Did a Casting Leak Push James Gunn to Delay The Brave and the Bold? Here’s the Real Story

Well, this got weird fast. If you were hyped for DCU’s Batman reboot 'The Brave and the Bold,' brace yourself: James Gunn is slowing things down after a leak that dropped a casting bomb so wild it broke people’s brains.

The delay, the leak, and Gunn’s very public annoyance

Here’s the sequence. Word leaked that Michael Rooker was set to play Damian Wayne in 'The Brave and the Bold.' Yes, that Michael Rooker. Gunn did not take the leak well and reacted on X with a jokey-but-clearly-irritated post that made the rounds via Culture Crave on October 3, 2025. Shortly after, the chatter turned to the movie’s timeline getting pushed. Gunn didn’t outright say the leak caused the delay, but the timing isn’t subtle.

Then, in an IGN interview, Gunn was asked directly about the movie’s storyline. He wouldn’t bite on specifics, but he did toss out a pretty telling hint that things are shifting behind the scenes.

"I think you have to wait to see the movie. Some things have changed. Plenty of things are in flux on what his situation is with his parentage and all that stuff, so I wouldn’t take any of it."

Translation: whatever you think you know, don’t lock it in. And yes, that includes who Damian’s parents are and how that all fits into this version of Batman. That’s some inside-baseball DC talk to be dangling mid-development.

The Rooker of it all

Fans weren’t exactly jumping for joy at the idea of Rooker as Damian Wayne. Quick refresher: Damian is Bruce Wayne’s kid and typically a teenager. Rooker is... not that. If he’s Damian, then Batman would need to be mid-50s to early 60s to make the math vaguely work, which is a very specific swing for a new DCU cornerstone. Cue the confusion, memes, and a few optimistic galaxy-brain theories about multiversal shenanigans where an older Damian pops in from another timeline.

• "Let’s be honest, Michael Rooker as an old, grizzled Damian Wayne in some alternate 'Batman Beyond' universe would actually be incredible casting. The meme cooked." - @rant_zine, Oct 3, 2025
• "Michael Rooker will crush that part" - @mask_bastard, Oct 4, 2025
• "if he was Damian, Batman would be like 90" - @jaredabum, Oct 4, 2025
• "Wtf dudes like 50?.." - @Litz_24, Oct 4, 2025

To be fair, Rooker is a great character actor and a Gunn favorite. It’s the character choice that’s throwing people, not the actor’s talent. If this is real, it almost begs for an Elseworlds or multiverse angle. If it isn’t, the rumor alone might have scrambled plans.

Are we looking at a creative overhaul?

Gunn’s 'things have changed' line doesn’t sound like a tiny tweak. It sounds like a bigger rethink, possibly to dodge a spoiler-shaped torpedo or to course-correct a plot that got compromised by the leak. The Suicide Squad director is playing this one close, and the vibe right now is: flux everywhere.

One more wrinkle: depending on who you listen to, the movie was already moving into production, which makes a delay feel even messier. Either way, the only thing that still seems locked is the director: Andy Muschietti is set to helm 'The Brave and the Bold.'

Bottom line: expect changes. Maybe big ones. And if Rooker really is Damian, expect an explanation that leans multiverse, time jump, or some cleverly twisted parentage reveal. Until then, it’s hurry up and wait.