Andy Muschietti May Still Direct DC’s Brave & the Bold (Depending on the Script)

DC Studios co-chairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran have provided a substantive update on the status of Batman: The Brave and the Bold during a press event that ComicBook attended. The executives revealed that Andy Muschietti, previously announced as the film’s director, remains in consideration of helming the project, but his involvement will ultimately depend on his reaction to the screenplay currently being developed. This clarification comes amid ongoing questions about the project’s development timeline, casting decisions for the DCU’s Batman, and how the film will coexist with Matt Reeves’ separate Batman universe starring Robert Pattinson, which continues to operate under DC Studios’ supervision as an Elseworlds story outside the main DCU continuity.

“We’re developing the script right now, and we’re going to show Andy when we have it in a place where we think it’s ready,” Safran explained during the press briefing, with Gunn adding that they’ll “then see if it’s a great fit for him.” The DC Studios creative chief emphasized his personal involvement in the project, stating, “But I’m very, very actively involved in that script.” This latest update follows Muschietti’s comments from January 2025, when he told Spanish radio station Radio TU that there were “good intentions” regarding his participation and that discussions about “ideas and story and tone” were ongoing. At that time, Muschietti also noted that DC Studios was “putting together a plan” so that The Batman 2 and The Brave and the Bold could coexist while remaining separate franchises.

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During the press event, Gunn and Safran also addressed the persistent speculation about Robert Pattinson potentially serving as both the Batman in Reeves’ crime saga and in the mainline DCU. The executives stated it was “very unlikely” that Pattinson would be bringing his interpretation of the Dark Knight into the wider superhero universe, despite previous conversations exploring various possibilities. This confirmation aligns with the established timeline in the DCU’s animated series Creature Commandos, which depicts Batman as having been active for more than a decade, contrasting with Pattinson’s second-year vigilante in The Batman.

DCU’s Batman Will Be Separate From Pattinson’s Dark Knight

The question of who will portray the DCU’s Batman remains unanswered, with casting apparently not yet underway as the script continues development. However, Gunn and Safran emphasized the importance of establishing a distinct Batman within their shared universe. “We love him, but we’ve got to introduce a Batman into the DCU,” Safran stated regarding Pattinson. “It’s imperative, and so that’s the plan with Brave and the Bold.” This statement reinforces the studios’ commitment to maintaining separate Batman franchises, with Gunn and Safran simultaneously producing Reeves’ Batman 2, now scheduled for October 1, 2027, as part of what they’ve described as the Batman Epic Crime Saga.

Clarifying the boundaries between these universes, Safran specified that only The Batman trilogy and The Penguin series exist within Reeves’ more grounded world. Meanwhile, other Batman-adjacent projects under development, including the recently announced Clayface horror film directed by James Watkins from a script by Mike Flanagan, will be firmly situated within the DCU continuity. This R-rated body horror about the mud-based, shape-shifting Batman villain is described as “psychological,” “gross,” and “pure horror,” representing a significant departure from the realistic approach of Reeves’ Batman universe that deliberately avoids fantastical elements and metahuman characters.

Despite not having cast their Batman yet, Gunn suggested the character might appear before The Brave and the Bold releases, noting, “I wouldn’t rule anything out. He could show up in something else. But the actor doesn’t exist [yet].” This raises the possibility that the DCU’s Batman could debut in another upcoming project, potentially even in Clayface, which is scheduled to begin production this summer and will be released on September 11, 2026. The casting process for this film is expected to commence soon, potentially offering clues about the broader Batman strategy for the DCU.

Are you excited about the DCU’s introduction of the Dark Knight? Do you think having two versions of Batman in theaters is a good idea? Let us know in the comments!