The Brave and the Bold: Release date speculation for DCU Batman movie

They told Variety: "We saw ‘The Flash’ even before taking the reins at DC Studios, and knew we were in the hands of not only a visionary director but a massive DC fan

“It’s a magnificent film – funny, emotional, thrilling – and Andy’s affinity and passion for these characters and this world just resonates through every frame. So, when it came time to find a director for ‘The Brave and the Bold,’ there was really only one choice. Luckily, Andy said yes. Barbara signed on to produce with us and we were on our way. They’re an extraordinary team, and we couldn’t have better or more inspiring partners as we embark on this thrilling new adventure in the DCU.”

The new live action film will see a new actor don the cape and cowl to become Batman, taking over from Ben Affleck and the new official Bruce Wayne for the studio's shared universe.

We only know a few details thus far as to what the film will entail, but just what are those, and when can fans expect to see the film?

Read on for everything you need to know about the DCU's new Batman film, The Brave and the Bold.

When will The Brave and the Bold be released?

We don't yet have a firm release date, or even an outline for when we can expect to see The Brave and the Bold. However, we do know it won't be before 2025.

We've been told that Superman: Legacy is the real launch of the DCU, and with that film coming out in July 2025 we therefore wouldn't expect any other theatrical releases to come before then.

Also, with The Batman: Part II coming later that year, James Gunn has confirmed that The Brave and the Bold won't land in late 2025, or in the same six month period as that film. Therefore, it seems a 2026 or 2027 release date for the film seems like the most likely option.

What is The Brave and the Bold about?

In a short post on Twitter, DC's official account said that the film will be the introduction of the DCU's "Batman and Robin in this unusual father-son story, inspired by Grant Morrison's comics".

Meanwhile, Gunn and Safran also explained this film's relationship with other Batman projects and what will make it distinct.

Gunn said: "This is the introduction of the DCU’s Batman. It is not Robert Pattinson. It is not Ben Affleck. We’re working with Robert on The Batman: Part II with Matt Reeves, and we’re working with Ben Affleck, who has been a part of our team trying to bring things together and he really wants to direct one of our projects. We’re excited for him to do that.

"This is a story of Damian Wayne, who’s Batman’s actual son that he didn’t know existed for the first eight to 10 years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He’s my favourite Robin. It’s based on the Grant Morrison comic run, which is one of my favourite Batman runs. We’re putting it all together right now."

Meanwhile, Safran explained: "This is going to feature other members of the extended Bat-Family. Just because we feel like they’ve been left out of the Batman stories in the theatre for far too long."

Will The Brave and the Bold affect Robert Pattison's Batman?

It won't. The Batman: Part II is scheduled to release on 3rd October 2025, and will once again star Robert Pattison and come from director Matt Reeves.

In his video announcement for the DCU slate Gunn said this will be marked as a DC Elseworlds project, as part of his job to delineate between the connected universe and those projects which are separate.

He said: "One of our jobs, mine and Peter's, is to come in and make sure the DCU is connected in film, television, gaming and animation. That the characters are consistent, played by the same actors, and it works within one story.

"And if something is outside of that, like Matt Reeves' Batman or Todd Phillips' Joker or Teen Titans Go!, that it is clearly labelled as DC Elseworlds, outside of the mainstream DCU continuity."

Meanwhile, in a separate Q&A, Gunn and Safran explained that the plan is for The Batman universe to continue separately to the DCU.

He said: "Matt is working on The Batman: Part II, which he thinks of as a Batman crime saga that also includes the Penguin TV series. The Batman is its own thing. Matt’s hard at work on it. He came in and pitched us some amazing stuff the other day, so our plan is for that to continue."

Safran added: "Also, The Batman’s not a stepchild. It’s all under DC. We are fully invested in the success of The Batman just like we are everything else."

Gunn then said: "Of course, everything’s going to be balanced so The Brave and the Bold is not going to be coming out in the same six month period as The Batman."

The Brave and the Bold cast - who will play Batman?

We only currently know two actors that won't be playing Batman in The Bold and the Brave - Robert Pattison and Ben Affleck.

However, it seems reasonable that we can also count out other actors to have previously donned the cape, such as Christian Bale, George Clooney and Michael Keaton. It seems very likely that the team will want to cast their own, brand-new Batman.

We also don't know who will play Damian Wayne/Robin yet, but we're sure we'll get some casting announcements for the film in due course.

Is there a trailer for The Brave and the Bold?

There isn't a trailer for The Brave and the Bold available just yet, but for now you can rewatch James Gunn's announcement video for the first slate of DCU titles right here.

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