MOVIE NEWS – Batman’s place in the DCU is still a major question mark, but the Dark Knight’s villains are already getting more room under James Gunn and Peter Safran. The reported Deathstroke and Bane movie is now said to be looking at Greg Mottola as a possible director, which is not exactly the first name most people would expect for a Gotham villain project.
While Batman’s exact place in the DCU remains unclear, Bruce Wayne and his rogues’ gallery are clearly on their way to getting plenty of attention under DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. One of the confirmed films on the Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate is Clayface, which will bring Tom Rhys Harries into the DCU as one of the Caped Crusader’s notable villains in a horror-centric origin story set directly in Gotham. Warner Bros. also still has The Brave and the Bold, the DCU’s first official Batman movie, on its superhero radar, although that project remains in early development with no real update to discuss.
One of the more intriguing pieces of that slate is the reported Deathstroke and Bane movie, which was first said to be in development in September 2024. Both villains already have their share of animated and live-action appearances, but this film appears designed to give them their own Gotham-set story, with two physically imposing characters getting the chance to clash with major adversaries and potentially with each other as well. The team-up film is still in its early stages, but Warner Bros. now seems to be narrowing down the list of people it wants behind the camera.
According to Deadline, Greg Mottola is currently a frontrunner to direct the upcoming untitled DC Studios movie centered on Deathstroke and Bane. No contracts have been prepared at this stage, and the project remains in early development, so this is not a done deal yet. Mottola’s name is still a striking one in this context, because he is not the filmmaker most viewers would immediately imagine for a DC movie built around two of Batman’s most physically dangerous enemies.
He does, however, already have some DC experience. Mottola directed the second and third episodes of Peacemaker Season 2 for DC Studios ahead of its 2025 release. He remains best known for his comedy work, including 2007’s Superbad, 2009’s Adventureland, and 2011’s Paul. He also served as an executive producer on two recent streaming titles, 2024’s Nobody Wants This and 2026’s The Miniature Wife.
For now, the Deathstroke and Bane movie still comes with more open questions than firm answers. It is not clear how directly it would connect to Batman, how standalone its villain-focused story would be, or where it would sit inside the larger DCU. The directing rumor alone, though, suggests that Gunn and Safran are not simply reaching for the most obvious choices while building this new era of DC. If Mottola ultimately lands the job, this could become one of the stranger Batman-adjacent branches of the franchise.
