The search for the DCU’s Caped Crusader may have shifted into high gear. While Hollywood has been heavily focused on the repercussions of the performance of Supergirl, a new wave of whispers has begun to leak regarding Andy Muschietti’s upcoming ensemble feature, The Brave and the Bold.
According to a smorgasbord of rumors from multiple industry insiders, beginning with John Campea, Grantchester and Greyhound star Tom Brittney has reportedly emerged as a major frontrunner to inherit the iconic cowl.
History has a tendency to repeat itself in major superhero casting loops. Much like how Nicholas Hoult tested for Superman only to later be cast as Lex Luthor, Gunn has an established track record of keeping talent on his immediate radar.
Because The Brave and the Bold is pacing its development timeline safely behind the live-action rollout of Man of Tomorrow, DC Studios has zero intention of rushing an official casting press release. As with any premium superhero casting cycle, a “frontrunner” status does not equal a finalized contract. Shortlists are highly fluid, and names will continue to drift through the trades as things progress behind the scenes.
The one thing that I’ve tried to make clear to people from the beginning, and the way that I hope we’re different, is that everything in DC is gonna be based on the writers. Until we have a screenplay that I’m totally happy with, that movie is not going to get made, no matter what it is.
-James Gunn
According to industry insider Jeff “The In” Sneider, Christina Hodson, who teamed with Andy Muschetti on The Flash, will pen the screenplay for DC Studios The Brave and the Bold.
Following Sneider’s report, scooper Apocalyptic Horseman took to Twitter to report he had heard the same news and explain that the delays in getting the production off the ground helped Hodson land the role after she had initially passed on it. According to ApocHorseman, Hodson “was the original choice to write it but scheduling must’ve gotten in the way and all the delays and past writers not working out worked in her favor.”
Despite being extraordinarily divisive among fans and bombing at the box office, Gunn called 2023’s The Flash “one of the best superhero movies I’ve ever seen,” calling Hodson’s script “magnificent” and crediting her “wonderful writing” with allowing the film to work “so well.” Hodson also wrote scripts for Birds of Prey and Batgirl, the latter of which was deemed by Warner Bros. to be “unwatchable” and was never released. She also wrote the script for Bumblebee, one of the most well-regarded installments in the Transformers franchise.
Based on Grant Morrison’s Batman and Son arc from his epic run on Batman that began in 2006 which Gunn called one of his “favorite Batman runs,” The Brave and the Bold was described by Gunn as “a very strange sort of father-son story,” that will introduce the DCU’s new Batman alongside his son, Damian. Gunn revealed it will also “feature other members of the extended Bat-Family just because we feel like they’ve been left out of the Batman stories in the theater for far too long.”
At its core, The Brave and the Bold will be “a story of Damian Wayne, who’s Batman’s actual son that he didn’t know existed for the first eight to ten years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin,” explained Gunn, who also called Damian his “favorite Robin.” The film will mark the first time a Robin has appeared in a live-action film since 1997’s Batman and Robin.
When James Gunn and Peter Safran rolled back the curtain on their plans for DC Studios’ Gods and Monsters slate, the studio’s plans for Batman grabbed a lot of attention. Not only was Gunn going to introduce another new Batman but he was also going to introduce members of the Bat Family who have not had the big screen treatment before.
The Brave and the Bold was described as “a story of Damian Wayne, who’s Batman’s actual son that he didn’t know existed for the first eight to ten years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin.” And with Andy Muschetti on board to direct, it sounded as though the project would come together quickly. The cookie has crumbled a little differently, however, as the film has been delayed a bit as Gunn work with a new writer (who many believe to be Drew Goddard) to make sure they get things right and it seems as though that may mean a major character has been dropped from the film.
In an interview with IGN, Gunn explained that “some things have changed” with the project and to “wait to see exactly what’s happening,” with Damian Wayne.
No, I think you have to wait to see the movie. Some things have changed. Plenty of things are in flux on what his situation is with his parentage and all that stuff, so I wouldn’t take any of it – Yeah, I mean, the actor who wants to… Listen, first of all, I can’t tell you the amount of big actors that have told me they want to be Batman.
