When DC co-CEO James Gunn rolled out his first slate of shared universe projects, one project caught the eye of fans: The Brave and the Bold. This movie was slated to debut the shared universe Batman and his son Damian Wayne as Robin.
But that plan has changed. Now, we need to know who will take over as the Dark Knight.
Who Will Replace Ben Affleck?
With Superman (2025) kicking off the new DC Universe and replacing the stalled DC Extended Universe, attention is turning to who will play Batman in this new continuity. The new film will mark the sixth time an actor has donned the iconic cape and cowl, following Michael Keaton (Tim Burton’s films), Val Kilmer (Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever and The Dark Knight trilogy), Christian Bale (Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy) and Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder’s saga.
Several names are being tossed around, including Jensen Ackles, who has worked with the DCU’s superheroes on The CW’s Arrowverse. Another possibility is Jake Gyllenhaal, who proved he could brood and deliver a deadpan one-liner in Doug Liman’s Road House. More recently, fans have been sharing fan art of Alan Ritchson as the Caped Crusader, whose roles in projects like Reacher demonstrate that he has the physical attributes to play a lethal crimefighter who can take on Parademons and mercenaries and physically outclass his fellow members of the Bat-Family.
The new film will also introduce Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul who was raised by the League of Assassins to be a lethal assassin. He will force Batman to reconcile his no-kill rule with the reality that his biological child is a trained killer. TT Games has confirmed that Shai Matheson, who voiced the character in the previous LEGO Batman video games, will return to this version of Gotham’s Dark Knight.
Movie Title
As Batman continues to dominate the cinematic landscape, his presence is growing within other media. TT Games, the studio behind the LEGO games, recently released a new behind-the-scenes featurette for their upcoming third-person action-adventure, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. In it, actor Alan Ritchson—who portrays the superhero in the film—is showcased alongside a full Bat-Family, confirming that he could realistically fill the role. The teaser also confirms that the narcissistic treasure hunter known as Batman will have a whole host of powers, including the ability to bio-fission and turn into other characters, adding a gruesome new element to Gotham’s rogues gallery.
Another character confirmed to be included in the animated movie is the mercenary Slade Wilson, better known as Deathstroke. The character is a true physical and mental powerhouse, who spent time in the brutal South American prison Pena Duro and trained himself to be one of the world’s most lethal strategists and martial artists.
His inclusion in the film will force a mature Batman to confront his past while upholding his no-kill rule. This story will also introduce Damian Wayne, the current Robin and son of Talia Al Ghul—a major recurring villain and daughter to eco-terrorist Ra’s Al Ghul. The film’s plot will explore the early adventures of both Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, the first two Robins.
Director James Gunn?s Plans
James Gunn has been a prolific writer and director since his debut with Troma?s Tromeo and Juliet (1989), a film that made just under $3 million on a budget of less than $200,000. Since then, Gunn has written the screenplays for the live-action remake of George A. Romero?s Dawn of the Dead (2004), Scooby-Doo (2002) and its sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), the horror film The Belko Experiment (2016) and the superhero movie Brightburn (2019). He also wrote the HBO Max original series Peacemaker (2022), directed the action film Coyote vs. Acme (2026), and contributed to the comedy anthology film Movie 43 (2013).
Gunn has confirmed that he will direct The Brave and the Bold, which will introduce a new Batman and Robin to the DC Universe while operating outside of Reeves? Batman Epic Crime Saga. However, it was not clear who would play the role of Bruce Wayne or Damian Wayne in The Brave and the Bold, which could leave open the door for a variety of actors to join the series.
Gunn has also expressed interest in introducing another iconic villain to the DC Universe, Selina Kyle, who is known as Catwoman. When asked if he had plans to bring the character into his DC Universe, he said, “Of course!” He has also expressed an interest in bringing in other characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, including Drax and Mantis, whom he brought into the Disney+ special The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022). But, for now, fans will have to wait until 2026 to see Shai Matheson take over the voice of Batman in the LEGO Batman video game Legacy of the Dark Knight.
Storyline Differences
With The Joker and Riddler as his main adversaries this Batman will face a lot of intellectual challenge. The two villains have a similar style, and they both know how to manipulate the media and pit people against one another. Their approach to their fights is quite different, however. The Joker is more of a physical threat, whereas the Riddler is a mastermind. The two villains also differ in how they approach their heists.
It is unclear how this Batman will connect to the new DC Universe reboot. James Gunn has spoken a little about his plans for this Batman, but it is still early days. However, if the Matt Reeves film takes place in the new DC continuity then it would make sense for this Bruce Wayne to also be connected to it.
One thing that would help is the inclusion of Damian Wayne, Batman’s biological son. The character is a lethal warrior and the heir to the League of Assassins, which is a major influence on this version of Batman. His inclusion could force a more mature Bruce to reconcile his no-kill rule with raising a child who is trained to kill. This would also confirm Talia Al Ghul’s existence in this continuity, as well as her relationship with Bruce.