James Gunn is walking to the beat of his own drum as the co-CEO of DC Studios. His fingerprints are all over Creature Commandos and Peacemaker, as they’re both projects about rejects looking to tear the world apart until they learn another way. There’s only so much damage those characters can do, though. After all, the expectations for them are so low that anything above the bare minimum is a home run. The same can’t be said about some of the other characters under Gunn’s control. The one leading the pack, of course, is Superman, who is driving his fair share of conversation online because of his unique depiction in the DC Universe.
What makes David Corenswet’s Man of Steel different than all of the other live-action versions is his vulnerability. Superman is always more compassionate than his peers, but it’s different in the DCU, as he is as ready to embrace a loss as a win, learning from every fight he participates in. Gunn likes finding the flaws in characters and putting them on display for the world to see before flipping the script. In fact, while he’s yet to cast an actor to play the Dark Knight, he’s already preparing to give him the same treatment.
James Gunn Has Already Made His Feelings About Batman Very Apparent
Gunn didn’t wait very long to update the fans about his plans for Batman when he took over DC Studios. Matt Reeves would continue his work on The Batman series and its various spinoffs, including The Penguin, and he would produce a film called The Brave and the Bold, with It director Andy Muschietti attached. The project was pitched as something different from what had come before, as the Dark Knight would team up with his son, Damian Wayne. Unfortunately, since that official announcement, it’s been mostly quiet on The Brave and the Bold front. Gunn has assured everyone that it hasn’t been cancelled, but sometimes, being on the back burner for a long time is a fate worse than death. However, it’s not time to sound the alarm bell yet because Gunn’s heart is in the right place.
The Adventures in Making Superman documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look at Gunn’s process while making a superhero movie. One of the subjects it covers is the debate over Superman wearing red trunks on the outside of his costume. Gunn is on the fence, but he comes around because he remembers that the Man of Steel is supposed to be a welcoming sight, unlike the other half of World’s Finest. “Even with Batman, if I was doing Batman, I’d get into it,” Gunn explains. “Like, Batman is a f—ing maniac. He puts on a scary bat costume and goes out and tries to scare people.”
No Matter Who Plays Him, Batman Is in Good Hands
Those few words alone prove that Gunn knows what he’s doing with the Dark Knight. No matter how righteous Batman’s crusade might be, he makes fear his ally, and that can only take him so far. Perhaps that’s why Gunn wants to bring Damian into his life. Growing up under Ra’s al Ghul’s watch makes the boy thirst for battle, having more hate in his heart than all of the other Boy Wonders combined (excluding Jason Todd). Batman won’t be able to get up to his old tricks with an impressionable child around, so the DCU will likely make him look in the mirror and grow as both a person and a hero.
Pulling off that kind of balance act isn’t a task just any actor is up for. Not even Alan Ritchson, who has all the talent in the world and the necessary size, is the right fit, which speaks volumes about the net that Gunn is casting. It might be some time before it’s time to unveil the DCU’s Batman, but the wait will undoubtedly be worth it because there’s a good chance the character reaches new heights in his latest digs.
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