True to his word, James Gunn has announced a stacked slate of projects for the DCU Chapter One — officially subtitled “Gods & Monsters” — which includes a total of 11 movies and TV shows (both live-action and animated) starring everyone from Superman to Swamp Thing. Unsurprisingly, given the Dark Knight’s place as arguably the most beloved of DC’s hall of heroes, two of them revolve around Batman.
In addition to Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II, we will meet the DCU’s own rebooted Bruce Wayne in an additional Batman movie titled The Brave and the Bold. While not too much has been confirmed about the film as of yet, with its release date remaining a mystery, the Boy Wonder who’ll be co-starring opposite Gotham’s protector in the venture has been revealed. Plus, its title — which is soaked in DC history — offers further hints about what we can expect.
What do we know about The Brave and the Bold movie?
The Brave and the Bold has been confirmed to feature the live-action debut of Damian Wayne, most known as the only one of the many teen heroes to don the mantle of Robin to actually be the biological child of Bruce Wayne. As the grandson of Ra’s al Ghul and raised by his mother Talia al Ghul for the early part of his life, Damian is infamous for his abrasive and arrogant personality, which makes him a firm fan-favorite.
While dishing out details to The Wrap, Gunn assured us that Damian’s edges will not be sanded off for the DCU, describing the adolescent acrobat as “a little son of a bitch assassin murderer.” He further assured us that The Brave and the Bold will, in addition to serving as an introduction to the new DCU Batman, be “a very strange father/son story” about Wayne Snr. and Jr.
How will it relate to The Brave and the Bold comic book series?
The choice of title for this project will likely raise a lot of eyebrows among the DC fandom. Damian made his full comics’ debut in the Batman and Son arc, so that would’ve been the more obvious name for the movie. Gunn and Safran’s decision to go with The Brave and the Bold, however, may indicate that their plans for this one are a lot grander than they at first appear.
In much the same way that “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” is a phrase long associated with Marvel’s Avengers, “the Brave and the Bold” has been DC’s favorite description of the Justice League, and by its extension, its own stable of legendary heroes for decades. The Brave and Bold comic book series, which has run on and off ever since 1955, is typically a team-up book featuring various crossovers between two or more characters. This concept inspired the Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series, which followed much the same format.
Gunn and Safran will be well aware of the connotations this title carries with it, so it’s worth pondering whether the film may introduce the rebooted DCU versions of other Justice Leaguers, such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and more, who aren’t otherwise represented in the Chapter One slate. We could be way off, but Gunn has proven that the sky is the limit for the new, improved DC universe.