James Gunn wants us to believe that there is room for two separate Batmans occurring simultaneously, in two different universes and released fairly close to each other.
We already know about Matt Reeves’ attempt at turning “The Batman” into a trilogy, and the sequel to the 2022 film, starring Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader, is indeed set to shoot early next year.
However, hold on, there’s also Andy Muschietti’s “The Brave and the Bold,” which would have a whole other actor playing Batman. Yes, that’s the same Andy Muschietti who directed “The Flash” for Warner Bros. Some figured that film had been dropped from the upcoming DCU slate, but Gunn says it’s nonsense.
Gunn spoke to fansite Omelete and confirmed that plans haven’t changed, and in his mind there is room for two Batmans happening in simultaneous fashion:
Right now we’re moving forward with Brave and the Bold, that’s happening right now and Matt is writing “The Batman 2” and that’s happening right now.
This is corporate suicide. Will Warner Bros intervene? Sure, Batman is a huge moneymaker, with legions of fans, but having two different takes on the character, released fairly close to each other, is a bit much, isn’t it? You’re devaluing the character.
A few years ago, Gunn was handed the keys to take over creative control of the DCU, and obviously his own version of Batman was something he desperately wanted to include, but at the same time Reeves released “The Batman,” a successful movie, well-reviewed, and that complicated things for Gunn. However, he’s sticking with his belief that two Batmans can co-exist at the same time over at Warner Bros. We’ll see if he’s proven correct.