The first vague cameo of theDCU’s Batman has been provided, and James Gunn’s comments on the character make me even more excited to see more of the Caped Crusader. Batman’s first cameo was tied toCreature Commandos, the first official project released as part of theDCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. The show focuses on the titular team of monsters who are sent to the nation of Pokolistan to defeat the sorceress known as Circe, withCreature Commandosepisode 6’s endingmoving this story into its final stages.
Interestingly though, this episode focused on the character known as Doctor Phosphorus, whose backstory surrounds the city of Gotham. Naturally, this allowedCreature Commandosepisode 6’s many Easter eggsto shine through where the home of The Dark Knight is concerned.Batman’sCreature Commandoscameocame in these flashbacks to Doctor Phosphorus' story, with James Gunn addressing the first DCU appearance of the character shortly after (viaRotten Tomatoes TV). These comments by the head of DC Studios make me even more excited to see Batman’s future in the franchise than I already was.
Gunn Is Waiting To Confirm Several Batman Details
Custom Image by Milica Djordjevic
When talking about Batman’s future in the DCU, James Gunn wisely reassures fans thatCreature Commandos' cameo purposely left the Caped Crusader a mysterious entity. Gunn revealed that, when the animation panels were initially presented to him, there was a lot more Batman shown in full focus. Gunn insisted that he had to pull back in a lot of ways, simply stating that he was not ready to commit to showing deeper, more explicit elements of the DCU’s Batman just yet.
Batman’s DCU Future Addressed By James Gunn After The DC Hero’s Latest Appearance
The exciting future of Batman in James Gunn’s DC Universe gets addressed after the Dark Knight makes his latest appearance in the new franchise.
Gunn insisted on keeping the character’s cameo to a simple silhouette, one that smartly avoids committing to a physical and visual design for the character. Thankfully, this leaves the character with a lot of mystery. It would be a shame for big reveals about the DCU’s Batman to come in another project, rather than be saved for his first solo appearance, likely in thestory ofThe Brave and the Bold.As Gunn points out, the cameo inCreature Commandosis effective in ensuring Batman exists in the DCU and already has a history, while keeping the big elements of his character mysterious for the future.
James Gunn’s Enthusiasm For Batman Means The DCU’s Iteration Will Be Very Carefully Approached
Although the enigmatic elements of the DCU’s Batman inCreature Commandoscame as a pleasant surprise to me, I was even more happy when Gunn continued to speak about the character’s future. After addressing the brief debut of The Dark Knight inCreature Commandos, Gunn went on to outline his love for the character. Gunn states multiple times that he loves Batman and that the character is his favorite of DC’s - and Marvel’s - vast collection. Gunn then insisted that"we’re gonna do great things with him… and I can’t wait for people to see more of him…"
Gunn’s enthusiasm is infectious and proves to me above all else that the DCU’s version of the character will be done right…
While I have always known Gunn was a Batman fan, I admittedly did not know it was to this extent. Gunn’s enthusiasm is infectious and proves to me above all else that the DCU’s version of the character will be done right. More so than that, Gunn’s enthusiasm means the character’s introduction and stories within the franchise will be meticulously and carefully handled.Even the commitment - or purposeful lack thereof - to the character in the tinyCreature Commandoscameo proves how much Batman means to Gunn,equally proving just how much love and care will go into the DCU’s iteration of Bruce Wayne.
I’m So Excited To See What The Future Holds For The DCU’s Batman
With all of this in mind, I simply cannot wait to see what the future holds for the DCU’s Batman. Perhaps the most exciting element for me is that the DCU’s Batman is shaping up to be a more fantastical depiction of the character. Since Michael Keaton’sBatmanstint in 1989, the franchise has been somewhat focused on telling grounded, gritty, realistic depictions of the character. As such, many - myself included - have long desired adaptations of the more fantasy-based elements of Batman from DC Comics.
IfCreature Commandosand Batman’s cameo prove anything, it is that I could be provided with exactly this. The show features a team of monsters, already on a fantastical level above thelive-action Batman villainsof the last decade or so. The fact that Batman already has a history of taking down these kinds of characters makes me more excited for a more comic-book version of Gotham’s famed protector. Even beyond that, Gunn’s infectious enthusiasm for theDCUand Batman makes me excited for the character’s future, regardless of how he is handled regarding tone.
Creature Commandos
Cast
Creature Commandos follows the exploits of a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for perilous missions unsuitable for humans. Released in December 2024, the film explores themes of redemption and collaboration as the monstrous squad is tasked with handling threats that present dire challenges beyond human capability.
