After years of uncertainty, the future of the DC franchise is finally starting to round into shape. Even after James Gunn and Peter Safran officially stepped in to run the rebranded DC Universe as co-CEOS, putting an end to what director Zack Snyder began with 2013’s “Man of Steel,” questions have continued to swirl over the various (and very different) projects already in development. While Gunn will put his stamp on the “Superman” reboot later this year, Matt Reeves’ standalone Batman Epic Crime Saga has continued to flourish on both the big and small screen thanks to the recent success of HBO’s “The Penguin” series. Despite plans for a proper Batman reboot with Andy Muschietti’s “The Brave and the Bold,” however, many fans have remained steadfast about taking a much simpler route: merging Robert Pattinson’s take on the character with the rebooted shared universe that Gunn and Safran are putting together.
Now, though, we can put those questions to rest. In a special DC Studios presentation held by Gunn and Safran late last week, Gunn addressed the Batman(s) in the room. When asked by a reporter about whether Pattinson would make the jump from what’s been otherwise billed as an Elseworlds venture and join the DC Universe or not, Gunn definitively responded:
“It’s certainly not the plan. It’s certainly not the plan, no.”
You heard it here first, folks. That puts to rest any more speculation about Reeves’ reinterpretation of Gotham City and its extremely grounded tone somehow being folded into the colorful, fantastical, and heightened feel of “Superman” and the rest of the DCU titles to come. Safran chimed in to provide further context for what their intentions are with introducing their own Batman into the mix:
“And we love [Pattinson as Batman], but we’ve got to introduce a Batman into the DCU. It’s imperative. And so that’s the plan with ‘The Brave and the Bold.'”
There’s no script yet for The Batman: Part II, but DC is in ‘active development’ on The Brave and the Bold
As always seems to be the case with DC, however, one answered question usually only leads to several more questions. Can we really expect general audiences, many of whom don’t even grasp the difference between Marvel and DC, to keep track of multiple versions of Batman (Batmen?) running around the live-action franchise once the rebooted version arrives and jostles for attention alongside Robert Pattinson? What about the status of Matt Reeves’ delayed “The Batman: Part II”? And when can we expect more updates on “The Brave and the Bold,” anyway? Luckily, James Gunn and Peter Safran provided even more clarity here, too.
Let’s take these one at a time. When it comes to “The Batman: Part II,” Safran addressed the status of Reeves’ screenplay:
“James and I, we love Matt Reeves’ vision for ‘The Batman: Part II,’ and we’re looking forward to this film as much as you are. He hasn’t yet turned in a script, but what we’ve read so far is very encouraging.”
This should probably come as no surprise in the wake of the sequel’s delay from October 2025 to October 2026, although it does appear that production is scheduled to begin in a timely fashion. Pattinson recently told Deadline that filming is expected to begin by the end of this year and has even been told about the broad strokes of the plot.
As for “The Brave and the Bold,” Safran had the following to say:
“We’re in very active development on ‘The Brave and the Bold,’ and that story’s also coming together very nicely. We’ll have more on that for you very soon.”
We would imagine those future updates would likely include a release date, further details on the plot, and, oh yeah, the matter of which actor will be cast to play the DC Universe Bruce Wayne/Batman (i.e. the who will actually cross over with David Corenswet’s Superman and the rest of the Justice League). Be sure to stay tuned to /Film; we’ve got plenty more news coverage of this special DC presentation to come.
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