James Gunn Explains Why He Believes Batman Can Be "Boring"

James Gunn explained why he believes Batman can be boring and specifically pointed to the sheer number of stories around the character.

In an interview with Rolling Stone back in June, Gunn was asked what needs to be figured out to make Batman and Wonder Woman work for his DC Universe.

Gunn addressed his The Brave and the Bold film first, “Batman has to have a reason for existing, right? So Batman can’t just be “Oh, we’re making a Batman movie because Batman’s the biggest character in all of Warner Bros.,” which he is. But because there’s a need for him in the DCU and a need that he’s not exactly the same as Matt’s Batman.”

“But yet he’s not a campy Batman. I’m not interested in that,” Gunn continued. “I’m not interested in a funny, campy Batman, really. So we’re dealing with that. I think I have a way in, by the way. I think I really know what it’s — I just am dealing with the writer to make sure that we can make it a reality.”

He was then prompted on Wonder Woman, but continued to touch on Batman, “Wonder Woman I think is actually easier for me, because there haven’t been so many infinite portrayals of Wonder Woman — definitely not in movies, but really anywhere — that there have been of Batman. Every single Batman story has been told.”

“It seems like half the comics that have come out of DC over the past 30 years have Batman in them,” Gunn elaborated. “He’s the most famous superhero in the world and the most popular superhero in the world. And people love him because he’s interesting, but also having so much of him out there can also make him boring. So how do you create that property that’s fun to watch?”

Gunn’s explanation that having a ton of stories about a character can make said character boring doesn’t really hold water. It’s literally the opposite of the definition of the word, which is to cause weariness and restlessness through lack of interest. Obviously, there is a ton of interest given the sheer number of stories that have been created and told.

Furthermore, given how Batman fights crime in a city overrun with crime there are plenty of stories to tell of Batman fighting crime and there are always new angles and new ripples to tell. It’s why there continue to be new Batman stories being made and he is the most popular superhero.

Also, of note, Gunn had already outlined what his vision for Batman was back in January 2023. He said at the time, “The Brave and the Bold is the story of Batman and his actual son, Damian Wayne. This is based on Grant Morrison’s great comic book run. Damian Wayne is my favorite Robin. He’s a little assassin who Batman tries to get in line. So this is the story of two of them and the beginning of the sort of the Bat family in the DCU.”

Clearly, having a story already written that you are adapting did not make it boring.

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