-James Gunn
“I think you have to wait to see exactly what’s happening,” Gunn replied when pressed further about whether or not Damian would still appear in the project. Obviously that’s not confirmation of anything but it’s a far more cryptic answer than necessary if Damian is in the project. Should the new writer have written him out, it would seem to be more or less a Page 1 rewrite given that Gunn originally described the film as a Damian story. At that point, is it even still The Brave and the Bold? We’ll certainly keep an eye on this one.
When James Gunn and Peter Safran pulled back the curtain on the first chapter of DC Studios’ planned slate, The Brave and the Bold…and nearly three years later, that’s proven to be the case as the project has struggled to gain any positive momentum.
Inspired by Grant Morrison‘s Batman and Son arc from his epic run on Batman that began in 2006, The Brave and the Bold was described by Gunn as “a very strange sort of father-son story” featuring Bruce Wayne and his son, Damian, who Gunn referred to as “a little son of a bitch.”
[The Brave and the Bold is] a story of Damian Wayne, who’s Batman’s actual son that he didn’t know existed for the first eight to ten years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin.-James Gunn
Originally set to be directed byIt and The Flash helmer Andy Muschetti, the film was also intended to introduce “other members of the extended Bat-Family” who Gunn explained had “been left out of the Batman stories in the theater for far too long.” With so many details available by mid-2023, it seemed likely that The Brave and the Bold would follow closely behind Superman and help build a solid foundation for the all-new DCU.
However, by late 2024, progess on the film had seemingly stalled leading to Gunn explaining that the studio had “no set timeline for anything,” and that production on The Brave and the Bold–and any other DC Studios project–would not get made “until we have a screenplay that I’m totally happy with.” And now, as 2025 winds down into its final quarter, Gunn has provided a bit of a discouraging update on that screenplay.
“The script isn’t done,” Gunn revealed in an interview with The Ringer-Verse. “I mean, we’ve got somebody writing a script, I think it’s really good,” he quickly clarified. And that wasn’t the only downer Gunn dropped.
With it recently becoming crystal clear that Matt Reeves‘ Batman Epic Crime Saga is set outside the DCU’s main continuity and that Robert Pattinson will not be the DCU Batman, Gunn was asked if he had found his Batman yet. The short answer is no.
“Do I have ideas about actors who could play Batman? Absolutely, I do. I have guys I like. I have guys that are top of the list for me, just like I had people that were at the top of the list for Superman,” Gunn said.
“People can guess and maybe they’ll be right about certain things. We’d have to screen test, we’d have to do the whole thing. Okay, I see what you’re doing. ‘1923’, it’s a really good TV show, like I can’t believe how good that show was,” said Gunn, likely referring to rumors that Brandon Sklenar was in the mix for the DCU’ Dark Knight.
Notably, Gunn’s comments about screen tests stand out as in the cases of both Superman and Supergirl, trades caught wind of the DC Studios’ short lists for Superman, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor and Supergirl. It’s safe to assume a role as big as Batman would catch the attention of the trades again. And while that means fans are no closer to finding out who will play Batman, Gunn does know someone who won’t… though he isn’t quite ready to share who that is.
“One actor in particular, a pretty big star, wants to be Batman,” teased Gunn before saying, “we’ve talked about it, but I don’t think that’s the case,” he said.
With so little seemingly working on the right direction and multiple other projects further along in development, it seems as though The Brave and the Bold won’t hit theaters until 2028 or later.
Beginning in 2024, James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios will launch the DC Universe. In an effort to make more cohesive shared universe, the DCU will connect streaming series, video games and films through narrative threads. Though Gunn and Safran are building a new, interconnected continuity, there will still be DC projects produced outside of this continuity (such as Matt Reeves Batman Epic Crime Saga) under the Elseworlds banner.
What’s next for DC Studios? Who’s recently joined the cast of your most anticipated series or film? Where can you find the teasers and trailers? Look no further, true believers. Everything you need to know about the future of the DCU has been collected for you here. Click on each logo to learn what we currently know about the upcoming DCU projects.
Chapter One: Gods and Monsters
Elseworlds
Projects set outside of the main DCU continuity, the Elseworld projects allow artists to tell stories without attempting to weave them into the DCU’s narrative tapestry.
