James Gunn’s DCU Plans Reportedly Included a New Batman and a ‘Justice League’ Movie

When James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios in 2022, their mission was to build a connected DC film universe from scratch. The first big payoff was ‘Superman,’ which had earned about $352 million after 8 weeks in theaters. But the DCU’s ambitions always stretched well beyond a single hero.

That road map hit a major bump on Monday, Nov. 9, when Skydance announced that Gunn and Safran are stepping down as co-CEOs, effective Dec. 1, with Marvel veteran Jeremy Latcham taking over as president and chief creative officer. The shake-up follows Skydance’s takeover of Warner Bros. and has left fans asking what happens to everything the duo had in the pipeline.

Now The Wall Street Journal’s Ben Fritz has reported some of those plans. According to Fritz, the pair were debuting Wonder Woman in ‘Man of Tomorrow,’ hoped to introduce the DCU’s Batman in ‘The Brave and the Bold,’ and were aiming for Gunn-directed ‘Superman’ sequels that would quietly evolve into ‘Justice League‘ movies in 2029 and 2031.

The Batman timing comes with a caveat. Fritz first placed ‘The Brave and the Bold’ in 2028, then corrected himself, saying he had mixed up 2 Batman projects. An animated ‘Dynamic Duo’ movie featuring 2 Robins is the one arriving in 2028, while the live-action film was more likely to land in 2029.

That correction matters because Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman Part II’ is dated for Feb. 18, 2028, and Robert Pattinson’s Batman lives in his own continuity, separate from the DCU. Two live-action Batman films in the same year would have crowded the calendar, so a 2029 target makes more sense.

DCU’s plans included introducing Batman in ‘THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD’ in 2028. James Gunn’s ‘SUPERMAN’ sequels would then build toward a ‘JUSTICE LEAGUE’ movie between 2029 and 2031. (Via: @benfritz) https://t.co/2pkQiY6IGA

— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) November 9, 2026

Gunn announced ‘The Brave and the Bold’ in January 2023 as the story of Batman and his son Damian Wayne, who takes on the role of Robin. The film is based on Grant Morrison’s Batman run, and Andy Muschietti, who directed ‘The Flash,’ is attached to direct. No release date has ever been announced.

Muschietti has said the project has been postponed a bit, and he mentioned another film he might make first. One outlet estimates a late 2028 or 2029 arrival, partly because the director has said the movie cannot land close to Reeves’ sequel.

The next big DCU release is ‘Man of Tomorrow,’ which Gunn will direct and which is dated for July 9, 2027. The story centers on Clark Kent and Lex Luthor, who have to work together against Brainiac. If the report is right, the film will also bring Wonder Woman into the fold, making it a natural stepping stone toward a larger team.

Gunn previously said his plans go well beyond that film, though he cautioned that nothing is guaranteed. The last ‘Justice League’ movie arrived in 2017, so a version built from the DCU’s ‘Superman’ sequels would mark a long-awaited return for the team.

Neither Skydance nor DC Studios has confirmed whether any of these plans will carry forward, and the details remain reported rather than officially stated. Fritz also reports that Gunn and Safran learned only in the past few days that they were being removed. Gunn and Safran are expected to remain involved as producers on ‘The Batman Part II’ and ‘The People vs. Gorilla Grodd,’ and Gunn is still set to direct ‘Man of Tomorrow.’

Latcham will lead DC’s film, television and animation slate and will report to Skydance Motion Picture Group co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein. He joined Marvel Studios in 2004 and has credits on ‘Iron Man,’ ‘The Avengers,’ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming,’ so he arrives with plenty of experience in building team-up movies.

Whether he keeps Gunn’s road map, reshapes it or starts over will likely define the DCU’s next chapter. Fans are already wondering if a new Batman and a ‘Justice League’ movie are still on the way.

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