The DC Universe will have its own Batman, as DC Studios is still developing The Brave and The Bold movie. While The Batman universe with Matt Reeves will continue to exist as Elseworlds, the DCU franchise will have a different actor playing the DC icon in James Gunn’s universe.
During his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jonathan Bailey was finally asked about the fancasting going around about him playing Batman in the DCU. The British star responded with, “Would I do Batman? I grew up with Val Kilmer, George Clooney, obviously Christian Bale, and Robert Pattinson.”
The Bridgerton actor continued, “It’s a legacy,” before Bailey added that, “I think James Gunn is amazing. Who knows.” The Brave and The Bold was first revealed on January 31, 2023, during the DCU’s Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters” slate from DC Studios.
Andy Muschietti was revealed on June 15, 2023, to have been hired to direct the film for DC Studios. While the project is still being written, he gave a crucial update about the DCU’s Batman movie on October 26, 2025:
We have to wait a few, a couple of months to start talking about it.
Gunn has previously talked about the screenplay being written and that things are moving in a positive direction, although it’s unclear who is actually writing the script for The Brave and The Bold movie. Things have, however, changed in terms of the story.
The DC Studios co-CEO revealed to IGN on September 26, 2025, that the story of Robin, who will be Damian Wayne in this case, has been altered since the initial announcement. According to Gunn, “Some things have changed. Plenty of things are in flux on what his situation is with his parentage and all that stuff.”
Bailey’s fancasting for Batman sparked back in December 2024, when Gunn had liked a post on BlueSky that involved audience members wanting to see the Wicked actor join the DCU in some capacity. ... that gained attention included, “I’m actually surprised he’s not a more popular fan cast for Batman.”
Since the screenplay is a work in progress, DC Studios has not actually started the casting process yet for their Caped Crusader. The Brave and The Bold currently doesn’t have an official release date.