Leading off an ambitious effort to create an ongoing shared cinematic universe with an animated series about a group of monsters that are certainly not anyone’s favorite DC Comics characters proves that DC Studios will not be fully dependent on DC’s Trinity. However, as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman go, so too, ultimately, will the DCU. And to that end, DC Studio’s co-CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran, also made sure to include projects featuring Superman and Batman and one that at the very least is adjacent to Wonder Woman when they revealed 10 of the projects that will be part of the first wave of DC Studio’s new era of storytelling.
Nearly two years after rolling out a peek at Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, things seem to be moving along smoothly. Creature Commandos will debut on December 5th, Superman will hit theaters next summer and both Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and the HBO streaming series Lanterns are set to kick off production in early 2025. However, despite reportedly having landed a director in Andy Muschetti, development on the studio’s Batman and Robin vehicle, The Brave and the Bold, remains static. Recently, Gunn has made it clear that the 10 projects he and Safran revealed were not necessarily the first 10 that fans would see, explaining that the slate is far more fluid and flexible and that projects that were not announced are far closer to beginning production than some of those that were. In an interview with Collider, Gunn took the time to give deeper insight into the studio’s process behind the scenes, explaining why cameras won’t be rolling on The Brave and the Bold any time soon.
“There’s no set timeline for anything,” said Gunn when asked when The Brave and the Bold might hit theaters. “The one thing that I’ve tried to make clear to people from the beginning, and the way that I hope we’re different, is that everything in DC is gonna be based on the writers. Until we have a screenplay that I’m totally happy with, that movie is not going to get made, no matter what it is.” One doesn’t have to be an expert at reading between the lines to understand why Bruce and Damian Wayne swinging into theaters together in 2025.
Gunn went on to explain that a pair of projects, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Lanterns, were able to move ahead in the queue because their scripts, written by Ana Nogueira and the team of Tom King, Damon Lindelof and Chris Mundy, respectively, came together quickly and wowed him. “We have been really fortunate with some screenplays,” Gunn explained. “Supergirl came in, and just, wow, Ana did such an amazing job. The Lanterns pilot came in, and now the whole Lantern series came in, and it’s like, ‘Wow, that’s wonderful, wonderful work.’”
While The Brave and the Bold was never given a release date, its inclusion in the initial slate reveal did give the impression that it would be making its way into theaters relatively quickly. As projects from the initial slate and others like Luca Guadagnino‘s Sgt. Rock, which DC Studios has not officially announced, start to move toward casting and production, the perception is that The Brave and the Bold might be in trouble; however, without naming any specific projects, Gunn reiterated that the reason some move ahead and other don’t is simply because the scripts aren’t where he believes they need to be to make a good film. “There are a couple of other things that people don’t know about. There are a couple of movies and TV shows that are green-lit or near-green-lit,” teased Gunn. “But it’s going to be based, always, on the story because, at the end of the day, if we’re happy with the story that we’re telling, that’s what matters most. And once Brave and the Bold gets to that point, then we’ll make the movie. That’s really all it is.“
The Flash has had a rough development cycle throughout the last few years, but it still managed to put Andy Muschietti on Warner Bros. Discovery’s radar as someone that can tackle a good slew of projects. As first reported by One Take News, he has seemingly also nabbed the job to direct the new DC Cinematic Universe’s Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold inspired by the iconic comic storyline of the same name.
DC Studios presidents James Gunn and Peter Safran shared the following statement on adding him to their new slew of directors.
We saw The Flash even before taking the reins at DC Studios, and knew we were in the hands of not only a visionary director but a massive DC fan. It’s a magnificent film – funny, emotional, thrilling – and Andy’s affinity and passion for these characters and this world just resonates through every frame. So, when it came time to find a director for The Brave and the Bold, there was really only one choice. Luckily, Andy said yes. Barbara signed on to produce with us and we were on our way. They’re an extraordinary team, and we couldn’t have better or more inspiring partners as we embark on this thrilling new adventure in the DCU .
