helium was acceptable to perpetrate to astatine the time.

What this look astatine Batman did supply fans with, Gunn explained, was a wide denotation that Batman not lone already exists wrong the DCU during the events we’re seeing successful Creature Commandos and this July's Superman movie, but that helium is well-known wrong the universe, and that’s wherefore there’s nary request to archer his well-documented root story.

Gunn past made an absorbing remark that suggested the DCU Batman volition squad up with Superman astatine immoderate point.

“This is the DCU Batman,” helium said of the Creature Commandos cameo. “Listen I gotta archer you, I conscionable emotion Batman. I emotion him. I've loved him since I was a small kid. He's 1 of my favourite characters. I've gone connected the grounds successful the past erstwhile I was astatine Marvel saying my favourite quality is Batman. I emotion him and we're going to bash large things with him. He's the astir fashionable superhero successful the satellite and I can't hold for radical to spot much of him, on with Superman, and together.”

Image credit: HBO Max.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].