The Brave and the Bold appears no closer to happening now than it was when DC Studios announced the movie at the start of 2023. That's frustrated many fans, as have the delays which plagued Matt Reeves' The Batman: Part II.
Several actors, including Jensen Ackles and Brandon Sklenar, have expressed an interest in playing the DCU's Dark Knight. Filmmaker James Gunn, however, has repeatedly said that the role being cast is still a long way off from happening.
We can now add another unexpected name to the list of Batman hopefuls, and it's someone who previously played one of the Caped Crusader's greatest allies (and occasional rivals): Superman.
Appearing at this weekend's FAN EXPO Canada, Superman & Lois star Tyler Hoechlin was asked for his take on the debate surrounding Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne potentially being folded into the same world as David Corenswet's Man of Tomorrow.
"Well, selfishly, I'm going to say no because I still want to play Batman," the actor said (via Screen Rant). "I think and I say that Rob did a fantastic, fantastic job and [with] Matt Reeves it was great. So I'm happy to let them keep doing their thing, and maybe leave the door open for maybe an additional whole new envisioning of Batman versus Superman."
Hoechlin first played Superman in Supergirl season 2, and what once looked like it would be a one-off appearance soon turned into a recurring role across the Arrowverse. Eventually, he took centre stage in Superman & Lois.
Gunn is thought to have been instrumental in ensuring The CW series got a fourth and final season, and may well be open to enlisting Hoechlin for a role in the DCU. Whether he'd want him to don Batman's cape and cowl is another matter altogether.
"Batman’s my biggest issue in all of DC right now, personally," the Superman director admitted in a recent interview. "And it’s not — I’m not writing Batman, but I am working with the writer of Batman and trying to get it right, because he’s incredibly important to DC, as is Wonder Woman."
"So outside of the stuff that I’m doing in the projects that are actively going, our two priorities are finishing our Wonder Woman and our Batman scripts," Gunn confirmed, saying that the movie is still titled The Brave and the Bold "right now."
"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," he continued. "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."
Who would you like to see play The Brave and the Bold's Batman?