Batman: The Brave and the Bold is easily one of the most anticipated movies in the DCU. Batman: The Brave and the Bold was announced all the way back in 2023 and fans have had relatively little updates, until now. Aside from James Gunn's social media clarifications, fans only knew that Anthony Muscietti would be directing the film. However, the mysterious figure penning the new Batman script has finally been revealed.
Jeff Sneider was the first to reveal that controversial writer, Cristina Hodson, the scriptwriter for Birds of Prey and The Flash, is writing Batman: The Brave and the Bold. This revelation has caused somewhat of a stir among fans, who are less than poised to see Hodson take the reins after her last DC debacle. All fans can do is trust James Gunn's judgment and hope his vision for the larger DC Cinematic Universe can handle the catastrophic collaboration that is Christina Hodson and Anthony Muschietti.
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Batman is one of the oldest and most important superheroes in the DC mythos. The Dark Knight is also easily one of the most popular DC characters, with films spanning from the year of his creation until now. The Caped Crusader is typically at the center of any major DC storyline, but has remained completely absent from James Gunn's version of the DCU.
Since James Gunn took over as Co-Chairman of DC Studios, he has been incredibly selective over which heroes he chooses to include. He has stated that he plans to include as many heroes as possible, but the DC CEO has been very meticulous about the order they are introduced. It appears like the director is attempting to create a balance between the more obscure and recognizable characters, but in doing so, has abandoned one of DC's most important characters.
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A standalone Batman film titled Batman: The Brave and the Bold has been announced, but according to Gunn, won't be releasing anytime soon. The DC studios figurehead revealed on social media that he will only premiere the DCU film the year following Matt Reeve's The Batman 2. James Gunn's fear of Batman overexposure is completely understandable, but it also means that fans won't get to watch The Batman: Brave and the Bold in theaters until 2028 at the very earliest.
Fans have also been less than enthusiastic about the project's staff. James Gunn thought 2025's Superman was important enough to direct himself, but he is letting another controversial figure lead Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Anthony Muscietti was one of the first names attached to the project. Many fans assumed things couldn't possibly get worse, until a recent leak revealed the movie's scriptwriter.
Christina Hodson Doesn't Have the Best Reputation With DC Fans
Christina Hodson Was Responsible For Birds of Prey and The Flash's Shoddy Writing
Christina Hodson has been disclosed as Batman: The Brave and the Bold's main writer, and several fans couldn't be more disappointed. Both Hodson's DC projects, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and The Flash, performed laughably badly and are considered some of the worst the studio has to offer. Many consider the fact that Hodson's name is attached to The Brave and the Bold evidence that DCU's Batman is destined to fail.
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Hodson is also the writer on the completed, but scrapped, Batgirl project. It's unknown how the film might have been perceived by actual audiences, but test screenings did not receive positive feedback. The infamous scriptwriter has professionally written several other projects, but based on the ratings, she has yet to create her magnum opus.
The decision to attach Hodson to the project has been called intentional by a select group of fans. Gunn is extremely perceptive of how his actions are perceived by the public. For this reason, many DC fanatics have begun theorizing what Hodson's involvement could mean for the future of the DCU.
Fans Have a Right to Be Nervous After Hodson's Last Collaboration With Muschietti
The Flash Was the Last Nail in the Coffin for Zack Snyder's DCEU
Fans are growing incredibly concerned about what could have been one of the greatest Batman films of the last several decades. Instead of directing the film himself, or hyper-critically selecting a new team for the job, Gunn has allowed two extremely controversial figures to take the helm. Moreover, their last collaboration is largely considered one of the worst DCU films of all time.
For all intents and purposes, The Flash is an entertaining movie, but it is far from the standard that comic book movie fans have come to expect. The movie even reintroduced one of the most beloved figures in DC Studios history, Michael Keaton's Batman, only to unceremoniously kill him off. The flash had some incredible action sequences, but it lacked any substance, which is what fans are worried about.
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A lot of DC fans are worried that another collaboration between Muscietti and Hodson could mean the end of James Gunn's DCU, and there are a few of those who believe this could be intentional. The fact that Batman: The Brave and the Bold won't release for several years, and has such a controversial team behind it has led some to believe Gunn intends to go out the same way as Zack Snyder.
After All This Controversial News, Is There Any Hope For DCU's Caped Crusader?
Many Fans Worry The Cinematic Universe Could Lose Momentum Before Introducing The Dark Knight
With all this controversial news surrounding the highly anticipated Batman film, some have begun to think the movie might never get made. Batman is an integral figure to the DCU, but he's one of the last characters Gunn has chosen to introduce. His main reasoning for this is to avoid Batman fatigue with Matt Reeve's cinematic universe, but that isn't enough to quell fans concerned about The Dark Knight's film future.
Batman and Superman are often considered two sides of the same crime-fighting coin. There's only so much James Gunn can do with Superman's character without bringing Batman into the mix. It's entirely possible that contractual obligations have prevented Gunn from bringing Batman into the DCU until Reeve's Batman projects are finished, but no such deal has ever been mentioned.
Given the importance that fans have to any DC project, it's highly unlikely that Gunn will let this controversy go without addressing it for long. The best case scenario is that Gunn truly believes Hodson and Muscietti need another chance and can provide the best Batman film possible. The worst case is difficult to think about for Batman fans everywhere.
Ultimately, only time will tell if Batman: The Brave and the Bold finds success, or if it shares the same fate as other DC flops like The Flash. Muscietti and Hodson have both proven they are talented in their own right, but it's possible they might not be geared towards superhero films. Nevertheless, one of the most important films in the DCU's future has now been revealed to be in the hands of two of DC's most controversial figures.
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