DC Studios' planned Batman: The Brave and the Bold — the new mainline DCU Batman film — is reportedly aiming for a December 2028 release after development delays. James Gunn confirmed the project "isn't the furthest along" of DCU productions in a recent press appearance.
Andy Muschietti, who directed The Flash (2023), was selected by Gunn and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran to direct The Brave and the Bold. The film will adapt Grant Morrison's 2006 comic-book run introducing Damian Wayne — Bruce Wayne's biological son with Talia al Ghul — as the new Robin. The father-son relationship between Bruce and the aggressive, league-of-assassins-trained Damian is positioned as the film's emotional and narrative core.
Multiple trade outlets reported this week that DC Studios is targeting a 2027 production start, with theatrical release in late 2028. That timeline puts the new mainline DCU Batman significantly behind Matt Reeves's parallel The Batman Part II (scheduled for October 1, 2027 with Robert Pattinson reprising his role from The Batman 2022). The two Batman films exist in completely separate continuities — Reeves's Elseworlds Batman has no connection to the broader DCU launched with Superman (2025).
Gunn's public comments on casting have remained deliberately non-committal: "There's people out there I think about, but let's see where the script comes in," he told reporters at a recent press event. The screenplay is reportedly still in early development. Sources tell trade outlets that Gunn is treating the new Batman casting as the DCU's most-important single decision after the success of David Corenswet's Superman launch.
The 2028 release window positions The Brave and the Bold as DC's first major post-Pattinson-era Batman entry. Between now and then, the DCU's confirmed 2026 slate includes Supergirl (June 26, 2026) and Clayface. The Batman Part II arrives in October 2027 within Reeves's separate continuity.
For a complete ranking of every cinematic Batman from Adam West through Robert Pattinson, see our Every Batman Actor Ranked pillar. For broader DC vs Marvel franchise context, see our Marvel vs DC comparison.