The series premiere of IT: Welcome to Derry is now streaming on HBO Max, and in addition to featuring quite a few references to the wider universe established in Stephen King's novel, the episode included a clever Batman Easter egg.
Andy Muschietti - who is still attached to helm The Brave and The Bold movie for DC Studios - directed the premiere, and added a little salute to The Caped Crusader with one shot of Teddy (Mikkal Karim-Fidler) reading Detective Comics issue #298, which features the debut of Clayface.
This works as both a nod to the iconic DC Comics hero that Muschietti will (re)introduce in The Brave and The Bold (assuming he doesn't make his DCU debut before then), and a certain other shape-shifting villain that will soon become all-too familiar to young Teddy.
There's been a lot of speculation that Muschietti may have parted ways with The Brave and The Bold, and while James Gunn has confirmed that the project has undergone some significant changes since it was first announced during the "Gods and Monsters" slate reveal, the filmmaker recently made it clear that he is still very much on board - even if he can't really discuss the movie at any length just yet.
"The intention is yes," he replied when asked if he will still direct the film. "But we can’t talk about it. We have to wait a few, a couple of months to start talking about it...I screwed it already!"
"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 during the slate announcement. "He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He’s my favorite Robin. We’re putting it all together right now."
Will Damian still factor into the story?
"Some things have changed... plenty of things are in flux on what his situation is with his parentage and all that stuff. I think you have to wait to see exactly what's happening," Gunn said when asked if Damian Wayne is still going to appear.
Honestly, at this stage we're not even sure The Brave and The Bold will see the light of day - at least not for the foreseeable future. Gunn is now focusing on Man of Tomorrow, and it sounds like a new Wonder Woman movie will be his next priority.