James Gunn Officially Responds to DCU Rumors: Batman, Wonder Woman Casting, Clayface Trailer & More

Videos by ComicBook.com

However, it’s the future of the DCU, and the projects that haven’t been confirmed, that are stirring up a lot of discussion online. Every week seems to bring a new rumor about what is happening with major characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Darkseid, as well as who could be playing them. Gunn addressed all that and more, quickly and succinctly, while stacking some fan engagement points at the same time.

DCU Batman & Wonder Woman Have NOT Been Cast

One fan asked Gunn, “Is it true that actors auditioned for the role of Batman at the end of 2025? I saw this rumour in my feed.” Gunn took a buzzsaw to all the rumors regarding Batman and Wonder Woman’s DCU debuts, stating, “No. All these rumors of Batman and Wonder Woman auditions are false.”

He later denied an assertion that he’s downplaying the characters’ relevance and importance to the DCU, saying, “I’m not at all. I think both Batman and WW are incredibly important.”

More Updates From the DCU Batverse

While there may not have been auditions for a Batman actor, the first DCU Batman film did get an update. Gunn answered one fan’s question by revealing that there is currently no “actionable script ready” for The Brave and the Bold.

Gunn was also quick to make it clear that right now, the Batman space belongs solely to Matt Reeves and The Batman: Part II. “Frankly, we’re well into Batman 2,” Gunn wrote, “and I wouldn’t want to cloud the Batsphere until after that.” He did agree with one fan’s notion that having The Batman 2 coming in 2027 kept the character relevant, while the DCU has time and space to further establish itself and get ready for The Brave and the Bold. “I’m also not going to have two Batman movies come out in the same year.”

Similarly, Gunn denied that the upcoming Dynamic Duo animated series about Dick Grayson and Jason Todd is part of the DCU canon. Meanwhile, when it comes to James Watkins’ Clayface movie, we are still far from even seeing a trailer. “I haven’t even seen the film yet,” Gunn wrote, “because James is still in the first cut.” He continued to answer follow-up questions, clarifying that the director gets time to tweak the first cut before producers (like Gunn and Peter Safran) weigh in. That all said, Clayface is “Totally” on track to make its September 2026 release date, according to Gunn.

Man of Tomorrow Is Still Casting (Sort of…)

The Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow announced that Lars Eidinger is playing the villain Brainiac in the DCU. According to James Gunn, that’s pretty much the only major casting we’re going to see in the sequel, as a lot of the lead and supporting cast roles will be returning characters from Superman. That said, Gunn revealed that “Smaller roles are being casted now.” Considering how Superman was able to introduce many other DC heroes, those “smaller roles” in Man of Tomorrow could still be significant additions to the franchise.

Gunn had a response to the rumors that Wonder Woman is being cast in Man of Tomorrow, saying, “We are currently casting a female character in MoT. My only guess is scoopers are taking a stab at guessing that’s WW.” He also said “Yep,” when asked if he would “throw water” on theories that Man of Tomorrow is bringing in Batman and/or Wonder Woman.

Finally, Sam McCurdy (Game of Thrones, Shōgun) was confirmed to be the cinematographer on the film.

Grant Gustin is NOT the DCU Flash

The Flash Arrowverse star Grant Gustin got photographed in public sporting some blonde hair – so immediately, DCU fans jumped to the conclusion that Gunn cast Gustin as his Barry Allen. When one fan asked if there was fire to go with that smoke, Gunn said, “How in the world would I know why Grant dyed his hair?”

Not for nothing, Grant Gustin addressed the issue himself, posting, “As anyone that asks me knows, I will always welcome the opportunity to play The Flash again. Having said that, my hair is long and blonde for a project that has nothing to do with The Flash or any other super hero lol. Love this energy though.”

The DCU will continue with the release of Supergirl on June 26th, with Lanterns premiering on HBO in “mid-2026.” Let us know which DCU projects you want to see the most, over on the ComicBook Forum!