TheDCU’s latest announcement shows James Gunn and Peter Safran are wisely banking on their most reliable hero,Batman. The DCU has plenty of work to do to fix many of the mistakes made by the DCEU. The DCEU had a dreadful 2023 with most of its films, likeShazam: Fury of the Gods,Blue Beetle, andThe Flash, bombing at the box office. It ended with a whimper, but it had already been struggling.Batman V Supermanwas a turning point back in 2015, and its critical failure led to less interest from audiences.
It also didn’t help that the DCEU didn’t include much of Batman. He shared a film with Superman and another with other members of the Justice League, but he never had his own movie. Gunn has already confirmed thata Batman movie is being developed for the DCU, and DC is continuing to develop Matt Reeves' Batman universe alongside the main cinematic universe. TheSupermandirector just announced another project coming to the DCU, and it shows that he is committed to Batman, who continues to be DC’s most reliable character.
Dynamic Duo Continues The DCU’s Commitment To Batman
DC’s newly announced animated project will focus on two of Batman’s protégés
Gunn shared more information onXabout DC’s latest animated project, announcing the title and the central characters. The film’s title isDynamic Duoand will focus on two Robins: Dick Grayson and Jason Todd.Dynamic Duowill have an interesting combination of animation styles, including CGI and puppetry. The script will be written by Matt Aldrich (Coco) and produced alongside Matt Reeves through his production company 6th & Idaho.
Dynamic Duois the second DCU project in the Batman universe, asThe Brave and the Boldwas previously announced by Gunn. While not officially announced by Gunn, reports ofa Bane/Deathstroke team-up moviealso surfaced, showingthe DCU has plans to introduce many Batman characters. All this is happening while Reeves' universe expands withThe PenguinandThe Batman - Part II.Joker: Folie à deuxis also hitting theaters this week as Warner Bros. tries to capitalize on the Batman brand as much as possible.
Batman Is The Most Reliable Superhero For DC
The Caped Crusader always delivers box office gold
DC hasn’t had the same consistent success as Marvel. While it has had successful outliers likeTheSuicide Squad,Aquaman, andWonder Woman,Batman is the most consistent DC character who delivers box office success. 1989’sBatmanstarted the franchise on a great note, winning over critics and grossing $251 million. The franchise did go through a rough patch after that with flops likeBatman & Robin, but Christopher Nolan brought it back to success with 2005’sBatman Begins.
All Batman Movies Ranked By Box Office
Batman has performed valiantly at the box office for decades. However, the most profitable Batman movie ever may be a surprising installment.
The Dark Knight trilogy was a mega-successfor Warner Bros. withThe Dark KnightandThe Dark Knight Risesgrossing over $1 billion each.Batman V Superman’s box officewas underwhelming based on expectations, but it still managed to earn $874 million worldwide.The Batmanwas also a massive win for DC, grossing over $772 million in 2022. Even films featuring Batman characters perform well, likeJoker, which grossed over $1 billion.The Penguinis also performing well on Max, despite not featuring The Caped Crusader himself. Batman has a history of success, so it’s no surprise that Gunn is banking on him.
Exploring Batman’s Comic History Would Be A Smart Movie For The DCU
Batman comics have tons of characters and lore the DCU can explore
Batman is one of the original superhero characters, and he has an extensive comic book history that goes back almost 90 years. There are famous stories that have influenced movies likeThe Long HalloweenorThe Dark Knight Returns, but there are plenty of other storylines that the DCU could adapt. The success ofJokerandThe Penguinshows that there’s an audience who wants to see more stories within Batman’s universe, whether he’s in it or not.
The DCU is alreadyintroducing three Robins into the DCU, which is a good start. Robin has never been adapted correctly in live-action, and it will be interesting to see how Gunn handles it. However,there are plenty of underappreciated Batman characters, like Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Clayface, Hush, and The Mad Hatter, who could create interesting narrative moments if done well. It’s exciting to see the DCU bringing manyBatmancharacters to life, but the studio could go even further.
