The news that Andy Muschietti would direct The Brave and the Bold came shortly before The Flash raced into theaters. Was it meant as a sign of faith in the filmmaker or a way to distract from what proved to be a disastrous opening weekend?
We'll likely never know, though many fans have repeatedly questioned James Gunn's decision to bring Muschietti back into the fold. The director may fare better no longer forced to work under continuously changing Warner Bros. regimes, but whether he's the right person to tell this Batman and Robin story is up for debate.
Another quote has been translated from a recent interview Muschietti did and, well, it doesn't bode particularly well for the filmmaker still taking charge of The Brave and the Bold.
"I've had conversations with James Gunn about the story concept," he revealed, "but we haven’t talked since before Superman began filming."
Superman started shooting last February, so that's upwards of a year of radio silence for a movie that's meant to be one of DC Studios' flagship titles. Gunn has insisted that the movie hasn't been delayed, but with both him and Matt Reeves strongly hinting that Robert Pattinson's Batman will be the DCU's Dark Knight, Muschietti being sidelined is looking increasingly likely.
"As everyone knows, the Batman featured in The Brave and the Bold will belong to the new DC universe. It’s quite obvious that Matt Reeves’ Batman is not part of this new universe," Muschietti said elsewhere in this interview. "However, DC and Warner Bros. are moving forward with the second part of Reeves’ Batman series, which, as widely reported, is expected to release around 2027."
"Releasing two Batman films simultaneously would be counterproductive. What DC is doing is creating a strategy to ensure these two films don’t conflict with each other," he added. "Regarding my involvement in the project, there are good intentions for now. They want to do the movie with me, and I want to do it as well. I’m eager to work on the film. We are talking about the story and the tone."
As noted when we first shared these remarks, comments like "there are good intentions for now" seem to suggest that Muschietti is growing frustrated or downright unsure whether he's still attached to helm The Brave and the Bold.
If not, Gunn should probably pull the plaster off sooner rather than later...unless he's keeping his options open while Reeves finishes The Batman Part II's script.
It's a weird situation, that's for sure, and some clarification from DC Studios and Gunn is long overdue. Still, when he's also kept silent about Gal Gadot and Wonder Woman, for example, it's apparent there are some things he won't take to social media to comment on.