James Gunn Says DCU Batman Casting “Isn't Very Far Off,” A ‘Movie Star’ Isn’t Mandatory but He’ll Be ‘Around the Same Age As Superman — Do We Really Need Two Batmen?

In a clip from the "Is The Suicide Squad Canon?" podcast, James Gunn shares a few intriquing updates on his search for the DCU's new Dark Knight...

via: World of Reel

Speaking on the "Is It Canon?" podcast, the DC Studios co-chief also hinted that his new Bruce Wayne will be close in age to David Corenswet's Superman. Fine. Makes sense on paper.

What excites me is the fact that we'd be picking the best actor for that role. Superman's have always been chosen based on who the best actor for that role is. And for some reason, Batman's have always been chosen as movie stars.

I get the sentiment. Christopher Reeve wasn't a star when he put on the cape. Neither was Henry Cavill, really. However, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson were famous. Which brings me to the elephant in the room …

We already have a Batman. His name is Robert Pattinson. "The Batman" is Matt Reeves's baby, and he has made no secret that he's always planned it as a trilogy. "The Batman Part II" doesn't even hit theaters until October 2027. So what exactly is the plan here? Two Batmen existing at the same time, in two different continuities, competing for the same audience? That's madness.

Gunn, for his part, doesn't see the problem. Last year he brushed off the concern entirely, insisting that "the casuals always understand" and that it's actually the hardcore fans who underestimate general audiences. Gunn also said he turned down having Pattinson enter the DCU because he wanted the freedom to build his own Dark Knight. I understand the creative impulse, but freedom for Gunn could mean fatigue for everyone else.

Unless, of course, Reeves calls it quits after two movies. Which, frankly, would be a shame, given that this has been his passion project for the better part of a decade.

Gunn also clarified that the oft-cited 8-10 year roadmap isn't just about story beats; it's a plan for "DC as a whole." That means building around the "diamond characters,” he namechecks Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman as “diamonds,” along with "smaller characters we could turn into diamonds." Those were listed as Krypto, John Stewart and Peacemaker. No mention of Supergirl (and for good reason).

Peter Safran was asked about DC's "duelling Batmans" during an interview with IGN, and assured fans that Reeves recently pausing production to deal with a personal issue will not result in the sequel being shelved.

"We've got Batman: Part Two and [the animated film] Dynamic Duo in 2028. Listen, I couldn't be more excited about the plans that we have over the next five years and, obviously, a lot of them, we're just not able to talk about yet, but I think you're never going to please everybody, but I have a feeling that people are going to be excited about what we have coming up. And, again, Batman: Part Two, everybody's aware of the issues we're having right now, but, what we've seen so far of the shoot, it looked absolutely fantastic and Matt Reeves is a supremely talented filmmaker. Dynamic Duo is, for my money, as original today as Pixar was when they did Toy Story so we're really excited about that. Obviously, Man of Tomorrow's in post [production] right now."

Look, I want the DCU to work, but Batman is a different beast. He's the crown jewel, the one character Warner Bros. absolutely cannot afford to mess up, let alone oversaturate. Right now, the cleanest path is to let Reeves finish his trilogy and bring in the new guy once the dust has settled. Gunn clearly hasn’t gotten the memo.