Reports of a director for Batman: The Brave and the Bold is a great sign for Gotham City as it could finally regain a signature identity.

New reports about a potential director for Batman: The Brave and the Bold are a very good sign for the next iteration of Gotham City. Something recent live-action Batman movies haven’t focused on as much is the character of Gotham itself. Its darkness and atmosphere are just as important as the villains who live there. As such, The Brave and the Bold has a chance to make Gotham uniquely dark and intimidating, potentially recapturing the magic of the version created by director Tim Burton.

The Flash’s Andy Muschietti is reportedly being considered to direct Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Unlike Matt Reeves’ ongoing The Batman trilogy and its spin-off series which are set in their own universe, The Brave and the Bold will be connected to the restructured DCU envisioned by new DC Studios head James Gunn and Peter Safran. As such, there are strong advantages when it comes to Muschietti directing the upcoming Batman movie, especially when it comes to Gotham’s depiction.

Andy Muschietti Making Batman: The Brave & The Bold Can Make Gotham Creepy Again

To date, Tim Burton’s version of Gotham is still the best on-screen depiction in line with the original comics. It’s dark, grim, creepy, and full of freaks and outcasts with a gothic architecture that encroaches upon its residents. It undoubtedly looks like a scary place to live that’s very much aligned with its high levels of crime. In contrast, Christopher Nolan’s version of Gotham in the Dark Knight trilogy was a far more generic city, serving Nolan’s more grounded and realistic vision. Likewise, the Gotham seen so far in Reeves’ The Batman feels as though it’s somewhere in between Burton and Nolan’s versions.

While much of the initial excitement for Muschietti directing The Brave and the Bold comes from his work on The Flash, that’s not the only reason why he’d be the perfect director for a Batman movie. His past work in the horror genre such as Mama and the IT franchise proves he could make Gotham City as scary and foreboding as it’s always deserved to be. He stands a very strong chance of recapturing a similar kind of magic Burton achieved with his Gotham (while still offering a unique take).

Brave & The Bold Director Reports Could Be Great For Batman’s Future

Beyond how Gotham is depicted, another advantage Muschietti has is that he’s worked with Batman already. To that end, he’s actually worked with two different versions of the Dark Knight thanks to The Flash’s multiversal plot. Based upon the early reactions and reviews, Micheal Keaton’s Batman is a major highlight in particular which is a good sign if Muschietti is indeed the frontrunner to direct The Brave and the Bold.

It certainly seems as though Muschietti understands how to make a live-action Batman work on-screen. Likewise, the praise for Keaton and reportedly one of the best versions of the Batcave yet all point to The Flash director’s ability to recapture the magic of Tim Burton. It looks like Muschietti was able to play with the characters and world brought to life by Burton in a way that honored the original vision, while also offering something fresh at the same time.

Batman Director Reports Make It More Of A Shame Michael Keaton Won’t Be Back

As far as we know, Michael Keaton’s Batman won’t be continuing into the new DCU as was originally reported when his return in The Flash was first announced. Batgirl was canceled on HBO Max which ended his confirmed appearance as was a potential live-action Batman Beyond movie where his Bruce Wayne would have trained the next Dark Knight. Likewise, it’s also been reported that his ongoing role as the DCU’s new Batman in general is no longer in the works.

While it can be argued that a new Batman for a new DCU is a good thing, it can also be countered that it would’ve been great continuity for the director who brought Keaton’s Batman back in such an exciting way in The Flash to then make a dedicated Batman movie starring Keaton. However, it seems The Flash will likely be Keaton’s sole appearance before the DCU debuts a new Dark Knight who’s more in line with the comics. At any rate, it’s evident that Andy Muschietti directing Batman: The Brave and the Bold would be a major win on multiple levels.

Source: screenrant.com