Despite James Gunn’s Update, the DCU’s Batman Is Still the Best Chance To Break a 27-Year Dark Knight Streak

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For a while, it’s seemed as if Gunn had figured out a way to pull this off. In development for the DCU is the Batman movie The Brave and the Bold, which is set to chronicle an older Bruce Wayne’s relationship with his son Damian, who becomes the fifth Robin in the comics. What makes that exciting is that it would mark the first time since 1997’s widely panned Batman & Robin that audiences would see Batman’s sidekick in live-action on the big screen. However, recent updates from Gunn have cast doubt on whether or not Robin will be in the film, but there should still be a place for the character in the DCU.

James Gunn’s DCU Batman Update Explained

Image Courtesy of DC Comics

In late September, Gunn discussed how The Brave and the Bold is progressing and was specifically asked about aspects such as Robin or an older, more experienced Batman. “No, I think you have to wait to see the movie. Some things have changed,” he said. “Plenty of things are in flux on what his situation is with his parentage and all that stuff, so I wouldn’t take any of it.” A script for the DCU’s Batman movie is currently being written, and it sounds like the original concept for the film may have been altered at least somewhat.

On one hand, it’s good that Gunn is open to changing things. As a script rounds into shape, the story can evolve and go in directions to creative team wasn’t anticipating. Rather than being dead set on a particular angle and forcing something that isn’t working, being flexible can help craft a narrative that feels more organic. Perhaps as things came into focus, someone realized that making Batman a parent at this point in the overarching DCU story wasn’t the best move. However, if the two Batmen thing is going to work, each take needs to feel unique, and running with a Brave and the Bold-style story could help the DCU’s iteration stand apart.

The DCU’s Batman Needs Robin In Order to Feel Unique

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Having two different big-screen Batmen simultaneously runs the risk of confusing general audiences who aren’t as plugged in to the inner workings of DC Studios, so the impetus is on the filmmakers to find a way to justify the need for both. After the original The Brave and the Bold announcement, the plan seemed clear. Reeves’ films would follow a younger Batman in the early days of his crime-fighting career (in The Batman, it’s revealed the Caped Crusader has only been active for two years), while the DCU focused on an older Bruce Wayne leading an entire Bat Family. That would give moviegoers an easy way to keep track of the two; if you saw a Batman with Robin, it’s DCU canon.

Depending on how much things have changed with The Brave and the Bold, that key difference could be gone, and that would be detrimental to the DCU. The Batman Epic Crime Saga has been widely acclaimed, with The Batman and The Penguin earning praise from both fans and critics. If there was another Batman working on his own (with the occasional assist from Jim Gordon) to take down Gotham City’s criminals, the DCU’s movie could end up feeling like more of the same, leaving people to wonder why Robert Pattinson’s Batman wasn’t just carried over into the shared universe. The idea should be to use the DCU’s Batman to explore stories Reeves’ version can’t. It doesn’t make sense for Pattinson’s younger Dark Knight to take a protégé under his wing and show him the ropes, so the DCU can forge its own path by showing a different side of the character.

A new live-action Robin is also long overdue (Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake in The Dark Knight Rises doesn’t count). The character is an integral part of the Batman mythos, and there’s a lot of unrealized potential to tap into. After the Batman & Robin backlash, it’s almost as if filmmakers were scared of using Robin in a movie out of fear of receiving similar criticism. But that isn’t really fair. Batman & Robin isn’t one of the worst-received comic book movies because it features Robin in a primary role. The reception to that film had more to do with director Joel Schumacher’s campy approach. There’s plenty of proof out there in other mediums — be it comics, television, or video games — that Robin can fit in a more serious world and story. Gunn isn’t interested in doing a campy Batman, but given his penchant for embracing comic book sensibilities, he of all people could find a way to make Robin work in the DCU.

It is worth keeping in mind that the DCU doesn’t seem to be neglecting the concept of Robins entirely. Fans have spotted Flying Graysons posters on the Clayface set, an obvious reference to Dick Grayson, the first Robin. It’s unknown when Clayface takes place on the DCU timeline, so perhaps during the film’s events, Batman has already trained at least one Robin (perhaps Dick is operating as Nightwing). There’s a chance the DCU is just shifting away from the Damian aspect for now, leaving that an option for a future film. Based on Gunn’s planned release window for The Brave and the Bold, we should hopefully have a clearer idea of what’s in store soon.

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