James Gunn Reveals the Number One Fan Request for DCU Batman
Batman fans have zeroed in on one must-have for the Dark Knight’s DCU debut — and James Gunn says he hears them loud and clear.
Batman is going to crash James Gunn's DCU party sooner or later, and fans are already building PowerPoint decks about him. Who should wear the cowl? How old should he be? What shade of grim should the suit be? Everyone has a Platonic ideal of the Dark Knight, and Gunn knows it.
What fans keep asking for (and what Gunn thinks actually matters)
Gunn jumped into the fray on Threads after a fan asked if the top request was the white eyes. Short answer: not quite. According to him, the suit chatter stacks up like this:
- Blue-and-grey is the most requested
- Then a yellow oval around the bat emblem
- Then the white eyes
"The most requested thing would be the blue and grey. Then the yellow around the bat. And THEN the white eyes. But all of those things I find less important than the character himself, the writing, and the person who plays him."
He also said the wish list is way less unified than it looks. Even that blue-and-grey push? He says it is basically split down the middle with fans who do not want it. Same deal with the yellow oval and the white eyes. Translation: there is no majority mandate here, so the team is going to do what best serves the specific movie and the story they are telling. Honestly, that is the only sane way to approach a character with 80+ years of baggage.
Where The Brave and the Bold stands
Andy Muschietti is still attached to direct The Brave and the Bold. It has felt quiet, but Gunn said two months ago that they have a really, really good Batman story now. He also made it clear the suit is not the priority at this stage.
Gunn is very much in the "many Batmen can be true" camp. He digs detective Batman. He also digs the bruiser who solves problems with his fists. He even shouted out the playful 1950s Silver Age era with Bat-Mite. Blue-and-grey? Cool. Black suit? Also cool. The throughline is character and story first, fashion second.
So who is the new guy under the cowl?
No casting yet. The fan-casting roulette wheel keeps landing on Alan Ritchson (Reacher), Brandon Sklenar (1923), and Jensen Ackles (The Boys), among others. All solid vibes for different reasons, but nothing is close to official.
My two cents and your turn
I grew up on the blue-and-grey era, so I get the nostalgia hit. But I am with Gunn: nail the character, the writing, and the actor, and the suit will follow. If they want to toss a yellow oval on there, great. If not, I will live.
Where are you at: blue-and-grey, yellow oval, white eyes, or something totally different?