DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have revealed more details about the DCU Batman movie The Brave and the Bold, and it’s shaping up to be a family affair.
The movie will be inspired by the Batman and Son comic-book story arc by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, which shows Batman handling the responsibilities of guiding his biological son Damian Wayne. Damian was raised by his mother and has been part of the League of Assassins, so he has a lot of unlearning to do. He’s lived a life of crime, but under the tutelage of Batman, he discovers a new (and less lethal) outlet for his anger. The story is critically acclaimed, but it’s important to remember that, in the comics, this happens later in Batman’s life. The Dark Knight has had many adventures by this point and his list of allies is long, so chances are high we’ll be seeing some of them.
These are the six Bat-family members that could show up in The Brave and the Bold.
Dick Grayson/Nightwing
Dick Grayson is the most obvious choice on this list and it would be a huge surprise if he’s not involved in this movie. He was the first Robin and the hero that started the sidekick trend. He was the youngest member of the Flying Graysons, an acrobatic family who were showstoppers at Haly’s Circus. After an “accident” kills his parents, billionaire Bruce Wayne swoops in and eventually trains him to become a competent hero.
Because of Dick’s background, he was suited for this line of work, and he helps lighten Batman up with well-timed puns as they take down villains. Not everything was roses, however, and as Dick grew up, the two butted heads more often. Robin had become the leader of the Teen Titans and was finding his own voice. After a meaningful conversation with Superman, he forms a new heroic identity in Nightwing, becomes his own man out of Batman’s shadow, and remains an exemplary model for the other heroes in the DCU.
Jason Todd/Red Hood
After Dick Grayson, there was Jason Todd, and there’s a big difference between the two. Jason was an orphan, a street brawler, and even tried to steal the wheels off of the Batmobile before Batman took him in to set him straight. The boy was talented, but he wasn’t as dedicated or agreeable as Dick was, and Batman didn’t fully trust him.
In Batman: Death in the Family by Jim Starlin and Jim Apara, Joker blackmailed Jason’s mom, using her criminal record against her, and when Jason tried to save her, she betrayed him to keep her secret. Joker beats Jason with a crowbar and then blows up the building, killing Jason and his mother. Jason returns in Under the Hood by Jud Winnick and Doug Mahnke, as Red Hood, seeking retribution against Batman for never ending the Joker’s life.
Tim Drake/ Robin III
Tim Drake is different than the Robins who came before him. He was there at Haly’s Circus and was mesmerized by the Flying Graysons. Tim was a tried and true Batman fanboy, and when he noticed Robin performing a special acrobatic move, he pieced together that Robin was Dick Grayson and thus Batman was Bruce Wayne. He also noticed when a new Robin (Jason Todd) came onto the scene, and after he went away, Batman grew more dangerous and violent.
Tim confronts Dick and asks him to return to the role, but Dick was Nightwing at that point and invites Tim to take up the mantle. As the third Robin, Tim was truly one-of-a-kind. He’s not the best fighter or the most acrobatic, but he uses his highly intelligent mind to be effective. He’s next in line to take the honor of being the world’s greatest detective after Batman.
Barbara Gordon/Oracle
Commissioner Gordon’s daughter is much more than she seems. Inspired by the Batman, the highly intelligent and athletic Barbara Gordon becomes Batgirl. Canonically, it wasn’t something she took seriously at first, but then eventually realizes how much she enjoys stopping bad guys and becomes a true hero, fighting alongside Batman and Robin. She develops a romance with Dick Grayson during this time, and continues to have a “will they, won’t they” relationship for a long time.
After the Joker paralyzes her in The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and John Higgins, she overcomes expectations again and becomes the Oracle, DC’s premiere information network source, organizing the entirety of the DCU from the Justice League of America to the Outsiders and providing them with beneficial information. Whether it’s in her Batgirl identity or her Oracle one, Barbara Gordon needs to appear in The Brave and the Bold.
Cassandra Cain/Batgirl
Cassandra Cain is one of the best fighters in the DCU, capable of besting Batman himself, and her story needs to be told. Cassandra is the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva, two very deadly martial artists and criminals. She’s raised by her father only to fight, not to speak, and that makes her downright vicious when it comes to battling. She can read body language and know how someone will attack before they make a move, but she’s shaken to her core after killing her first person at the behest of her father, and she goes to the Bat-family for protection.
Batman allows her to join his family, she takes up the mantle of Batgirl, and she shifts her trajectory toward that of a hero. During this time, she befriends Tim Drake and they partner on multiple missions, keeping Gotham City safe as the next generation of Gotham vigilantes. Over time, she’s been able to learn how to speak and she still remains a top-tier fighter. Cassandra Cain was in the movie Birds of Prey, but this incarnation doesn’t share many similarities to her comic book counterpart. If anything, Damian Wayne would be able to relate to Cassandra in a way that no one else could.
Stephanie Brown/Spoiler
Stephanie Brown is the daughter of low-level villain and former game show host Cluemaster. He spent a lot of his time in prison, leaving Stephanie without a father for much of her young life. When he returned from his stint in prison, he claimed that he would leave his criminal past behind, but when he resumes his illegal activities, Stephanie takes matters into her own hands. She creates her own costume and leaves clues that lead Batman and Robin III to discover Cluemaster and stop him.
She decides to become a real hero after that and starts a romantic relationship with Robin III, though there was some strain because he knew Spoiler’s identity and she didn’t know his. Batman wasn’t a fan of Spoiler at first, but eventually, she earns her place as part of the Bat-family. She’s known for coming up with unexpected plans and ‘spoiling’ the plans of villains. Since she’s lived with one, she knows how they operate, and she could add an interesting perspective, if she’s in the movie.
