DCU Batman casting is close: what James Gunn just said
The DCU Batman hasn’t been cast yet, but James Gunn says it won’t be long. On a special episode of the official podcast for The Suicide Squad, the DC Studios co-chief said casting “isn’t very far away,” dismissed every rumour that Batman has already been cast, and said the new Bruce Wayne will be roughly Superman’s age. Here’s what he said, and what it likely means for The Brave and the Bold.
What exactly did James Gunn say about casting Batman?
Gunn brought it up twice, in slightly different words, which is why fans noticed. First, that it won’t be long before they cast Batman. Then, a moment later, that casting the DCU Batman “isn’t very far away.”
In between, he was blunt about the rumours. Batman isn’t cast, he said, so all the talk of him turning up in this or that project is wrong.
Gunn didn’t give a date, a shortlist or a director. Treat anything beyond his own words as speculation, including ours below.
Who will play the DCU Batman?
Nobody knows yet, and Gunn isn’t hinting at names. What he did say is that one of the things he’s most excited about is picking the actor who is actually best for the role. He didn’t rule anyone out because of a smaller part they played before, including in The Suicide Squad.
Pylcrow’s read: “best actor” over “biggest star” points to someone with momentum rather than a household name. That’s how Gunn cast David Corenswet as Superman.
How old will the DCU Batman be?
About the same age as Superman. Gunn said the two don’t need to be drastically different ages, and he and the podcast’s host agreed they’re “contemporaries.” Corenswet is 33, so a Bruce Wayne in his mid-to-late 30s fits. Don’t expect a 50-something veteran Batman.
That rules out one popular fan theory: an older, burned-out Batman who has been in Gotham for decades. It doesn’t tell us how long he’s been in the cape. A 36-year-old Batman can still be ten years into the job.
What does this mean for The Brave and the Bold?
The Brave and the Bold is the DCU Batman film, announced in 2023, built around Bruce Wayne and his son Damian as Robin. Gunn has said before that it has gone through creative changes since that announcement. It has no release date.
Saying “not very far away” twice suggests the film is further along than its silence implies. Our guess is that casting news lands some time after Man of Tomorrow, which opens on July 9, 2027. That is a guess, not a report.
Is Robert Pattinson’s Batman part of the DCU?
No. Gunn called Matt Reeves’ The Batman an Elseworlds tale: a grounded, gritty crime story with no superpowers or metahumans. Reeves has said the same for years. The Batman Part II is set for October 1, 2027, and runs on its own track. The DCU will have a different Batman.
Pylcrow’s take: what kind of Batman should the DCU cast?
A dark one. DC’s biggest recent wins, Joker, The Batman and now Clayface, all leaned into grim, adult stories. A DCU Batman who lives in that Gotham, with real fear, real villains and real consequences, would give the shared universe the edge it needs. We make the full case in DC isn’t broken, it needs to go back to its dark roots.
Frequently asked questions
Has the DCU Batman been cast?
No. James Gunn said nobody has been cast yet.
When will the DCU Batman be cast?
No date has been given. Gunn only said casting “isn’t very far away.”
Will Batman be in Man of Tomorrow?
Nothing confirms it. Gunn said the rumours of Batman showing up in upcoming projects are wrong, and no actor has the role yet.
Is Robert Pattinson the DCU Batman?
No. His Batman belongs to Matt Reeves’ separate Elseworlds films.
What should you read next?
This is part of our series on Gunn’s latest DCU comments. Next, read what Gunn said about Harley Quinn, the Joker and the death rule, then our opinion piece on why DC should go back to dark, gritty, evil stories. For a villain who deserves his own film, try should Scarecrow be DC’s next horror movie?
Sources: James Gunn on the official The Suicide Squad podcast special, as reported by Gizmodo; Man of Tomorrow release date via GamesRadar+.
