The Batman is one of the most popular Batman movies ever, with many modern fans considering it the quintessential caped crusader flick. Nevertheless, James Gunn has made it clear that Matt Reeve's passion project is not an official part of the DCU. The DC Studios Co-Chairman has previously stated that a film titled Batman: The Brave and the Bold will be The Dark Knight's DCU debut. Unfortunately, Gunn had a disappointing update to share with anticipating fans on Threads.
While responding to comments on a post, the CEO of DC Studios revealed that the DCU Batman film won't be released until Matt Reeves' Batman sequel. The Batman 2's release date is currently set for October 1, 2027, meaning Batman: The Brave and the Bold won't come out until 2028 at the latest. This is disappointing news for fans of The World's Greatest Detective, especially those who expected Batman to share the screen with David Corenswet's Superman sometime soon.
RUMOR: Robert Pattinson’s The Batman 2 May Not Be The Dark Knight’s Onscreen Return
The next Batman movie could be something else and not the anticipated Robert Pattinson starrer.
Batman the Brave and the Bold Is DCU's Upcoming Batman Film
The Movie Is Set to be Directed by Andy Muschietti
Batman: The Brave and the Bold might be one of DC's most anticipated projects. Brave and the Bold is set to establish the Dark Knight in the greater DCU franchise and likely lead into a set of spin-offs and sequel films. Given the critical acclaim that followed James Gunn's Superman, the upcoming Batman film could become one of the most popular superhero movies of all time. Unfortunately, the project has only received one disappointing or discouraging update after the other.
With A Wait This Long, The Batman Part 2 Can't Be Anything Less Than Perfect
After facing multiple delays, hype for The Batman 2 has reached an all-time high, putting pressure on Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson.
For one thing, the movie is set to be directed by Anthony Muschietti, who famously managed 2023's disaster of a Flash film. Many fans consider the fact that his name is attached to the project at all an indicator that the film might flop at the box office. That being said, Muscietti also directed both IT films and four episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry, meaning that the director could just lend himself better to horror than any other genre.
The only real update that Muscietti has provided about the project is that he couldn't share any news until several months from now. This has rubbed several fans the wrong way, but many still hold out hope that the competent horror director could deliver gold with Gunn's direction. Sadly, Muscietti's lack of news about the film isn't the only discouraging update surrounding The Dark Knight's DCU debut.
The DCU Dark Knight Debut Just Got a Disappointing Update via Threads
James Gunn Has Finally Made a Definitive Statement About the Caped Crusader
James Gunn is incredibly active on social media. The DC Studios CEO regularly provides his input or film updates via Threads, Instagram, BlueSky, and several other platforms. Sadly, The:Batman the Brave and the Bold was the latest film to get a relatively unfortunate revelation via Gunn's social media accounts.
"I'm dependent on when there's an actionable script ready so there is no way of me guessing this. Also, frankly, we're well into Batman 2, and I wouldn't want to cloud the Batsphere until after that." (James Gunn, 2026)
Compared to his predecessor Zack Snyder, Gunn is incredibly conscious of how the company is perceived by fans and the larger consumer base. This is one of the main reasons that the DC Studios Co-Chair is so active on social media. He regularly engages with fans so he can better understand his target audience. Gunn's decision to delay Batman: The Brave and the Bold is definitely disappointing, but it could be for the best.
Gunn and Muscietti's direction for the character is likely vastly different than what Reeve's has already brought to the table. Having two drastically different Batman films might confuse fans and could drastically affect box-office numbers. A perfect example of this can be seen in DC's animated projects from 2025. The studios released both Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League and Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires in the same year. Both films were extremely different and the decision to release them so close together likely affected their ratings.
Gunn Understandably Doesn't Want to Release Two Live-Action Batman Films in the Same Year
The DC Studios Co-Chairman Refuses to Overuse One of DC's Heavy Hitters
It is unknown if the animated Batman film's relative lack of success led to the decision, but Gunn would elaborate further on the future of Batman: The Brave and the Bold later in the post. "I'm not at all. I think both Batman and WW are incredibly important. But I'm also not going to have two Batman movies come out in the same year" (James Gunn, 2026). This confirms that Batman: The Brave and the Bold won't release until 2028 at the very earliest.
The Dark Knight's DCU debut has been talked about all the way back in 2023, meaning the film won't release until at least five years after it was announced. Gunn is somewhat right that The Batman 2 should temporarily satisfy fans and wants to avoid bat fatigue, but many people are rightfully disappointed. Gunn's take on Superman is incredibly comic accurate and many fans want the Caped Crusader to receive the same treatment.
James Gunn Responds To Fans Wanting Robert Pattinson’s Batman In The DC Universe
James Gunn reacted to the call that fans want Robert Pattinson to be DCU’s Batman.
Batman is one of the oldest and most important characters in the entire DC franchise. The fact that he has only made one small cameo appearance in Creature Commandos is an incredible misuse of an amazing character. Gunn has done an incredible job manning the DC Cinematic Universe, but he clearly doesn't know what to do with The World's Greatest Detective.
Will The Batman 2 Be Good Enough To Hold Fans Over Until Batman Joins the DCU?
Robert Pattinson Is Incredible, But Not Everyone Is On Board With HIs Take on the Character
As of now, James Gunn is depending on The Batman 2 to keep Batman fans content for the time being. Sadly, The Batman 2 isn't even set to air until 2027. This means fans will have to wait at least a year for a Batman film and even longer for one canon to the DCU. The only positive thing Gunn's Batman updates have settled the debate that Robert Pattinson will star as the DCU's Batman.
Even though many fans question Gunn's hesitancy to release either Batman film, it once again represents Gunn's effort to be different than his predecessor. Snyder released several films heavily featuring DC's Trinity, before moving onto a Justice League film rather quickly. In the end, Gunn probably wants his take on the DC Cinimatic Universe to have a much slower burn.
In the end, Gunn's social media posts have confirmed that fans will have to wait until at least 2028 to watch Batman: The Brave and the Bold in theaters. Many fans have questioned DC Studio's decision to outright ignore the World's Greatest Detective, but he clearly knows what he's doing, at least to some degree. Hopefully, Batman fans will receive some sort of animated or tie-in project to hold them over.
The Batman
- Release Date
- March 4, 2022
- Runtime
- 176 minutes
- Director
- Matt Reeves
Cast
-
Bruce Wayne / The Batman -
Zoë KravitzSelina Kyle
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, Bob Kane, Bill Finger
- Sequel(s)
- The Batman Part II
- Franchise(s)
- DC Universe, DC Comics
