Much like the Dark Knight himself, rumors surrounding new DC movies rarely sleep, but this latest swirl had fans especially locked in. According to chatter circulating online, The Brave and the Bold may not be arriving anytime soon. Instead, the claim suggested DC Studios co-head James Gunn is pushing to get The Batman Part 3 moving faster, allegedly wanting Matt Reeves’ trilogy wrapped up before shifting full focus to the new DCU Batman.
A screenshot from insider DanielRPK's Discord and posted to Threads is making the rounds, quoting him as saying “Oh, I am told Brave and the Bold is not coming for years”. The insider adds that Gunn is “pushing to get The Batman 3 out faster… Doesn’t want two Batmans.” Responding directly on Threads to a fan who shared the screenshot, Gunn wrote:
That's incorrect. Well, I mean I don't know if it's incorrect that DPK was told that, but the information is incorrect.
If this rumor were true, that would be a significant shift in DC’s carefully outlined “Elseworlds” versus DCU strategy. As previously announced, Robert Pattinson’s The Batman films exist separately from Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, where The Brave and the Bold is expected to introduce a different, canonical Dark Knight alongside Damian Wayne’s Robin. But, before fans could spiral too far into timeline conspiracies, Gunn stepped in himself and set the record straight.
He followed up in a separate Thread post to another fan, doubling down on the idea that there’s no secret acceleration happening behind closed doors. The Peacemaker helmer added:
I don't know what that is but I'm not fast tracking anything other than our scripts currently getting ready to go into production.
The Suicide Squad director has been vocal about prioritizing script quality over speed, often emphasizing that DC Studios will not move projects into production without fully locked, polished screenplays. If anything, his comment suggests the opposite of “fast-tracking.” The focus appears to be on development readiness, not racing one Batman to the finish line.
It’s also worth noting that DC has consistently maintained that Reeves’ Batman trilogy and the DCU’s Brave and the Bold can co-exist. Gunn has previously described Reeves’ universe as part of the “Elseworlds” banner, meaning it operates outside the main continuity but remains a valued creative lane.
For now, it appears there’s no internal mandate to rush Pattinson’s next Bat-installment, currently slated for October 1, 2027, in order to clear the runway for a new Caped Crusader. Nor is there confirmation that The Brave and the Bold has been quietly delayed for “years.” Of course, in the world of upcoming superhero movies and comic book fandom, rumors rarely die quietly.
The mere idea of “two Batmans” still sparks debate about brand confusion and audience overlap. Still, at least according to the DCU Chapter One architect himself, there’s no behind-the-scenes scramble to prioritize one over the other.
As always with DC, the clearest updates tend to come straight from the source. And this time, the source is saying, "Put those bat brakes on." Nothing has been confirmed. In the meantime, stream The Batman as well as DCU fare using an HBO Max subscription.
