Rumor: ‘The Brave and the Bold’ Eyes a Production Start Next Year, But Who Is Directing the DCU’s Batman?

Few comic book movies have been awaited as long as the DCU’s Batman. Since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios, fans have watched Superman, Hawkgirl and a growing roster of heroes arrive while the Dark Knight stays in the shadows. Every scrap of news about him is treated like a Bat-Signal.

The film at the center of it all is ‘The Brave and the Bold‘, announced in January 2023 as part of the DCU’s Chapter One slate. It is expected to follow Bruce Wayne as Batman alongside his son Damian Wayne as Robin. Andy Muschietti, who directed ‘The Flash’, is attached to direct, with Christina Hodson on screenwriting duties.

Progress has been slow, though, and there is still no cast, no release date and no confirmed script. Now a new rumor suggests that the film may be further along than anyone realized, with DC Studios reportedly eyeing a production start in 2027.

The claim comes from a few directions. On The Hot Mic, insider Jeff Sneider said he had heard that the film is “further along” than people think and that DC Studios is aiming to get it into production next year. Cartier Films separately reported that the studio is targeting a production start by the end of 2027, adding that the studio is being extremely cautious with the character.

If that timeline holds, casting could begin early next year, which would make the search for the DCU’s Bruce Wayne one of the biggest pop culture stories of the year. As always, none of this is confirmed by DC Studios, and release speculation has pointed to 2029 at the earliest.

Sneider also said he doesn’t know whether Muschietti will helm the film or whether Gunn will direct it himself. He speculated that recent news about ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Season 2 might be what prompts Muschietti to officially announce he has parted ways with the project. An earlier rumor claimed that Muschietti was no longer attached, while Gunn has maintained that he remains on board.

When Muschietti was hired, Gunn and Safran praised ‘The Flash’ as a magnificent film and called him a visionary director and a massive DC fan. That was before the movie’s box office underperformance fueled speculation about his future. For his part, Muschietti once said Batman had been postponed a bit while he worked on other projects, though his sister and producing partner, Barbara, later said the intention was for the film to happen.

A separate rumor claimed all work was on hold until the Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount merger is settled. Gunn pushed back directly, saying the project is in no way on hold and that nothing in the DCU is paused by the merger. The statement did not come with a release date, casting details or a production timeline.

There is another complication in the background. Reports have noted that Gunn and Safran’s contracts are set to expire in 2027, with no extension announced, a fact that fuels fan anxiety about who will be steering the DCU when production begins. Gunn has also said before that the screenplay wasn’t finished, and that rumors of Batman screen tests were strange given that no Batman film had started production.

The timing also has to account for ‘The Batman Part II’, which Matt Reeves is directing for release on October 1, 2027. Gunn has said he does not want DCU Batman news to overshadow that film. That could explain a deliberately slow rollout for ‘The Brave and the Bold’ and why the studio is said to be exercising caution.

Meanwhile, the film’s Batman could be older than some expect. Chatter has suggested the DCU may introduce a Bruce Wayne in his 50s, which would fit a hero with a son like Damian. In a 2025 interview, Gunn said fans should wait to see the movie, that some things had changed and that Damian’s situation was in flux. He also joked that plenty of big actors have told him they want to play Batman.

Reaction has been a mix of excitement and fatigue. Some fans are thrilled at the idea of a 2027 start, while others say they will believe it when they see it in theaters. Some critics have argued that Gunn’s repeated assurances about the project carry less weight as the delays pile up, pointing out that ‘The Authority’ was scrapped while the Batman film and ‘Swamp Thing’ move slowly.

For now, the film remains unconfirmed on nearly every front except one: Gunn insists it’s alive. Whether the rumored production start proves accurate may become clear once DC Studios finally names the actor under the cowl.

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