Directors Who Would Be Perfect For The DCU Batman

Summary

• Horror directors like James Wan and Robert Eggers could excel in both bringing action and horror to the DCU.
• Jensen Ackles could be the first potential Batman actor to also direct his own movie.
• Possibilities exist for established DC directors like James Gunn and newcomers like Bryce Dallas Howard to create a Batman movie.

The new DC Universe by James Gunn already has fans excited to see it expand. Batman is confirmed to be getting his own movie with the DCU, currently titled Brave And The Bold, with Andy Muschietti set to direct it. Given the unconfirmed release date for Brave And The Bold, however, there is always the chance of plans changing.

Should Brave And The Bold require a new director or a sequel be announced, other directors could bring the Caped Crusader to life. They range from extensive careers within the action genre to modern-day horror icons to directors who have already shown their talent with Marvel and DC projects.

10

James Gunn

An Ideal Next Step After Superman Starts The DCU

• Movies/Shows: Guardians Of The Galaxy, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, Creature Commandos
• Born: August 5, 1966

James Gunn has demonstrated his passion for comic books through his work with both DC and Marvel. He embraces the fantastical aspects of comics in his films, featuring everything from a talking raccoon to a giant kaiju starfish. However, he always keeps the focus on the characters and their journeys.

James Gunn’s talents that he used to create things like the Guardians Of The Galaxy trilogy, Peacemaker, The Suicide Squad, and now Superman could be used to create a different kind of Batman. James Gunn could bring in more outlandish villains such as Mr. Freeze and Doctor Death to create a more comic-accurate version of Gotham City.

9

Sam Hargrave

He Has A Knack For Brutal And Stylish Fight Sequences

• Movies: Extraction (Director), Extraction 2 (Director), Avengers: Infinity War (Stunt Coordinator), Avengers: Endgame (Stunt Coordinator)
• Born: November 26, 1982

Fresh in the world of directing, Sam Hargrave got his start as a stunt performer in various action movies. He worked on Pirates Of The Caribbean movies and nearly every Avengers movie, and made his directorial debut with the Extraction movies on Netflix, with a third movie on the way.

Sam Hargrave has an eye for hard-hitting and gritty action sequences that put the camera right into the heart of the action. The Extraction movies feature long sequences meant to resemble one-take shots filled with deadly martial arts and other forms of combat, something that could be used to make for effective Batman fight scenes.

8

James Wan

Made A Name For Himself With Horror Movies & Aquaman

• Movies: Aquaman, Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom, Saw, Dead Silence, Insidious, The Conjuring,
• Born: February 26, 1977

James Wan previously worked with the DC Extended Universe to create the Aquaman movies. He showed love for the zany side of the DC universe, but he also expressed his interest in wanting to make a Batman project. Given his roots in horror movies such as Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring, it makes sense that he wants to make a more horrifying Batman movie.

Much of Batman’s world can be considered within the realm of horror. Sadistic serial killers such as Victor Zsasz or literal monsters like Man-Bat are perfect for a more horror-centric angle. However, Aquaman proved that he can also create massively epic fight sequences, whether it’s real stunt performers or CGI-driven scenes.

7

Jensen Ackles

A Chance For A Batman Actor To Direct His Own Movie

• Shows: Supernatural, Walker
• Born: March 1, 1978

While most people think of him as an actor, Jensen Ackles has also shown his talent as a director on television. He directed multiple episodes of Supernatural and an episode of Walker, both showing that he is skilled both on and off camera.

Jensen Ackles is also a common choice among fans to portray Batman in the DCU, as he’s already proved he can portray the character in animation in the short-lived DC Tomorrow-Verse. He’s also a big fan of comic books, so he could bring the character to life from a fan’s perspective as an actor and director, which could be the first time in a superhero movie.

6

Bryce Dallas Howard

Rising Director In The World Of Pop Culture

• Shows: The Mandalorian, The Book Of Boba Fett, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, The Santa Stories
• Born: March 2, 1981

Following in her father’s footsteps, Bryce Dallas Howard is already a great actress who has starred in several blockbusters, but she is also a director. She quickly won the affection of many when she directed beloved episodes of The Mandalorian, The Book Of Boba Fett, and now Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

Bryce Dallas Howards finds the perfect balance of action, comedy, character development, and fan service. As a result, she would be ideal for directing a live-action Batman movie focusing on the Bat-Family, including Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, and the various other Robins out there.

