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Draft:The Brave and the Bold (film)

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The Brave and the Bold
Directed byAndy Muschietti
Based onCharacters from DC
Produced by
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Brave and the Bold is an upcoming American superhero film based on DC Comics featuring the characters Batman and Robin. Produced by DC Studios and Double Dream, and set to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it will be a film in the DC Universe (DCU) and a reboot of the Batman film series. The film will be directed by Andy Muschietti.

Development on a standalone Batman film set in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) began by October 2014, with Ben Affleck expected to direct and star. After Affleck left in January 2019, the project was reworked into Matt Reeves's The Batman (2022) starring Robert Pattinson which launched its own shared universe. When James Gunn and Peter Safran became co-CEOs of DC Studios they began work on a new version of Batman, separate from both Affleck and Pattinson, for the DCU. Based on Grant Morrison's run on the Batman comics (2006–2013) it explores the "Bat-Family" for the first time in live-action films since Batman & Robin (1997), including introducing Batman's son Damian Wayne as a version of Robin. Muschietti joined as director in June 2023.

The Brave and the Bold will be released theatrically in the United States. It will be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.

Cast

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Production

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Background

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Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne / Batman in August 2013, to appear in multiple films set in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).[2] He made his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016),[3] before appearing in Suicide Squad (2016)[4] and Justice League (2017).[5] In October 2014, Warner Bros. revealed plans for a standalone Batman film starring Affleck,[6] and he was in negotiations to direct and co-write the film by July 2015.[7][8] In January 2017, Affleck said he was stepping down as director of the film,[9] and he was replaced by Matt Reeves. By the end of the year, the film had been reworked into The Batman (2022) which is separate from the DCEU.[10] Robert Pattinson was cast for the film as a younger version of Batman,[11] and Reeves began planning his own Batman-focused shared universe that included a film trilogy and several spin-off series.[12][13][14]

Discovery Inc. and Warner Bros.' parent company WarnerMedia merged in April 2022 to become Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), led by president and CEO David Zaslav. The new company was expected to restructure DC Entertainment and Zaslav began searching for an equivalent to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to lead the new subsidiary.[15] Writer/director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran were announced as the co-chairs and co-CEOs of the newly formed DC Studios at the end of October 2022.[16] A week after starting their new roles, the pair had begun developing an eight-to-ten-year plan for a new DC Universe (DCU) that would be a "soft reboot" of the DCEU.[17][18][19] Zaslav said of the new plan, "There's not going to be four Batmans".[20] Affleck was confirmed to not be reprising his role moving forward, but there was potential for him to direct a DCU project.[21]

Development

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In December 2022, Gunn said Batman would be "a big part of the DCU",[22] and he debunked reports that Pattinson's version of the character would be integrated with the DCU.[23] The next month, Reeves said he was meeting with Gunn and Safran to discuss how they could avoid their plans clashing.[24] On January 31, Gunn and Safran unveiled the first projects from their DCU slate, which begins with Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. One of the films in that chapter introduces the DCU version of Batman and is titled The Brave and the Bold. Reeves's version of Batman was expected to continue outside of the DCU continuity under the DC Elseworlds label. Gunn and Safran said The Brave and the Bold would explore members of the "Bat-Family" for the first time on film since Batman & Robin (1997), including introducing Batman's son Damian Wayne as a version of Robin. Gunn said the film would be a "strange father and son story" about Batman and Robin based on Grant Morrison's 2006 to 2013 run on the comics.[1][25] Morrison's comics appeared on Amazon's list of best-selling comic books the next day.[26]

Andy Muschietti was the studio's top choice to direct the film by June. He previously directed the DCEU film The Flash (2023), which featured Affleck and Michael Keaton's respective versions of Batman. Muschietti would reportedly not formally commit to the film until a script materialized after the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike concluded.[27] However, Muschietti was confirmed as the director ahead of The Flash's release later that month, with his sister Barbara set to produce through their production company Double Dream alongside Gunn and Safran.[28] The Flash writer Christina Hodson, who is also a member of the DCU's writer's room, was eyed to write the film but chose to work on Fast XI (2026) instead.[29] The Muschiettis were developing the film by March 2024, at which point they had not yet decided which film they would commit to next.[30]

