DC Studios is developing Batman: The Brave and the Bold, an DCU film that will finally explore the Bat Family on the big screen, featuring a live-action Dynamic Duo comprised of the Dark Knight and his son Damian Wayne as Robin. However, DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have already promised more of the Bat Family will be featured as Bruce Wayne attempts to train this new Boy Wonder, his biological son and grandson of villain Ra's al Ghul.
Because The Brave and the Bold will start with Damian Wayne as Batman's current Robin, the expectation is that Batman will have already trained his first three Robins as he has in the original DC Comics. Likewise, Batman's family is fairly extensive on the page by the time Damian comes onto the scene, giving the DCU plenty of options to feature an array of Gotham vigilantes while setting up exciting spin-offs. Some seem like must-includes, while others would be happy surprises if they show up in the film.
6 Nightwing
Batman's first Robin, Dick Grayson's parents were murdered during their family's "Flying Graysons" circus act, similarly leaving the young boy orphaned just like young Bruce Wayne. Having been in attendance, Bruce took Dick Grayson in to be his ward, and he eventually started training the boy to become Robin, his first sidekick and partner in his crusade against Gotham's criminals. However, Grayson eventually grew up, deciding to become his own hero known as Nightwing in Gotham's sister city of Blüdhaven.
Having become one of DC Comics' most popular and beloved heroes and serving as one of the primary protagonists on HBO's Titans played by Brenton Thwaites, Nightwing appearing in The Brave and the Bold is almost a certainty. He also has the closest relationship with Damian compared to the rest of the Bat Family (even Batman). With Dick having filled in as the Dark Knight when Bruce Wayne was presumed dead, Damian was actually Grayson's Robin first, though it remains to be seen if the DCU will follow suit.
5 Red Hood
Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd was caught by Batman trying to steal the wheels off the Batmobile. Batman took Jason in as his new Robin, iring his boldness, hoping to put him on the right path while giving him tools to deal with his anger. However, Jason was more aggressive as a Boy Wonder, and often rebelled against Batman's instruction. Jason Todd's Robin is also famous for being the sidekick who was murdered by the Joker, only to be resurrected in secret years later by Ra's al Ghul.
Jason became transformed into the darker Red Hood, starting as a revenge-seeking villain who has since evolved and reconciled enough with Batman to become the Bat Family's black sheep, often using guns instead of batarangs due to his belief in lethal justice. Having been realized in live-action by Curran Walters thanks to HBO's Titans, it would be very exciting to see a similar Red Hood in the DCU's The Brave and the Bold considering Jason's connection to Damian's grandfather.
4 Tim Drake
Bruce Wayne's third Boy Wonder, Tim Drake was the only Robin who essentially "applied" for the role to become Batman's partner. Using his own impressive detective skills and often being viewed as the smartest of the Robins, Drake rightly deduced that Bruce Wayne and Batman were one and the same. He was also the current Robin prior to Bruce discovering the existence of his son Damian he had with the League of Assassins' Talia al Ghul.
While Tim has taken on new codenames in the past such as Red Robin and even the singular name Drake, he's always reverted to the more classic Robin title. As such, he and Damian definitely have the most contentious relationship in the Bat Family, and Batman's son even tried to kill Tim during his first days in the Batcave, believing that Batman's mantle is his sole birthright. Tim Drake also has a live-action depiction in Titans, played by Jay Lycurgo (who also had a minor role as a gang member in Matt Reeves's The Batman).
3 Batgirl/Oracle
Going beyond Batman's Robins, the Bat Family also has Barbara Gordon's Batgirl. Daughter of Commissioner Jim Gordon, Barbara was one of Bruce Wayne's earliest allies alongside Dick Grayson's Boy Wonder. However, she lost the use of her legs after the Joker shot her in the spine in the famous story The Killing Joke. Seeking a new way to keep helping Batman fight crime, Barbara became a hacker and information broker known as Oracle who provided the Dark Knight and his allies with invaluable backup.
Eventually, Barbara recovered the use of her legs following surgery and a cybernetic implant in her spine, allowing her to return to her role as Batgirl while continuing her duties as Oracle. As such, Barbara is a key member of the Bat Family who could also be featured in The Brave and the Bold. It might also be an opportunity for Leslie Grace to finally become Batgirl following the cancelation of her film that would have been released on HBO Max.
2 Duke Thomas (Signal)
One of the most recent additions to the Bat Family, Duke Thomas was brought into the fold after his parents lost their sanity thanks to the Joker and his mind-controlling gas. Due to Duke's role in the We Are Robin youth movement that overtook Gotham following another presumed Batman death, the Dark Knight wanted to train the young man once he returned. While Duke Thomas agreed to the Bat Family, it was on the condition that he wouldn't be just another Robin.
Wanting to try something new, Batman agreed and gave Duke a yellow and black suit with the codename Signal, intending for Thomas to be Gotham's hero in the daylight rather than at night. Duke is also a unique Batman ally in that he recently developed superpowers, able to redistribute both light and shadow while also having a variety of different visions. Likewise, an appearance in The Brave and the Bold would serve as the character's exciting live-action debut.
1 DCU's New Batman Can Introduce Even More Gotham Heroes
Most on-screen depictions of Batman portray the Dark Knight as mainly a solo act. However, the truth of the original DC Comics is that he has one of the biggest families when compared to other heroes. Beyond the listed Bat Family above, there's a literal army of various vigilantes belonging to the Bat Family who could be featured in The Brave and the Bold.
Barbara Gordon has two legacy Batgirls, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain. Luke Fox wears an impressive armored flight suit as Batwing. Bruce Wayne's cousin Kate Kane is Batwoman. Even former villains such as Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and even Clayface have been considered Bat Family in recent years. With even more heroes than that, there's a wide range of possibilities for the DCU to make use of as Batman presumably attempts to simultaneously train and bond with his son Damian Wayne in The Brave and the Bold.
