DC Studios’ head honcho James Gunn has been speaking to Rolling Stone magazine about the challenges in bringing yet another version of Batman into the new DC Universe.
Batman’s my biggest issue in all of DC right now, personally. And it’s not — I’m not writing Batman, but I am working with the writer of Batman and trying to get it right, because he’s incredibly important to DC
I think I see the problem. Well, other than the new Batman script being titled The Brave and the Bold, which I thought was an American soap opera. Christian Bale, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson have played different versions of the character across nine movies since 2005 (plus Michael Keaton’s return in The Flash). How do you come up with a fresh take?
One solution might be to fold Robert Pattinson The Batman into the DCU somehow, but the darker tone of that movie seems at odds with Gunn’s Superman, at least judging by the trailers. Nevertheless, James Gunn is hedging his bets.
It would be a consideration. We’d have to think about it. We’d have to think about it. It is not like we’ve never discussed it.
Gunn goes on to say:
Batman has to have a reason for existing, right? So Batman can’t just be “Oh, we’re making a Batman movie because Batman’s the biggest character in all of Warner Bros.,” which he is. But because there’s a need for him in the DCU and a need that he’s not exactly the same as Matt’s Batman. But yet he’s not a campy Batman. I’m not interested in that. I’m not interested in a funny, campy Batman, really. So we’re dealing with that.
So not too dark, but not too light either. Sounds like the mantra of a Hollywood casting agent.
Personally, I think there’s plenty of room for more Batman stories. The character isn’t the problem. The issue is poor scripts and overuse of the character. Seeing as they can’t (or won’t) stop making Batman movies, their only real option is to get it right. Easier said than done.
I rated Ben Affleck in the role, but the movies he was given weren’t great. Robert Pattinson’s weird, emo take on the character was interesting but felt very different to a mainstream Batman.
It seems that James Gunn is at least aware of all this. Batman is the most popular superhero on the planet. Get it wrong, and the DCU will go the same way as the DCEU, then they’ll have to drop another letter from the acronym and reboot the Universe again. And so it goes.