5

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah

They Deserve Compensation For Batgirl’s Cancellation

• Movies/Shows: Snowfall, Ms. Marvel, Bad Boys For Life, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die
• Born: June 30, 1988 (Arbi), January 4, 1986 (Fallah)

Previously, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah worked under DC, but their Batgirl movie was infamously canceled because of a tax write-off. Considering their beautiful use of camera movements and action sequences in the last two Bad Boys movies and episodes of Ms. Marvel, fans hoped that somehow Batgirl would see the light of day.

A way DC Studios could remedy the situation would be to let Adil and Bilall have free rein to create a Batman movie for the DCU. Their use of dynamic camera angles, like audiences witnessed in Bad Boys For Life and Bad Boys: Ride Of Die, could lead to the most unique Batman sequences ever created. It could also be a way to bring back Leslie Grace to the role of Batgirl.

4

Robert Eggers

Could Turn Batman Into The Next Big Horror Movie

• Movies: The Lighthouse, Nosferatu, The VVitch, The Northman,
• Born: July 7, 1983

After The VVitch, The Lighthouse, and now his remake of Nosferatu, Robert Eggers has quickly become an icon of horror. A common trend for superhero directors is that they begin with horror and manage to transition to making strong comic book movies: James Wan, Scott Derrickson, Zack Snyder, and Jon Watts to name a few.

Similar to James Wan, Robert Eggers has the potential to bring dark and terrifying villains to life, whether it’s a grounded character like Professor Pyg or a mystical threat like The Court Of Owls with their zombie-like Talons. Even Scarecrow’s illusions would be perfect for Robert Eggers’ style, as most of his horror movies feature twisted and nightmarish hallucinations.

3

Antoine Fuqua

Gave Audiences Great Vigilante Action With The Equalizer

• Movies: The Equalizer, The Equalizer 2, The Equalizer 3, Training Day, Southpaw, Brooklyn’s Finest, Olympus Has Fallen
• Born: May 30, 1965

Antoine Fuqua has been at the helm of several quality films, including Olympus Has Fallen, Shooter, Southpaw, and Brooklyn’s Finest. However, Antoine Fuqua has also delivered epic vigilante action with The Equalizer trilogy, which featured grounded yet epic fight scenes that would not be unfitting for a Batman movie.

A director like Antoine Fuqua could explore the assassin aspect of Gotham City, showing the seedy underbelly where all kinds of Batman villains exist, even the metahuman kind. Villains such as Deathstroke, Deadshot, Killer Moth, Lady Shiva, and a more comic-accurate Bane would be right up his alley.

2

Guillermo Del Toro

A Master Of Dark Fantasy & Sci-Fi

• Movies: Hellboy, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Blade 2, Pacific Rim, The Shape Of Water, Crimson Peak
• Born: October 9, 1964

Most fans think of the dark fantasy of The Shape Of Water or Pan’s Labyrinth when it comes to Guillermo Del Toro. However, Del Toro has already shown what he can do with comic book adaptations as the director of the beloved Hellboy duology for Dark Horse Comics and Blade 2 for Marvel. Even Pacific Rim is arguably in the same vein as a superhero movie.

The gothic style of Gotham City would be most fitting for Guillermo Del Toro, which he has done in multiple movies. Del Toro is also a diverse director who can deliver many genres and stories, so his Batman story can be darkly whimsical in the same vein as Hellboy or Rise Of The Guardians or macabre and twisted like Crimson Peak.

1

Sam Raimi

A Previous Contender For A Batman Director

• Movies: The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn, Army Of Darkness, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
• Born: October 23, 1959

Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man and Doctor Strange at Marvel, but his journey in the superhero genre began with the dark film, Darkman. Darkman was created after Raimi was initially considered to direct the 1989 film, Batman. Drawing inspiration from his work on The Evil Dead movies, Raimi created a superhero influenced by Batman and several classic Universal monsters.

After over thirty years, DC Studios could grant Sam Raimi’s wish, as he still expressed his excitement for that character when promoting Doctor Strange and The Multiverse Of Madness. It could be as grounded as Matt Reeves’ movie and its sequel or as comic-book-like as Raimi’s Marvel movies, and fans would likely support his efforts.