Release

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The Brave and the Bold is scheduled to be released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States. It will be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Vary, Adam B. (January 31, 2023). "New DC Universe Unveils First 10 Projects: 'Superman: Legacy' in 2025, Batman & Robin Movie, Green Lantern Series, Wonder Woman Prequel and More". Variety. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  2. ^ Child, Ben (August 27, 2013). "Ben Affleck signs superhero deal to star in multiple Batman films". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 27, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  3. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (March 14, 2016). "Ben Affleck's 'Broken' Batman". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  4. ^ Berman, Eliza (August 5, 2016). "Does Suicide Squad Really Need That Post-Credits Scene?". Time. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  5. ^ Child, Ben (November 1, 2017). "Five tasks Justice League must complete to save the DC universe". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  6. ^ Franich, Darren (October 15, 2014). "Warner Bros. announces 10 DC movies, including Wonder Woman". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  7. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 9, 2015). "Ben Affleck To Team With DC's Geoff Johns On Stand-Alone Batman Film: Comic Con". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (July 9, 2015). "Batman: Ben Affleck in Talks to Star in, co-Write, Possibly Direct Standalone Movie". Variety. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  9. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 30, 2017). "Ben Affleck Will Not Direct The Batman (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  10. ^ Lang, Brent (December 7, 2017). "DC Shake-Up in the Works After 'Justice League' Stumbles (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  11. ^ McNary, Dave (May 31, 2019). "Robert Pattinson Is Officially The Batman". Variety. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  12. ^ Agard, Chancellor (February 16, 2022). "Knight Moves: Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz take flight in The Batman". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  13. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 31, 2019). "Warner Bros Approves Robert Pattinson For The Batman". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  14. ^ Otterson, Joe (September 13, 2021). "The Batman Spinoff Series About Penguin in Early Development at HBO Max". Variety. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  15. ^ Lang, Brent; Donnelly, Matt (April 14, 2022). "Warner Bros. Discovery Exploring Overhaul of DC Entertainment (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  16. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (October 25, 2022). "DC Shocker: James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead Film, TV and Animation Division (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  17. ^ Couch, Aaron (November 10, 2022). "James Gunn, Peter Safran Are Mapping Out "Eight- to 10-Year Plan" for DC". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  18. ^ Outlaw, Kofi (October 25, 2022). "Warner Bros. Confirms "DC Universe" As Official Name of DCEU". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  19. ^ Newby, Richard (February 3, 2023). "6 Burning Questions About DC Studios' New Slate". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  20. ^ Chapman, Wilson (November 15, 2022). "David Zaslav Says 'There's Not Going to Be 4 Batmans' at James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  21. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 15, 2022). "New 'Superman' Pic In The Works With James Gunn Penning, Henry Cavill Not To Star; Ben Affleck In Talks To Helm A Future DC Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  22. ^ Sinha, Sujita (December 16, 2022). "James Gunn calls Batman a 'big part of the DCU'". Mashable. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  23. ^ Nash, Anthony (December 14, 2022). "James Gunn Debunks Report About The Batman Joining the DCU". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  24. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (January 12, 2023). "Matt Reeves to Meet With James Gunn & Peter Safran for "BatVerse"". Collider. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  25. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 31, 2023). "James Gunn & Peter Safran Unveil Big DC Plan With New Movies For Batman & Robin, 'Swamp Thing', 'The Authority'; 'Lanterns' TV Series & More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  26. ^ Eddy, Cheryl (February 3, 2023). "James Gunn's Superpowers Now Include Increasing DC Comic Book Sales". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  27. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (June 7, 2023). "Marketing 'The Flash': No Ezra Miller, But Lots of Batman and TV Spots". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  28. ^ Donnelly, Matt (June 16, 2023). "New Batman Film 'Brave and the Bold' Lands 'The Flash' Director Andy Muschietti (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  29. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (June 15, 2023). "'The Flash' Director Andy Muschietti Tackling New Batman Movie 'The Brave and the Bold'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  30. ^ Kit, Borys (March 14, 2024). "'It' Duo Andy and Barbara Muschietti, Skydance Launch Horror Label Nocturna (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
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