James Gunn Reveals the Surprising Chance of Batman Villains Crossing Between the Crime Saga and DCU

James Gunn recently opened up about how villains will work across the DC Universe and Matt Reeves’ Batman world, and according to him, there are no rules stopping the two from sharing the same bad guys.

Gunn explained on Threads that DC Studios has the freedom to let both the main DCU and the separate Batman films use the same characters, including villains. “But both the Crime Saga and DCU are a part of DC Studios so we of course take everything into account. But there’s no die hard rule,” he said.

That means characters like the Joker, Mr. Freeze, or the Riddler could appear in both Reeves’ darker Gotham world and the new DCU without any official restrictions. It all depends on the story and whether it makes sense.

This is a big deal because fans have often wondered if having two different versions of the same character would cause confusion. But Gunn made it clear that there’s nothing stopping DC from using the same villain twice if it works creatively.

While Reeves continues developing his own Batman movies with Robert Pattinson, Gunn is also working on a separate Batman for the DCU in a movie called The Brave and the Bold. That film will feature a new take on Batman and introduce Robin to the universe.

Gunn said he’s not writing the script himself but is helping the writer shape the story because, as he put it, “Batman’s my biggest issue in all of DC right now, personally.”

Even though both universes will have different tones—Reeves’ Batman is darker and more grounded, Gunn’s version won’t go the comedic or campy route either. “He’s not exactly the same as Matt’s Batman. But yet he’s not a campy Batman,” Gunn said.

As for mixing the two Batmen into one world, Gunn didn’t rule it out but said it’s not something he’s focused on. “I would never say zero [chances], because you just never know,” he said about Pattinson’s Batman joining the DCU. But he added that a Batman in the DCU needs to have a purpose beyond just being a big name. “Batman has to have a reason for existing, right?” Gunn explained.

So for now, DC fans can expect to see familiar villains show up in more than one place, even if the worlds stay separate. And as long as the stories are strong, Gunn seems fine with that.

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