I’m going to be completely transparent with you all; I didn’t actually know what “zaddy” meant before I started writing this. I did have some semblance of a definition in my head thanks to the very particular phonetics of “zaddy,” but the internet has since informed me that a zaddy is a stylish, older gentleman who’s fun to look at. Frankly, my life is a lot more noisy now.
But no one knows a noisy life like James Gunn, who is not only building a whole new cinematic continuity for DC‘s roster of champions but also feels compelled to deflect all the exhausting rumors that constantly circle said continuity.
The latest such rumor was that of DC Studios being on the hunt for an older actor to portray the DC Universe’s Batman; a claim that Gunn himself swiftly shot down with one of the most refreshing words in the English language (that is, the polar opposite of “zaddy”).
You heard it here first, folks; we’re either getting twink Batman or geriatric Batman.
In all seriousness, though, why can’t X just leave the poor guy alone? It’s bad enough that the dark side of Zack Snyder’s fanbase churns out the nonsense that they do, but to have some grifty accounts taking advantage of the world’s collective lack of media literacy for the sake of some DC-tinted traction is pretty painful to watch. I couldn’t imagine trying to create an ambitious comic book continuity in the midst of all those digital fires.
So let’s talk about what we do know instead, which is admittedly very little. The Brave and the Bold, which Gunn has described in the past as a “strange father and story” about Batman and Robin, is based on Grant Morrison’s seven-year run with the characters that began in 2006. Knowing this, we can probably pinpoint the main inspiration as “Batman and Son,” which launched Morrison’s run and featured the villains Man-Bat and Talia al Ghul. More significantly, however, was the introduction of Damian Wayne, the son of Batman and Talia, who ends up donning the Robin mantle.
A wider Bat-Family is also said to have a presence in the film, and if that’s the case, the presence of Andy Muschietti as The Brave and the Bold‘s director should excite us. For the many flaws of Muschietti’s The Flash film, its understanding of superhero-specific choreography was impeccable, and if presented with a canvas of gadget- and martial arts-based heroes, that’s a muscle that will have to be flexed extra-creatively.
As for who those Bat-Family members could be, the most obvious candidate outside of Damian is Tim Drake, one of Batman’s adopted sons who also appears in Morrison’s “Batman and Son,” and who Damian views as competition to the Robin mantle and Batman’s fatherhood. Branching out into the likes of Dick Grayson or Cassandra Cain could be possible, but it also risks an overstuffed narrative. Jason Todd, meanwhile, would be better suited for a prequel film (if you know, you know).
Our best guess? The Brave and the Bold will have at least two Robins, and one of them is going to form the Teen Titans, who we know are getting their own solo film written by Ana Nogueira. Nogueira, of course, also happens to be penning Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which hits theaters on June 26, 2026. Surely all of that should offset whatever grief some of you have over the lack of Zaddy Batman.