James Gunn Responds To Rumors Of George Clooney Returning As Batman

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn responds to rumors of George Clooney returning as Batman in the DC Universe after starring in 1997’s Batman & Robin.

James Gunn responds to the rumors of George Clooney returning as Batman in the DC Universe after starring in Batman & Robin. The DC Universe is starting over on the big screen following the launch of DC Studios back in November 2022. The current DCEU will come to an end with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but before that, The Flash movie will serve as a reset. Under Gunn and Safran’s leadership, they are now in charge of television, movies, animation, and video games related to the DCU. The two CEOs announced the first half of Chapter 1, Gods and Monsters, last month as they begin laying out the new DCU.

While they have only just started, rumors are already surfacing about characters and actors that are being lined up for the DCU. With The Flash movie bringing back two Batman actors, a recent rumor suggested another actor was being eyed to appear in the film, but Gunn shut it down.

Clooney, who played the iconic role in Batman & Robin, was rumored to not only appear in The Flash film, but then continue being part of the DCU. It didn’t take long for fans to inquire with Gunn if this was true or not. Gunn, who has debunked and cleared up rumors before, stated that a new actor will be cast for the DCU. The co-CEO also added that there is no truth to Clooney coming back in The Flash.

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Everything We Know About The DCU’s New Batman

When Gunn and Safran revealed the initial slate for Gods and Monsters, a new Batman reboot was part of the announcement. While Robert Pattinson will continue playing the role in The Batman universe, the DCU will have its own Caped Crusader. DC Studios is currently developing The Brave and the Bold, which will star Batman and introduce Damian Wayne on the big screen as Robin. Based on Grant Morrison’s Batman run, The Brave and the Bold will explore Bruce discovering Damian’s existence as he tackles fatherhood.

Even though casting has not even started for Batman, Gunn has stated this version of Bruce will be around 30 years old. Similar to The Batman, The Brave and The Bold will not be an origin story. Instead, this iteration of the Dark Knight is already an active crime fighter with an established Bat-Family around him. It has yet to be clarified which members will actually appear in The Brave and the Bold outside of Damian as the new Robin. At the time of this story’s publication, no creative team is attached to the DCU movie.

It would never have made sense for Clooney to come back as Batman. Not only was Batman & Robin a commercial and critical bomb, but Clooney wouldn’t fit with the age range that DC Studios is targeting for their take on the Gotham vigilante. Hopefully, as the year progresses, more details about the DCU’s Batman will begin to emerge, including who will be the next actor to don the cape and cowl.

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Source: James Gunn/Twitter