James Gunn says Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will let players experience the character "maybe as fully as they ever have"

Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson – throughout the decades, these actors have all been Batman in their own way. And that's great. But, unfortunately, they've never been made of Lego, and Superman filmmaker and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn says the upcoming Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight action game might offer the most comprehensive look at the brooding hero so far.

"There's Batman as the do-gooder. Batman as the Dark Knight, this creature of vengeance," Gunn says in a new behind-the-scenes video posted to the Warner Bros. Games YouTube channel. "One of the many great things about Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is that it manifests all these different elements of Batman that we've loved over the years. People can experience this character maybe as fully as they ever have."

This latest installment of the funny and fun Lego Batman series – set to release sometime in 2026 – will channel Rocksteady's iconic Arkham games in presenting a vast Gotham City to sneak around in. Because of this, our Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight preview notes gameplay "depth far beyond what I was expecting."

James Gunn seems to know that's what we're thinking. He adds in Warner Bros.' behind-the-scenes video, "I love when a story defies expectation. I love the fact that we're going into Lego Batman, it actually has real emotion and stakes."

"I love this combination of DC and Lego," Gunn says. "I like them working together. There's something about Lego that just opens our mind to play and creativity – and kind of our own personal artistic expression."

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight's combat was inspired by the Arkham series: "We also wanted to bring our own Lego approach to that foundation."