Batman

The DC Universe’s Batman hasn’t been cast yet, but James Gunn says “it won’t be too long” until it happens.

The filmmaker and DC Studios co-chief recently debunked a couple of rumors regarding the status of the superhero franchise’s new Caped Crusader, whose existence in the shared cinematic universe was confirmed in an episode of the animated “Creature Commandos” last year.

“Batman … isn’t cast yet, by the way, [to] all the people thinking he’s going to appear in this or that,” Gunn said in a one-off “official podcast” episode released Thursday about the status of his 2021 film, “The Suicide Squad,” in the DCU canon. “It’s all b—. But when we do cast the DCU Batman, which isn’t very far away … I want to get everybody into account.”

The DC Studios boss added that an actor having appeared in a small role on “The Suicide Squad” would not automatically disqualify them from being in the running.

“One of the things that excites me about casting Batman is being able to pick a Batman who’s actually the best actor for that role,” he said. “Supermans have always been chosen based on who the best actor for that role is. And for some reason, Batmans are always chosen [from] movie stars.”

Robert Pattinson currently portrays the Dark Knight in director Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” universe, but these films exist outside of the DCU continuity shared by the likes of “Superman” (2025,) “Supergirl” (2026) and “Lanterns.”

For those searching for any clues about the DCU’s iteration of the character, Gunn teased that Batman will be about the same age as his “future best pal” Superman, who is portrayed by 33-year-old actor David Corenswet.

Later, on social media, Gunn responded to a fan’s query regarding those rumored to be front-runners for the Batman role.

“No one is in the running,” Gunn wrote Friday on Threads. “We haven’t started casting yet.”

While fans can expect to see a new actor donning the cape and cowl, the future for Batman rogues gallery favorite Harley Quinn is a bit less clear. In his conversation with “Peacemaker” stars Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee for “The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon?” podcast, Gunn also addressed the character’s status in the DCU.

“I think Harley is actually one of the more difficult things in this to justify as being canon in the DCU,” Gunn said, alluding to the established lore of the popular character portrayed by Margot Robbie. Harley’s journey to becoming a villain is tied to her romantic relationship with the Joker, who has not yet been introduced.

“We don’t know if Joker exists [in the DCU] yet,” Gunn said. “And obviously, Joker is a part of Harley’s past. [But] Margot Robbie is one of my favorite actors to work with. She is so good in [‘The Suicide Squad’] … I love her as Harley.”

The “Man of Tomorrow” filmmaker said the bigger question is whether Robbie, whose star has continued to rise since she first took on the role, would even be interested in portraying the character again.

“Harley is a character I’m almost certainly going to use in the DCU,” Gunn added. “If Margot wants to play her, then I’ll bend over backwards to explain that in the world. But if she doesn’t then I might go with somebody else where I don’t have to be attached to what happens to Harley in [‘The Suicide Squad’].”

Steven Soderbergh is stepping in to help finish shooting “The Batman Part II” while director Matt Reeves continues to deal with a personal matter.

“As Matt Reeves continues to attend to an ongoing family matter, Steven Soderbergh, as an admirer of Matt’s work, approached Matt and will step in, with the full support of DC Studios, to help the writer-director complete the final weeks of principal photography on ‘The Batman Part 2,’” the studio said Thursday in a statement first reported by Deadline. “Matt and Steven will work closely together with the actors and crew to fulfill Matt’s vision of the film.”

DC Studios chief James Gunn confirmed the news on social media Thursday while reiterating that Reeves remains the director of “The Batman Part II.”

“Matt is still the director of The Batman 2 and always will be,” he wrote on Threads. “I can’t express how profoundly grateful and moved we are by Steven’s offer to help him complete his vision.”

The announcement follows news earlier this month that production on the film had been temporarily paused so Reeves could focus on dealing with the family matter.

“Matt has the full support of DC Studios and we look forward to continuing the journey soon,” the studio said in a statement at the time.

The writer-director also took to social media Thursday to express his gratitude and to confirm he would be continuing his work on “The Batman 2.”

“Just to be clear, I am not leaving The Batman Part II,” Reeves wrote in a post on X. “I am profoundly grateful to Steven for coming to my aid during this challenging time to help me finish principal photography. Thank you to all for your concern and well wishes.”

Soderbergh expressed his appreciation for Reeves’ work while addressing his new role Thursday in a widely reported statement.

“I thought Matt Reeves’ work on ‘The Batman’ was stunning; it was intentional, specific, and rigorously coherent,” he said in his statement, first reported by Deadline. “The goal here is to work with Matt and his team to generate footage that will integrate seamlessly with what’s already been shot so Matt can properly finish his film.”

A follow-up to Reeves’ 2022 reboot, “The Batman,” the upcoming film will once again star Robert Pattinson as Gotham’s iconic Caped Crusader. “The Batman Part II” began filming in London in June after a number of previous delays while Reeves and Mattson Tomlin wrote the script. The movie is slated to hit theaters on Feb. 18, 2028.