James Gunn Denies Paramount Merger Is Delaying DCU Batman Movie

DC Studios has spent the past several months juggling a genuinely packed slate, with ‘Superman,’ ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2, ‘Supergirl,’ ‘Lanterns,’ and ‘Clayface’ all arriving within the same calendar year. That pace has kept James Gunn’s rebooted universe feeling active and forward-moving, even as one of its most anticipated future titles has quietly stayed out of the spotlight.

That title is ‘Batman: The Brave and the Bold,’ Andy Muschietti’s long-planned introduction of Bruce Wayne and Damian Wayne into Gunn’s DCU. The project has weathered plenty of uncertainty since it was first announced back in January 2023, bouncing between casting speculation, writer changes, and lingering questions about Muschietti’s continued involvement following the underperformance of ‘The Flash.’

That uncertainty flared up again this week, after reports circulated claiming Muschietti had said work on ‘The Brave and the Bold’ was being paused entirely until the ongoing Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger fight gets resolved. Gunn has now directly pushed back on that claim, telling fans in no uncertain terms that the film remains active.

Responding to the rumor on social media, Gunn wrote, “It doesn’t sound like something Andy would have said, but the project is in no way on hold.” When pressed further about whether the pending merger had specifically affected the film’s development, Gunn offered an even more direct response: simply, “No.”

That firm denial arrives just months after Gunn addressed a different round of ‘Brave and the Bold’ confusion, when the announcement that Christina Hodson would write the screenplay drew criticism online due to her prior work on ‘The Flash.’ At the time, Gunn defended Hodson’s writing on Threads, and when asked whether the film might land in 2027, 2028, or 2029, he sidestepped a direct answer, instead saying, “The universe is rife with incorrect information about the Brave and the Bold on every level.”

Gunn has also offered more encouraging signs about the film’s creative progress elsewhere. Speaking to Rolling Stone, he indicated he may have finally found a “way in” to crack the story, telling the outlet that any version of Batman needs a clear reason for existing within its world, suggesting the long-gestating script is closer to coming together than fans may have assumed.

That update came alongside reconfirmation that Matt Reeves’ separate ‘The Batman Part II,’ currently slated for October 2027 and not part of Gunn’s DCU, remains on track as well. With both Batman projects moving forward on separate tracks, DC Studios appears to be deliberately spacing out its two very different takes on the character rather than rushing either into the same release window.

Whatever timeline ‘The Brave and the Bold’ ultimately lands on, Gunn’s latest comments make clear the film hasn’t been shelved or delayed by outside corporate turmoil, despite what circulated online this week. For a project that’s weathered more than its share of rumors over the past two years, this latest denial suggests the biggest obstacle left may simply be finishing the script.

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