'There's a Religious Aspect to So Much of This Stuff That's Very Uncomfortable' — DCU Boss James Gunn on Whether We'll Ever Ever Get a 'Blue Gray Batman'

Who volition play the DC Universe’s caller Batman? We’ve nary thought yet. Indeed, we cognize much astir who’s not playing Batman successful The Brave and the Bold than who may. You tin hide astir Robert Pattinson, who plays The Batman successful Matt Reeves’ self-contained DC universe, the ‘Batman Epic Crime Saga.’ Reacher prima Alan Ritchson has said he’s not successful the running, either. Nor is Guardians of the Galaxy prima Chris Pratt.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has so-far kept his cards adjacent to his thorax erstwhile it comes to his Batman, going arsenic acold arsenic to admitting earlier this twelvemonth that "Batman's my biggest contented successful each of DC close now."

Now, speaking successful a caller interrogation with 2 Bears, 1 Cave, Gunn has revealed what it’s similar dealing with the instrumentality requests astir Batman. The treatment started erstwhile Tom Segura asked Gunn whether we’ll ever get a ‘blue grey Batman,’ the benignant we’re utilized to seeing successful the DC comics. Segura suggested that’s what everyone wants, though Gunn questioned that theory.

“No, it's not everybody,” helium replied. “It's not everybody cuz I person idiosyncratic saying, ‘Please springiness america this Batman,’ and past they enactment a representation of the bluish grey Batman connected Threads oregon whatever. And past idiosyncratic other says, ‘You're a portion of s**t. I'm like, ‘He's a portion of s**t due to the fact that helium likes…’ that is beauteous harsh!

“There's a spiritual facet to truthful overmuch of this worldly that's precise uncomfortable because… should Batman person achromatic eyes? That's a large taxable of conversation. And it's similar guys, like, that's truly what matters? But those are the things they attraction about. Should his inferior loop beryllium yellow? Should helium person the yellowish crest astir the bat? All of that benignant of stuff.

“And nary of those things are what's astir important to me. What matters is the character, the story. And I deliberation that we person a truly really bully communicative present for what's happening with Batman.”

He continued: “I deliberation that's 1 of the amusive things astir Batman though, is that determination are truthful galore expressions of Batman that are cool. And antithetic ways to entree that quality is 1 of the ways successful which he's truthful iconic.

“So, I don't deliberation it's a substance of the bluish and the grey oregon the achromatic Batman. I deliberation some those things are truly cool. I similar the detective Batman, but I besides truly similar the combatant Batman that's conscionable the brute that's fighting. I similar the silly 50s Silver Age Batman with Bat-Mite that's benignant of person to what the archetypal Batman TV amusement was like. I similar each of these antithetic versions of Batman.”

Gunn’s effect touches connected the aggravated scrutiny astir the DCU’s Batman, not lone successful presumption of the histrion who volition play the iconic superhero, but the suit helium volition wear. Gunn has discussed successful vague presumption the benignant of Batman he’s going for — or, possibly it would beryllium amended to accidental the benignant of Batman he's trying to avoid.

Speaking earlier this year, Gunn said: “Batman has to person a crushed for existing, right? So Batman can’t conscionable beryllium ‘Oh, we’re making a Batman movie due to the fact that Batman’s the biggest quality successful each of Warner Bros.,’ which helium is. But due to the fact that there’s a request for him successful the DCU and a request that he’s not precisely the aforesaid arsenic Matt’s Batman.

“But yet he’s not a campy Batman. I’m not funny successful that. I’m not funny successful a funny, campy Batman, really. So we’re dealing with that. I deliberation I person a mode in, by the way. I deliberation I truly cognize what it’s — I conscionable americium dealing with the writer to marque definite that we tin marque it a reality.”

While fans hold for The Brave and the Bold to spot Gunn's Batman, Episode 6 of DCU canon kickstarter Creature Commandos showed Batman lasting connected a rooftop looking down astatine transgression brag Doctor Phosphorus. The representation beneath revealed a mega-stacked Caped Crusader successful his iconic costume, but determination was small other that could beryllium discerned astir Gunn’s instrumentality connected the superhero.

Based connected comments Gunn issued to Rotten Tomatoes TV pursuing the merchandise of Episode 6, it’s casual to spot wherefore this little look astatine Batman was truthful generic. Gunn said helium asked for "more silhouette" aft the archetypal Batman connected amusement was much elaborate than helium was acceptable to perpetrate to astatine the time.

What this look astatine Batman did supply fans with, Gunn explained, was a wide denotation that Batman not lone already exists wrong the DCU during the events we’re seeing successful Creature Commandos and the Superman movie, but that helium is well-known wrong the universe, and that’s wherefore there’s nary request to archer his well-documented root story.

Batman successful Creature Commandos. Image credit: HBO Max.

Gunn past made an absorbing remark that suggested the DCU Batman volition squad up with Superman astatine immoderate point.

“This is the DCU Batman,” helium said of the Creature Commandos cameo. “Listen I gotta archer you, I conscionable emotion Batman. I emotion him. I've loved him since I was a small kid. He's 1 of my favourite characters. I've gone connected the grounds successful the past erstwhile I was astatine Marvel saying my favourite quality is Batman. I emotion him and we're going to bash large things with him. He's the astir fashionable superhero successful the satellite and I can't hold for radical to spot much of him, on with Superman, and together.”

Later successful the interrogation with 2 Bears, 1 Cave, Gunn talked astir his favourite mentation of Batman increasing up, which immoderate are suggesting offers a tease arsenic to what to expect from The Brave and the Bold. He pointed to 1970's Batman #227, which was a supernatural instrumentality connected the Caped Crusader by writer Dennis O'Neil and creator Irv Novick, with an iconic screen by Neal Adams. It was this O'Neil/Adams epoch of Batman comics, which dragged Batman distant from the campy code of the TV bid and backmost to its dark, gritty roots, that proved formative for Gunn.

Batman #227, screen creation by Neal Adams.

“As a kid, speechmaking the aboriginal ‘70s Neal Adams Batman comics that were overmuch darker and grittier, I was like, ‘Oh, I similar this Batman.’ I had seen the sillier Batman connected TV and I'm like, ‘Oh, this is gritty, chill Batman.’ That was the happening that made maine consciousness much like, if not an adult, astatine slightest a teen erstwhile I was 8 oregon 9 years old.

“That was a Batman that we've ne'er seen. That was my favourite story. That was successful a compilation of Batman comics that I work and I conscionable thought it was the top ever. And it was supernatural Batman, too, which is thing we've ne'er seen, Batman successful similar a benignant of supernatural environment.”

Could we spot thing akin from the DCU Batman? It feels similar it could beryllium a portion earlier we get our archetypal look, with the likes of Supergirl, Clayface, and Man of Tomorrow owed retired successful 2026 and 2027. Reeves’ The Batman 2, owed retired successful 2027, and a imaginable The Batman 3 coming retired aft means Gunn faces the perchance confusing concern of having 2 actors playing Batman successful movies crossed 2 antithetic DC universes.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].