Summary
- James Gunn plans to shake up the DC Universe with a reset and announced ten new projects, including The Brave and the Bold, featuring Batman.
- Ben Affleck will not reprise his role as Batman in the rebooted DC Universe, and a new actor will take on the iconic role.
- The Brave and the Bold will explore a “strange father and son story” between Batman and Robin, based on Grant Morrison’s run of Batman stories in the DC Comics.
A new Batman story will be told in DC Studios’ upcoming The Brave and the Bold, set to release as part of the rebooted DC Universe. After filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran were hired as co-CEOs of DC Studios in November 2022, they set plans into motion to shake-up the DC’s live-action film franchise, announcing plans for a universe “reset” on January 31, 2023. This announcement saw Gunn reveal ten new projects to be released following the end of the DC Extended Universe with 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, including a new project featuring Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman, one of DC Comics’ most iconic heroes.
Gunn’s announcement came with news that Ben Affleck would not be reprising his DCEU role of Batman in the rebooted DC Universe, but that a new actor would sport the cape and cowl. The Brave and the Bold was confirmed to be taking place in the DC Universe’s Chapter 1, titled “Gods and Monsters”, which will also include the likes of Superman: Legacy, Paradise Lost, Booster Gold, and Swamp Thing. Batman is expected to be a key character in the upcoming DC Universe, and though not much is known about his debut in The Brave and the Bold, Gunn and Safran have revealed some information about DC Studios’ Batman reboot.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold Latest News
James Gunn confirmed plans to develop The Brave and the Bold during his January 2023 announcement (via YouTube) as part of the DCU’s Chapter 1. Gunn revealed that a new actor would assume the role from Ben Affleck, and that the project would include the debut of Damian Wayne, Bruce’s son and a version of Robin in DC Comics. The Brave and the Bold will debut the Bat-Family in the DCU, exploring a “strange father and son story” about Batman and Robin, detailing a Batman story that hasn’t been seen in live-action for decades. In June 2023, Variety reported that The Flash director Andy Muschietti has been hired to direct The Brave and the Bold.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold Release Date Info
As of September 18, 2023, only one project in the upcoming DC Universe has been gifted a set release date, as James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy is scheduled to release on July 11, 2025. TV shows Creature Commandos and Waller are expected to release in 2024, though don’t currently have scheduled dates in place. It’s unclear exactly when The Brave and the Bold will release, though it could be assumed it will release some time after Matt Reeves’ The Batman – Part II, leaving some space between the two different Caped Crusader’s adventures. The Batman – Part II is set to release as a DC Elseworlds project on October 3, 2025.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold Cast Info
The cast for The Brave and the Bold hasn’t been revealed, and likely won’t be for some time, as WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have brought Hollywood to a halt. Several actors have portrayed Bruce Wayne in recent years, including Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, Iain Glen, Kevin Conroy, and Robert Pattinson. The latter is expected to return in The Batman – Part II, but James Gunn confirmed that Pattinson would not portray the DCU’s version of Batman, as Reeves’ The Batman films are categorized as Elseworlds projects along with Todd Phillips’ Joker films. This ensures that a new actor will become Batman in The Brave and the Bold.
Even though it might be some time before the actual cast for The Brave and the Bold is revealed, there have been many actors who have been rumored to be portraying the Caped Crusader and Damian Wayne’s Robin. Popular Batman castings for the DCU include Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles, Eternals’ Richard Madden, Steve Jobs’ Michael Fassbender, and Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi, though nothing has been confirmed by DC Studios. With a younger Clark Kent debuting in Superman: Legacy, it’s possible The Brave and the Bold could introduce a younger Bruce Wayne, too, though since he has a son, DC Studios could also hire an older and more paternal actor for the role.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold Story Details
After confirming the development of The Brave and the Bold, James Gunn revealed that the film would be based on Grant Morrison’s 2006 to 2013 run of Batman stories in DC Comics. Morrison’s run began with 2006’s Batman #655, and ran through storylines including Final Crisis, Batman and Robin, and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne. The series introduced Damian Wayne to DC Comics, and culminated in his death in 2013’s Batman Incorporated #8, which could suggest a tragic storyline for the young Damian Wayne in the DC Universe, though it’s unlikely The Brave and the Bold will condense seven years of comic storylines into one film.
Key Release Dates
