One of the most exciting projects to be announced during James Gunn and Peter Safran's "Gods and Monsters" DCU slate reveal was Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Taking inspiration from Grant Morrison's acclaimed run, the movie would feature the DCU debut of a new take on the Dark Knight, as well as Damien Wayne, who takes up the mantle of Robin.
"This is a story of Damian Wayne, who’s Batman’s actual son that he didn’t know existed for the first eight to ten years of his life," Gunn said at the time. "He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He’s my favorite Robin. We’re putting it all together right now."
Not long after, we got word that The Flash director Andy Muschietti had been enlisted to helm the project.
“We saw The Flash even before taking the reins at DC Studios, and knew we were in the hands of not only a visionary director but a massive DC fan,” Gunn and Safran said in a joint statement. “It’s a magnificent film – funny, emotional, thrilling – and Andy’s affinity and passion for these characters and this world just resonates through every frame. So, when it came time to find a director for The Brave and the Bold, there was really only one choice. Luckily, Andy said yes. Barbara signed on to produce with us and we were on our way. They’re an extraordinary team, and we couldn’t have better or more inspiring partners as we embark on this thrilling new adventure in the DCU.”
This was before The Flash hit theaters, and the movie's underperformance (to put it mildly) at the box office led to speculation that Muschietti may have been taken off The Brave and The Bold. Since then, Gunn has admitted that he is struggling to "crack" this project, and it sounds like DC Studios' plans to introduce a new Batman have been put on the back burner for the time being.
As far as we know, Muschietti is still attached, but World of Reel's Jordan Ruimy has heard that Gunn might be considering taking the helm himself.
"Christina Hodson wrote the latest draft of The Brave and the Bold, and I keep hearing that Gunn is actually considering replacing Muschietti… with himself. Yes, Gunn is apparently tempted to direct the DCU’s Batman movie after helming the first two Superman films. Might as well take this ship down while you’re fully at the wheel."
Ruimy has shared a few significant scoops in the past, along with some reports that turned out to be nonsense. He is also notoriously anti-Gunn, so it's up to you how much stock you want to put in this.
There's also some resurfaced chatter that Gunn might be planning to introduce an older take on Bruce Wayne (possibly even in his 50s), but this stems from Jeff Sneider sharing a link to one of his old newsletters, which Gunn has already debunked.
Gunn addressed the older Batman rumor during a 2025 interview, when he was asked if DCU's Dark Knight would be in his mid-to-late 30s, given the fact that Damian is typically portrayed as a 10-year-old.
"No, I think you have to wait to see the movie. Some things have changed. Plenty of things are in flux on what his situation is with his parentage and all that stuff, so I wouldn't take any of it–Yeah, I mean, the actor who wants to... Listen, first of all, I can't tell you the amount of big actors that have told me they want to be Batman. I think you'd have a harder time finding actors who don't want to be Batman. He's the one character everyone wants to play. That's the truth."
When asked whether Damian was even still part of the movie, Gunn replied: "I think you have to wait to see exactly what's happening."
Would you like to see Gunn direct The Brave and the Bold? Let us know in the comments.