James Gunn says that crafting the DCU's Batman, and finding the right actor to play him, is the studio's biggest issue right now.
"It would be a consideration. We’d have to think about it. We’d have to think about it. It is not like we’ve never discussed it," Gunn told Rolling Stone when asked if he would consider making Robert Pattinson the DCU's Batman, since they've yet to cast one. The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, currently exists alongside The Penguin in its own universe, separate from Creature Commandos, Peacemaker, the upcoming Superman movie, etc.
"I would never say zero, because you just never know. But it’s not likely. It’s not likely at all. I’ll also say Batman Part 2 is not canceled," Gunn continued. "That’s the other thing I hear all the time – that Batman Part 2 is canceled. It’s not canceled. We don’t have a script. Matt’s slow. Let him take his time. Let him do what he’s doing. God, people are mean. Let him do his thing, man."
It's been three years since The Batman was released, and there have been no updates since the sequel was announced in April 2022. The lack of updates, plus Gunn's focus on the main DC universe, has led some fans to believe that the movie wouldn't be going forward. The Penguin, a spinoff of The Batman that saw Colin Farrell reprise his role as the ruthless crime boss, hit HBO Max in 2024 and was lauded with praise and accolades. Not to mention the finale connects back to The Batman in a way that feels like a setup for The Batman 2 (but we won't spoil that for you).
Batman: The Brave and the Bold was announced in 2023 as part of Gunn and Peter Safran's slate of new DCU projects, but, as mentioned above, no actor has been cast yet. In my opinion, it wouldn't make much sense for the gritty world of The Batman to mix with the colorful, zanier world that Gunn has created thus far. Reeves' Batman, while echoing the dark superhero films of the 1990s, is a bit more in align with that of the Zack Snyder films. Interestingly, however, Gunn, says he's "not interested in a funny, campy Batman."
Added Gunn: "Batman’s my biggest issue in all of DC right now, personally. And it’s not — I’m not writing Batman, but I am working with the writer of Batman and trying to get it right, because he’s incredibly important to DC, as is Wonder Woman. So outside of the stuff that I’m doing in the projects that are actively going, our two priorities are finishing our Wonder Woman and our Batman scripts."
For more, check out our list of all the upcoming DC movies and shows you need to know about.
