DC's plan for The Brave and the Bold sets the stage for a different DC Comics character to be the DCU's main Batman in the years ahead. Thanks to the unveiling of James Gunn's plan for DC's movie slate, it's known that the Caped Crusader will have a huge part to play in the years ahead. Not one, but two of the announced movies will center on Bruce Wayne, though neither movie will use the same version of the character.
The "Elseworlds" concept will be used to allow DC to maintain two separate Batman stories after The Flash resets the DCU. According to James Gunn, Robert Pattinson will continue to play the Dark Knight in The Batman: Part II, though this adventure will be set in another timeline. Meanwhile, the DC will kick off a brand-new Batman story with an actor that isn't Ben Affleck or Pattinson. Titled The Brave and the Bold, the character's story will be a father-and-son team-up that sees him work with Damian Wayne's Robin. Curiously, DC's decision to take this route is a sign that while the DCU will have a Bruce Wayne, he may not be Batman in the long-term. Here's why The Brave and the Bold may lead to someone else taking on the mantle.
The Brave & The Bold Sets Up Dick Grayson As DCU Batman
The comic connotations of the story The Brave and the Bold is telling have huge implications for what could potentially happen in the movie. In the comic books, under the codename of "Nightwing", elected to take his place and picked Damian to serve as the new Robin.
The DCU choosing to adapt this particular era of Batman comics speaks volumes about how much of Bruce's story must have already happened prior to The Batman and the Bold. If he has a son old enough to become Robin, then it stands to reason that this is an older, experienced Batman akin to what was seen from Affleck's take on the character. If that's the case, many key events and characters from the comics are likely to have already become a part of his life. So unless Dick Grayson has been inexplicably scrubbed from Batman's DCU story altogether, he should be on hand in the movie, possibly as Nightwing by this point.
With DC's The Brave and the Bold jumping all the way to the phase where Damian was Robin, there's a good chance it'll be in position to let Nightwing follow in his comic book counterpart's footsteps as well. Events that transpire in The Brave and the Bold (or perhaps a different DCU film) could result in Bruce dying or stepping down. Since the DCU has opted to start off with an older Batman, it may be that the studio doesn't intend to keep him in the role indefinitely, and instead plans to give the mantle to someone else shortly after introducing him.
Why Dick Grayson As Batman In The DCU Is A Good Thing
While making Dick Grayson the primary version of Batman would be an unorthodox approach for the DCU, it's not an idea without potential. Avoiding Bruce Wayne completely would be a risky move to be sure, but that's not what DC is doing. By keeping Pattinson's character in Matt Reeves' movies, DC can simultaneously satisfy those who want to see the true Batman on the big screen and offer something that stands apart from all other Batman films. Not only that, but it may even be necessary to maximize interest in both Batman franchises. One being Bruce Wayne and the second being Dick Grayson would keep one from overshadowing the other.
Dick Grayson's Batman Fits With The DCU's Young Superman
Grayson's Batman would compliment the new Man of Steel DC is set to debut in Superman: Legacy. Gunn has previously confirmed that the DCU's Clark Kent will be younger than Henry Cavill's Superman. Since Superman and Batman, as per usual, are expected to be the leading figures of the DCU who may eventually team up, it makes sense for how they play off each other to be a factor in how they're portrayed. As opposed to pairing a seasoned, middle-aged Batman with a Superman who's still growing into his role as the Big Blue Boy Scout, it may be better for DC to keep them on the same page in of superhero experience, which it can easily do by morphing Nightwing into the next Dark Knight.
