James Gunn debunked rumors of a clash in release dates between multiple Batman projects, responding directly to fan queries about the situation. His comments also clarify the connection between the next high-profile cinematic experience and a smaller project.First appearing in Detective Comics #27 in March of 1939, The Batman almost instantly became one of the most popular comic book characters in the entire industry, taking over as the main star of Detective Comics and, together with sidekick Robin and Batman's other most important supporting characters, defining the Golden Age of the genre. Since then, the character has been refined and updated for the times with a mountain of comic book titles and adaptations in every imaginable genre, most recently with The Batman. After the announcement earlier this year that Matt Reeves' The Batman trilogy would continue outside of Gunn's proposed DCU slate, fan speculation began to build as to whether this would lead to a clash of interests or muddled project releases, leading to one fan calling out the DCU boss on social media. In a now-deleted tweet, a fan expressed concern about Gunn meddling with Reeves' vision and unduly lengthening the production process. "I'm not sure where you're getting your production dates, but Batman 2 is coming out as early as it possibly can, with enough time for Matt to do what he needs to do to make it as great as possible," Gunn said in response.
While Gunn's co-CEO Safran has insisted that the pair are "fully invested in the success of The Batman just like we are everything else," Gunn has clarified that this investment is purely hands-off. "Matt is working on The Batman – Part II, which he thinks of as a Batman crime saga that also includes the Penguin TV series,” Gunn told DC.com in an interview. ”The Batman is its own thing. Matt's hard at work on it. He came in and pitched us some amazing stuff the other day, so our plan is for that to continue." While building The Batman into the wider DCU could work, it’s not something that Reeves or most fans seem interested in.
Gunn and Safran are focused on another Batman project in The Brave and the Bold, an upcoming mainline DCU film based on the Grant Morrison comic book run of the same name that was announced alongside the next Superman film and other projects as part of the Chapter One slate. While The Batman has a filming window that kicks off in November this year, Gunn has clarified that there will be no conflict in the release windows for the two films, promising that "everything’s going to be balanced, so The Brave and the Bold is not going to be coming out in the same six-month period as The Batman."
While the logistics of the release windows over at DC Studios might be more well mapped out than some fams were led to understand, there is still the underlying issue of uncertainty that has clouded the franchise since Gunn and Safran took over as heads, with fans so worried that Shazam 2 director David F. Sandberg recently had to offer a promissory update on social media to encourage fans to see the upcoming film, albeit an uncertain one. The certainty it possesses as a standalone project is why so many fans want Reeves' Batman trilogy out of the main DCU continuity, and if the DCEU is to thrive under Gunn and Safran, getting the audience's trust back to that same point might be essential.
The Batman: Part 2 is set for a theatrical release on October 3, 2025.
Source: James Gunn/Twitter, DC