James Gunn says Batman is "a big part" of the DCU – and reveals more Superman details

Henry Cavill in Man of Steel
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

James Gunn has revealed more details about the DCU future of Batman and Superman. Gunn and Peter Safran are the new co-CEOs of DC Studios and have already brought in major changes to the universe

One of the biggest shake-ups is the news that Henry Cavill is officially out as Superman, just months after his Black Adam post-credits scene appearance and Instagram post announcing his return. Gunn shared an update that he is writing a new Superman film that will focus on a younger incarnation of the character, hence why Cavill would no longer be playing the hero. 

Gunn has since teased additional details on the movie. After again reiterating that the film won't be an origin story, he wrote on Twitter: "He's not meeting the major characters for the first time, either. He's merely younger." Variety has reported that the film will see Clark Kent in his early days as a reporter and will include characters like Lois Lane. 

As for Batman, Gunn has denied a report that Robert Pattinson's Batman would be joining the main DCU – which The Batman director Matt Reeves also denied – but has since said that Batman is "a big part of the DCU." It would seem that Ben Affleck is officially finished as the character, too, as Gunn earlier revealed that he had spoken to the actor about directing a film in the DCU

The future of other DC characters is currently in doubt. Wonder Woman 3 has been scrapped, while Jason Momoa might not continue as Aquaman after the upcoming sequel. But, Ta-Nehisi Coates' Superman project is still said to be in active development. 

More news on Gunn and Safran's DCU slate is coming next year. In the meantime, check out our guide to watching the DC movies in order to get caught up on the DCU so far. 

Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.