James Gunn Says Every Batman Fan Wants These Three Things on the DCU's Next Dark Knight

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Jason is an award-winning journalist whose writing career dates back to when he developed the ability to use a crayon. He, most notably, worked previously as a "professional fan," as he likes to call it, at CinemaBlend, for which he wrote about anything and everything under the pop culture umbrella... especially Batman. His passion for the art of cinema began even earlier, stemming from repeat viewings of The Wizard of Oz.
This initially led him to pursue a career in filmmaking -- and even work briefly in the industry as an extra in the straight-to-video family film, Alice Upside Down -- before deciding that his talents would be better served discussing and showing appreciation for the various forms of entertainment he is passionate about.

Anticipation for the official, live-action debut of Batman in the recently established DC Universe continues to rage on. There are still ongoing discussions regarding every last detail of how The Dark Knight should be portrayed in this new continuity.

According to James Gunn, there are actually three specific and easily recognizable elements to the character of Batman that fans have frequently requested be involved in his DCU depiction, and they have nothing to do with his personality. The co-head of DC Studios weighed in on this topic in response to a fan question on Threads.

It appears, based on James Gunn's Threads post, that DC fans seem to care most about Batman's fashion sense. In particular, they want the Caped Crusader to dress in a blue and gray suit with the yellow oval surrounding the bat symbol, and he must also have white eyes. In truth, discussions regarding these exact elements of the Dark Knight's look are anything but new.

In fact, James Gunn dished on the potential for Batman's blue and gray suit to show up in the DCU back in June 2025 when he was doing press for Superman. This particular design has been a staple of the hero's costume in the comics for decades, but has only appeared in live-action twice, as worn by Adam West in the 1960s and more recently by Ben Affleck in The Flash.

There has been an even more fierce debate over Batman's white eyes, which have also been a traditional element of his comic book design and in his animated depictions. Some argue that, while they certainly make The Dark Knight look intimidating in those types of settings, they would seem less realistic and not very practical in live-action, despite being cleverly used in The Dark Knight and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

As for the yellow oval, the last time a live-action Batman actor had one of those on his chest was in 1995 when Val Kilmer donned the cape and cowl in Batman Forever. The insignia has even been absent from many animated depictions of the hero as of late, in favor of a simple black bat-shaped logo sprawled across his chest.

However, as Gunn also points out in his Threads post, and has made clear on numerous occasions, those sorts of details are taking a backseat at the moment. What is most important to him is making sure that his version of Batman is developed with the right characteristics, written in a way that authentically reflects his essence and is cast with the right actor.

What Is Already Known About The DCU Batman

DCU's Batman in James Gunn's Creature Commandos

Technically, the DC Universe's official iteration of Batman has debuted, as seen in a flashback from an episode of Creature Commandos when he apprehends Dr. Phosphorous (Alan Tudyk). Of course, fans were only treated to a shot of his silhouette in that quick cameo, so whether he is sporting the old blue and grays with a yellow oval is up in the air.

As for who will have the honor of playing this new version of Batman, who exists outside the universe where Robert Pattinson's iteration comes from, that is still being determined. Many names have been thrown around in the years since director Andy Muschietti's The Brave and the Bold was announced, including Reacher's Alan Ritchson, who has had conversations with DC about taking on a messier role instead.

When it comes to how The Dark Knight will be written, James Gunn has not revealed too many details, but does seem confident in how the hero's journey is developing. During an interview with Tom Segura of 2 Bears 1 Cave, he teased the idea of incorporating a Batman with pristine detective skills and a brutal style of hand-to-hand combat.

There is no release date for The Brave and the Bold.