James Gunn Has No Time for a Campy Caped Crusader

James Gunn may have made his name with wise-cracking misfits and galaxy-hopping mayhem, but when it comes to the Dark Knight, the tone is shifting. Gunn, now co-leading DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, is overseeing a total rebuild of the DC Universe and a new Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, is central to that vision.

But if anyone’s expecting another round of campy costumes and freeze puns, think again. Gunn was unequivocal in an interview with Rolling Stone: “I’m not interested in a funny, campy Batman. Really.” That’s not just a creative choice, it’s a full departure from the neon-lit chaos of Joel Schumacher’s infamous Batman Forever and Batman & Robin era.

There’s no Bat-credit card this time around. No villain shouting “Ice to see you!” from behind blue-tinted goggles. And definitely no callbacks to the wink-filled 1960s series. Gunn’s drawing a line in the sand, one that separates his take from anything resembling camp or parody. And that’s deliberate.

This new Batman won’t be a loner either, not in the same sense as Robert Pattinson’s isolated vigilante from Matt Reeves’ separate universe. Gunn is building a Batman who belongs in the wider DCU a version that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Superman he just finished directing, due to hit theaters next month.

Development on The Brave and the Bold is still in its early stages, but Gunn is already deep in conversations with the film’s writer to lock down the right approach. For Gunn, it’s not about making a Batman movie because the studio needs another one, it’s about finding purpose.

As he told Rolling Stone: “Batman has to have a reason for existing, right? So Batman can’t just be ‘Oh, we’re making a Batman movie because Batman’s the biggest character in all of Warner Bros.,’ which he is. But because there’s a need for him in the DCU and a need that he’s not exactly the same as Matt’s Batman.”

Gunn also hinted he’s found the right angle: “I think I have a way in, by the way. I think I really know what it’s — I just am dealing with the writer to make sure that we can make it a reality.” One thing is clear: Gunn’s Batman won’t be cracking jokes. He’ll be answering a call the DCU actually needs…and definitely no bat nipples.

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