Highlights
- James Gunn has addressed the rumors surrounding his Batman: The Brave and the Bold film, stating that there are no casting decisions yet due to the ongoing strike and the lack of a script.
- Rumors about the film range from casting John Krasinski as Batman to theories about the plot being similar to the film Black Adam.
- The ongoing strike has caused delays in casting and development for many projects, including Batman: The Brave and the Bold, but fans should not be concerned as Gunn has a successful track record with similar narrative styles.
James Gunn cleared the air concerning the mass of rumors surrounding his planned Batman: The Brave and the Bold live-action film.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is set to be the first film in Gunn's new DCU for the titular caped crusader. The movie was announced as part of the new slate alongside Superman: Legacy and others, but unlike the Superman-led project, Batman: The Brave and the Bold has not released any concrete details about writing, casting, or plot, other than the inclusion of Damien Wayne and mention of Grant Morrison's The Brave and the Bold comic book run of the character being an inspiration.
Recently, Gunn has taken to social media to clear the air about Batman casting rumors. Responding to a fan seeking confirmation that the DCU Batman casting rumors had no truth to them, Gunn responded with a post saying, "I don't know what you're talking about, but we don't even have a script, and there's a strike happening, so, no, no casting." While Gunn might not have known what rumors were being referenced, he’s well aware of the sheer magnitude of unfounded fan theories and rumors surrounding his new DCU. Some rumor manufacturing is directly caused by his actions, such as when his Joker history tweet started speculation about his plans for the character.
Taking Gunn's admission of ignorance as a prompt, several fans in the replies took it upon themselves to fill him in on just what the rumors were. These rumors ranged from casting John Krasinski, who confirmed that he was unlikely to reprise his Fantastic Four role as Reed Richards at the end of last year, as Batman, to other more conspiratorial claims that the film’s plot would be a shadow version of the Black Adam plot, complete with a political issue solved by the protagonist attracting the attention of the Justice Society. That last part of the theory concerning the JSA is a favorite fallback of those who insist they know the role the other heroes Gunn is putting in the Superman film will fill.
By reminding Batman fans that the ongoing strike action has likely handicapped all casting for new and upcoming projects, Gunn inadvertently made an excellent point that affects rumors about every other casting decision or writer’s appointment. The large degree to which the strikes undertaken by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA limit their members is a big part of the reason that some are balking under the order, which is why incidents like Arrow star Stephen Amell coming out against the strike or his DC contemporary Zachary Levy insulting it in the heat of the moment occur.
While there’s no information, and progress won't be made anytime soon due to the strike, there is no cause for concern regarding the Brave and the Bold film. While Batman has always proven tricky to adapt faithfully (and without angering fans in some way), many have pointed out that Gunn's most familiar story trope is perfect for The Brave and the Bold, with his track record on Guardians of the Galaxy, Suicide Squad, and even the now-vintage Scooby-Doo films showing a penchant for making found family narrative work well.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is in development.
Source: James Gunn/Threads