James Gunn and Peter Safran
There currently is no writer attached, but that isn’t too surprising given that the WGA strike is still going on. Interestingly enough, Christina Hodson was at one point attached but decided to tackle the eleventh Fast and Furious film. For now, they may have attached a director but it seems unlikely that they’ll get the project moving until the writer’s strike wraps up.
When it comes to rumors about talent signing on for superhero projects, fans are conditioned to read between the lines of the lies and denials that always follow when said talent is asked to address said rumors. The disingenuous disinformation and dissembling have, unfortunately, become part of an already aggravated culture around the genre that further complicates the navigation of an increasingly polluted pool of information. So conditioned are fans to this routine that when someone associated with a project, like Agatha: Coven of Chaos actress Patti Lupone willingly shares truthful information about a project, it becomes breaking news. And, on that note, The Flash director Andy Muschietti has created some breaking news.
Shortly after a new report backed up old rumors about Muschietti signing on to helm DC Studios’ undated The Brave and the Bold, Fandango’s Erik Davis asked the director if all the hubbub had any merit…and Muschietti did not lie. When asked by Davis if he would like to direct another project in James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s new DCU, Muschietti responded with uncommon honesty. “We would love to,” said Muschietti before adding, “We can’t speak about those things yet but it feels like a very exciting possibility.“
One has to wonder if Muschietti’s response might offer a glimpse into a way of doing business that has long been modeled online by Gunn. Though Gunn isn’t quick to dish out spoilers, he’s quite consistently been honest and forthcoming and, when neither of those is possible for whatever reason, he typically notes that he can’t talk about the topic at the moment. In the cast of The Brave and the Bold, it’s a very real possibility that while Muschietti is in line to helm the project, he hasn’t closed a deal just yet. Even if he has, nobody could argue that stating he can’t talk about the project just yet is a worse choice than denying it outright only to be revealed as the director down the road. Let’s hope this newfangled trend of telling the truth catches on in superhero circles.
While the old DCEU begins to flame out, James Gunn and Peter Safran look to be grabbing one of its hottest embers to start the fire of their new DCU. One Take News is reporting that The Flash director Andy Muschetti has agreed to direct DC Studios’ upcoming film, The Brave and the Bold.
The report comes on the heels of earlier rumors that Gunn would look to find a way to retain Muschetti as the transition from the Snyderverse era continues. Described by Gunn as a “a very strange sort of father-son story,” The Brave and the Bold will introduce the DCU’s new Batman alongside his son, Damian, and will also “feature other members of the extended Bat-Family just because we feel like they’ve been left out of the Batman stories in the theater for far too long.”
Muschetti, who recently refused to comment on the rumors saying only “I don’t think I can talk to that yet,” became a hot commodity after turning in two stellar films as an adaptation of Stephen King‘s It. As a follow up, he is currently filming the Max streaming project and It prequel, Welcome to Derry. According to OTN, The Brave and the Bold is currently without a script or release date.
Joe and Anthony Russo have been quite busy since they departed Marvel Studios and their work on the Avengers franchise. They left quite a mark in the blockbuster landscape and while some haven’t been too thrilled with their latest work like The Gray Man, they have been busy promoting a very ambitious TV series titled Citadel for Amazon.
While promoting the series, they were asked by ComicBook.com if they were interested in tackling any DC Studios project given that another Marvel alum has taken over the CEO position at the company. While they don’t say anything definite, it does seem like they have one character they’d definitely want to tackle: Batman.
Obviously James over there running it, it would be a no-brainer. We love him to death. We love the direction he’s going to take that world in. You know he’s gonna be inventive with it. And favorite DC characters? I mean, man. There are so many good ones. I always answer based on the comics I collected as a kid, and the two comics I collected the most were Spider-Man — actually, the three — were Spider-Man. X-Men and Batman. But there have been a lot of iterations of Batman, so I feel like that’s an obvious answer.
Joe Russo
It definitely would be interesting to see what the Russo Bros. might be capable of putting together with a Batman film that takes its inspirations from The Brave and the Bold storyline that famously had the caped crusader duking it out with his own protegé, Damian Wayne. While in the comics it was Dick Grayson as Batman, it still will act as a point of inspiration with their iconic dynamic just being passed on to Damian’s actual father.
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