DC Studios unveiled the "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" slate at the start of 2023, and it wasn't dissimilar from Warner Bros. announcing the ill-fated DCEU lineup in 2014.
That largely revolved around the Justice League's characters. James Gunn and Peter Safran, meanwhile, have taken a more eclectic approach, with a combination of heavy-hitters like Superman and Batman, along with Supergirl, Swamp Thing, and the Creature Commandos.
While a Wonder Woman movie has since been announced, the Dark Knight remains stuck in limbo. The Batman Part II is gearing up to begin production, but that's an Elseworlds title, and clearly won't be set in the DCU. According to Gunn, The Brave and the Bold is still being worked on.
What is the filmmaker and studio executive's endgame? That remains to be seen, though he's strongly indicated that the Justice League will assemble (we got a taste of that in Superman with the Justice Gang's debut).
Today, a relatively new scooper on the scene, @ResonantJustice, has shared some interesting insights about possible plans for DC's Trinity in 2027, both on page and on the screen.
"Apparently, there were whispers internally that DC Comics and DC Studios were planning a giant marketing push for the Trinity in 2027," the insider writes. "Some sort of new Trinity comic book, maybe set in the Absolute Universe?"
"And on the film side of things, there were conversations going on about targeting a release date for Superman 2 and Wonder Woman for 2027, so that they would be released alongside The Batman Part 2. Each member of the Trinity getting a film released in the same calendar year."
"I highly doubt this is true, as I don’t see Wonder Woman making a 2027 release date currently, but I figured I’d share anyway," they added. "Because it’s a cool rumor!"
This does make sense, especially as Gunn's mysterious Superman follow-up is gearing up to start production and could easily hit theaters by 2027. Wonder Woman would need to be really fast-tracked to make that same year, but this supposed plan is flawed, regardless.
Yes, movies featuring Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman being released in the same year would be great for the DC brand, but The Batman franchise isn't set in the DCU, and this risks being really confusing for moviegoers.
Gunn seems confident that people will understand what's happening, but non-comic book fans will surely just assume Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader is part of the same world as Batman and Superman because...why wouldn't they?
"Batman’s my biggest issue in all of DC right now, personally," Gunn said earlier this summer. "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."
"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."
"But yet he’s not a campy Batman. I’m not interested in that. I’m not interested in a funny, campy Batman, really," Gunn added. "So we’re dealing with that. I think I have a way in, by the way. I think I really know what it’s — I just am dealing with the writer to make sure that we can make it a reality."
"People love [Batman] because he’s interesting, but also having so much of him out there can also make him boring. So how do you create that property that’s fun to watch?"
The Brave and the Bold doesn't have a confirmed release date.