Batman‘s first movie in the new DC Universe has the chance to make history for the character in live-action, and after James Gunn’s new comments about the Dark Knight, I’m convinced that it will happen. Batman’s The Brave and the Bold movie continues to be key to DC Studios’ plans. While the project’s script has yet to be finished, Gunn is making Batman and Wonder Woman’s DCU movies priorities, so the two projects should see movement soon.
The DCU’s Chapter One and beyond will feature four characters as its pillars. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav claimed they would be David Corenswet’s Superman, Milly Alcock’s Supergirl, Batman, and Wonder Woman, which Gunn recently confirmed to Entertainment Weekly. That all shows how Batman will be important to the franchise, and between the details revealed about The Brave and the Bold and Gunn’s new comments, the DCU’s Batman movie could do something that no Dark Knight live-action movie has ever done.
James Gunn Noted How “Everything” Has Been Done With Batman
The Dark Knight Has An Impressive List Of Live-Action Movies
With the marketing campaign for the DCU’s Superman movie heating up ahead of the film’s theatrical debut in July, Gunn has been interviewed by a few outlets about the future of the franchise. Speaking with Rolling Stone, Gunn commented on the status of Batman’s The Brave and the Bold movie while also announcing that a Wonder Woman DCU film is in development and being written right now. About Batman, Gunn revealed he does not want a campy Batman just to make him different from Robert Pattinson in Matt Reeves’ The Batman Universe.
The director also made some interesting comments about how he wants to approach The Brave and the Bold‘s story — Gunn is not writing the movie, but he is working closely with the mystery writer of Batman’s DCU film. According to DC Studios’ creative chief, “Every single Batman story has been told,” different from Wonder Woman, who still has a lot to be explored both in terms of movies and even in DC Comics. Gunn is trying to find a new and fun angle to tackle, and I believe I know what that could be. Check out the full quote below:
Rolling Stone: In the broadest sense, what needs to be figured out to make those two properties work — Batman in this universe?
James Gunn: Batman has to have a reason for existing, right? So Batman can’t just be “Oh, we’re making a Batman movie because Batman’s the biggest character in all of Warner Bros.,” which he is. But because there’s a need for him in the DCU and a need that he’s not exactly the same as Matt’s Batman. But yet he’s not a campy Batman. I’m not interested in that. I’m not interested in a funny, campy Batman, really. So we’re dealing with that. I think I have a way in, by the way. I think I really know what it’s — I just am dealing with the writer to make sure that we can make it a reality.
Rolling Stone: And how about for Wonder Woman?
James Gunn: Similar. Wonder Woman I think is actually easier for me, because there haven’t been so many infinite portrayals of Wonder Woman — definitely not in movies, but really anywhere — that there have been of Batman. Every single Batman story has been told. It seems like half the comics that have come out of DC over the past 30 years have Batman in them. He’s the most famous superhero in the world and the most popular superhero in the world. And people love him because he’s interesting, but also having so much of him out there can also make him boring. So how do you create that property that’s fun to watch?
The Full Bat-Family Still Has To Be Adapted For The First Time In Batman’s 59-Year Cinematic History
DC Comics Created One Of The Best Superhero Teams Around Batman
Not counting Batman’s film serials, the first live-action Batman movie was 1966’s Batman, starring Adam West as Bruce Wayne. In the 59 years since the movie was released, there have been several different live-action movie iterations of the character. Multiple cinematic versions of Batman managed to include at least one member of the Bat-Family, which is the DC Comics name given to the characters that belong to the Dark Knight’s pocket of the DC Universe, such as the many Robins, Batgirl, and more.
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However, in Batman’s entire 59-year cinematic history, not a single Batman movie has managed to include a full Bat-Family. Sure, there are several characters on the team, which works for the comics but becomes more complicated in a film. However, no Batman movie has even included all the core members of the Bat-Family together, which I would say are Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, and Alfred Pennyworth. Well, the DCU could change that.
I’m Convinced The DCU’s The Brave And The Bold Batman Movie Includes The Full Bat-Family
Superman, Green Lantern, And Other DCU Characters Will Have Their Own Pockets Of The Franchise
Gunn’s comments about how pretty much every Batman story has been done before, how the DCU’s Batman should be different from Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne, and how he is trying to find a fun way into the story all make it perfect for The Brave and the Bold to be the first Batman movie to feature the full Bat-Family. The few details we know about the movie help support that line of thought.
All Live-Action Batman Movie Appearances |
|
---|---|
Movie Name |
Year Of Release |
Batman |
1943 |
Batman And Robin |
1949 |
Batman: The Movie |
1966 |
Batman |
1989 |
Batman Returns |
1992 |
Batman Forever |
1995 |
Batman & Robin |
1997 |
Batman Begins |
2005 |
The Dark Knight |
2008 |
The Dark Knight Rises |
2012 |
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice |
2016 |
Suicide Squad |
2016 |
Justice League |
2017 |
Joker |
2019 |
Zack Snyder’s Justice League |
2021 |
The Batman |
2022 |
The Flash |
2023 |
The Batman – Part II |
2027 |
The Brave and The Bold |
TBD |
When he announced The Brave and the Bold, Gunn said that it would revolve around Bruce discovering his son, Damian Wayne, with other members of the Bat-Family showing up. By having all the core heroes in the Bat-Family in the DCU, the franchise could go for a slightly older Batman that makes it distinct from Pattinson’s The Batman Universe. DC would have a gold mine of characters to explore in Gotham City over movies and TV shows, and the interactions with the Bat-Family would bring out Bruce’s fatherly side, spotlighting a different kind of Batman, just like Gunn wants.