The status of Batman in the DCU is still a complete mystery, and James Gunn really needs to commit to the bravest and boldest Batman twist after these debunked rumors. Batman is one of DC’s biggest characters, so after the release of 2025’s Superman, it was expected that Bruce Wayne would be introduced very soon. However, there is very little news on when Batman will finally appear, and the current state of cinematic Batmans makes this even more confusing.
When Gunn announced his initial slate of DCU movies, one of the most exciting projects was The Brave and the Bold. This Batman and Robin movie is set to introduce the DCU’s new Batman, with The Flash director Andy Muschietti being attached to the project. However, Gunn just confirmed that The Brave and the Bold script still isn’t finished, meaning that the upcoming movie could still be years away. This is a predicament for the DCU, as it now has to decide where else to introduce Batman.
The DCU Shouldn’t Make A Batman Movie Until The Batman Trilogy Is Done
Since The Brave and the Bold is still in early development, the best choice for the DCU is not to make a Batman movie until The Batman trilogy is done. Matt Reeves’ 2022 film The Batman was a major hit, with many considering it to be the best Batman movie since The Dark Knight. A sequel was quickly announced after the first movie’s success, and after years of waiting, The Batman: Part II is finally scheduled to release on October 1, 2027.
Reeves intends for his The Batman saga to be a trilogy, meaning that there will still be a wait for the conclusion of the story after Part II‘s release. When The Batman was first released, it was intended to exist within its own universe, not taking place in the same continuity as the then-running Joker and DCEU franchises. However, due to the popularity of Robert Pattinson’s take on the character, many fans online have suggested that the DCU should adopt The Batman universe into its canon.
The merits of this argument have been hotly debated, but as of right now, it doesn’t seem like the DCU is taking over The Batman franchise. The Brave and the Bold is still a separate project with its own Batman. This means that, if the DCU releases a Batman movie before the release of The Batman: Part III, then two different Batman movie series will be releasing at the same time. This risks being confusing for general audiences, as well as potentially oversaturating the character in the public eye.
So, in order to avoid this problem, the DCU really needs to wait until The Batman trilogy is finished to release its own Batman movie. While waiting until potentially the 2030s to introduce a Batman seems unthinkable, it is the best path forward if the DCU wants to keep The Batman unique. Then again, the DCU can always make The Batman universe canon if it wants to get its own Caped Crusader quicker.
Batman Being Absent From The DCU Doesn’t Mean That Gotham Has To Be
Image Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
While a Batman movie may not happen for a while, the DCU can still use elements of Gotham in order to fill the bat-shaped hole in our hearts. Batman already appeared in an episode of Creature Commandos, meaning that he already exists in the DCU. So, giving Batman small cameo appearances in other projects would be an interesting way to utilize him, making him a mysterious character who can finally debut in a future Batman movie.
On top of that, there are tons of other Batman characters who can appear. The various members of the Bat-Family can be part of DCU stories that Batman himself isn’t in. Nightwing, the Robins, Batgirl, and the rest are all incredibly popular characters who have no role in The Batman universe. So, it wouldn’t be confusing at all for the DCU to make movies about them, or even put them in supporting roles in other DCU movies.
Gotham is also full of some of DC’s most beloved villains, and they too can appear in other DC projects. Very few Batman villains are exclusively fought by Batman, so if a DC character needs to fight someone, the DCU could give them a member of Batman’s rogues gallery. The appearance of White Rabbit in Peacemaker season 2 is a great example of how this could work, fleshing out Batman’s world while we are waiting on him to be properly introduced.
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