James Gunn's DCU is slowly taking shape, but one of its biggest question marks remains The Brave And The Bold. While the movie was originally announced as an adaptation of the Grant Morrison storyline that saw Bruce Wayne tasked with training his newly discovered son, Damian Wayne, as Robin, plans seem to have changed.
At the Clayface premiere, Gunn suggested the movie's creative direction has changed. That's not hugely surprising, as the decision to seemingly gloss over characters like Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake was not well-received by fans.
With Matt Reeves' The Batman franchise continuing to explore a "Year Two" Bruce Wayne, DC Studios has an opportunity to take a very different approach to Gotham City's Caped Crusader. Whether that means introducing an established Bat-Family, exploring a different era of Batman's history, or adapting a comic book storyline we've never seen on screen, there are plenty of possibilities.
So, if Gunn is rethinking his plans for the DCU's Batman, what could The Brave And The Bold look like? Here are five potential directions we'd like to see the movie take...
5. Nightwing Takes Over As Batman
What if The Brave And The Bold begins with Bruce Wayne missing, leaving Dick Grayson to protect Gotham City as its new Batman? It's a radical departure from what we'd expect, but there's precedent for it in the comics, and this is another Grant Morrison era of storytelling we'd imagine Gunn is a fan of.
With Matt Reeves' The Batman movies already exploring a younger, inexperienced Dark Knight, this would give DC Studios a way to deliver something legitimately different.
Damian Wayne could still feature, with Dick forced to look after Bruce's troubled son while trying to live up to his mentor's legacy. That would create an interesting dynamic, particularly if, like on the page, Damian resents having to answer to someone who isn't his father. It would also allow the DCU to establish its Bat-Family in a new way, all while leaving the door open for Bruce to return down the line.
4. Batman Meets Dick Grayson
Rather than focusing on Bruce Wayne training Damian, The Brave And The Bold could—and perhaps should—explore Batman's first meeting with Dick Grayson. In this version, we'd see the young acrobat become Robin, laying the groundwork for him eventually becoming Nightwing.
This wouldn't be another Batman origin story; instead, the focus would be on establishing Dick as Robin and a character who can then go off into the wider DCU as Nightwing. Initially, the movie could focus on how the arrival of Robin changes Batman's approach to fighting crime, exploring a side of the Dark Knight we haven't necessarily seen on screen before.
It would also lay the groundwork for future appearances from Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and other members of the Bat-Family. If DC Studios wants to build a Batman franchise that can run alongside the wider DCU for years to come, exploring these relationships early could be a smart move.
3. Batman Beyond
James Gunn has expressed interest in a Batman Beyond movie, making this another (less likely) possibility for The Brave And The Bold. The futuristic story would introduce Terry McGinnis as Batman, with an older Bruce Wayne serving as his mentor after Terry takes up the mantle of the Dark Knight.
It's certainly one way to distinguish the DCU's take on the character, especially with Robert Pattinson playing a younger version of Batman in Matt Reeves' Batverse. A futuristic Gotham would offer a different aesthetic, new villains, and a fresh dynamic between Batman and his successor.
However, do we really want to skip over so much of Bruce's story? His relationships with the Bat-Family offer plenty of untapped potential, and jumping straight to Terry could leave audiences wanting more from the original Dark Knight. Then again, we've seen plenty of traditional Batman stories on screen, so perhaps a bold leap into the future is exactly what the franchise needs.
2. The Batman Joins The DCU
James Gunn has repeatedly made it clear that Matt Reeves' The Batman universe and the DCU are separate, but could that change? With Reeves stepping away from The Batman Part II amid ongoing personal issues, some might wonder whether the door has opened to bringing Pattinson's Dark Knight into the wider franchise.
There are obvious challenges, but Gunn has waxed lyrical about franchises with different tones being part of his plan for the DCU. However, Pattinson's Batman is still relatively early in his career, leaving plenty of room to introduce the Bat-Family and establish his place alongside the DCU's other heroes.
Bringing the two worlds together would also give DC Studios an established Batman actor and a franchise with a passionate fanbase, avoiding the challenge of introducing another Bruce Wayne so soon after The Batman. Of course, there's no indication that Gunn is considering such a move, and Reeves' plans remain a major factor. Still, stranger things have happened.
1. A Bold New Take On Batman
Perhaps the most exciting possibility is that The Brave And The Bold takes inspiration from a comic book storyline we haven't seen fully adapted on the big screen. If Gunn is moving away from the idea of Bruce training Damian, DC Studios could instead introduce an established Bat-Family facing a major crisis.
Stories like "No Man's Land" and "Knightfall" offer plenty of potential. The former sees Gotham descend into chaos after a devastating catastrophe, while the latter famously pits Batman against Bane and introduces Azrael after the Bat is broken by the formidable supervillain. That may be a little too similar to The Dark Knight Rises, but we're sure you get the point.
Perhaps there's even room for an ambitious Batman and Superman team-up that feels distinct from their previous big-screen encounters. Whatever Gunn has planned, a change in creative direction could give DC Studios an opportunity to deliver a Batman movie that feels 100% different from what has come before.