When DC Studios was formed at the start of 2023, fans were surprised to learn that The Batman franchise would continue alongside a new DCU-set series of Caped Crusader adventures kicking off with Andy Muschietti's The Brave and the Bold.
Adapting Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's Batman and Robin run, it promises to be a very different movie focusing on Bruce Wayne training his newly discovered 10-year-old son as his sidekick. Still, many fans have questioned why James Gunn didn't just take the opportunity to bring Robert Pattinson's Batman into the DCU.
Still, it makes sense for there to be two different Batman franchises, especially as it's hard to imagine Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson committing to whatever DC Studios has planned for the hero (an eventual team-up with the Justice League, for example).
Talking to Josh Horowitz, Gunn confirmed that he did indeed consider bringing "The Batman" into the DCU.
"I've contemplated it, yeah. I contemplate everything and talk about everything," the filmmaker explained. "I'm committed to both telling stories in the DCU and telling Elseworlds stories. We want to be able to tell a story where Superman is very different or tell a Red Sun story or whatever. We want to be able to play with these characters in different ways."
"One of the things I love about DC over Marvel comic books is those things are much more plentiful," he continued. "There are many more Elseworlds stories. I think that's part of the fun of DC."
Talk then turned to Lanterns and Gunn started by claiming (jokingly, we should add) that he approached Ryan Reynolds about reprising his role as Hal Jordan. "Ryan doesn't give a sh*t [Laughs]. One of the first people I talked to after getting the job was Ryan Reynolds. I'm like, 'You coming back?' He's like, 'Get the f*** out of here.' I'm joking! I wasn't really telling him to come back."
As for some of the complaints that Lanterns will be a "grounded" story, Gunn responded, "Well, I don't want to give away all that stuff but I think grounded just like, 'If Green Lanterns were real, what the f*** would they be and how would they be?' The thing that keeps getting out is that it's a terrestrial story and I'm like, 'Yeah, because the story takes place on Earth.'"
"They're on Earth for the story, like most Green Lantern stories. It's not in outer space with a thousand Lanterns and all that stuff. It's a grounded story being told through another lens. It's an HBO series."
Gunn went on to dodge a question about Kumail Nanjiani playing Booster Gold and noted, "We're not quite there yet in terms of Booster Gold. The scripts aren't quite where I want them to be."
He'd add, "The goal from the beginning was to give the honor that the great characters deserved; the Wonder Womans, Batmans, and Supermans. But then also to prop up these lesser-known characters like Peacemaker, Booster Gold, and The Huntress."
Whether that mention of Huntress confirms reports we're getting a foreign-language film that plays out entirely in Korean remains to be seen, but it's interesting that Gunn made a point of mentioning her here.
As for whether he'd consider doing something with the DC-owned Watchmen, the studio boss didn't seem keen. "I don't know. I really respect Alan Moore. I did love the TV show."
Which of these upcoming DCU projects are you most excited about?