The role of the Batman of the new DC Universe is now the franchise’s most coveted spot after Superman was cast, and some of the actors that have become fan favorites for the Dark Knight have already revealed their stance on playing Bruce Wayne. After months of speculation due to how long it is taking for Batman’s The Brave and the Bold movie to come together, it has been confirmed that Robert Pattinson will not join the DCU.

The actor will remain the Bruce Wayne of director Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, and the multiple delays the franchise has faced have to do with The Batman – Part II‘s story, not any attempts to merge the franchise with the DCU. While casting for the shared universe’s Dark Knight is still some time away, as Gunn confirmed it will only happen when the script is finished, some stars have become popular choices to join the list of live-action Batman actors, and they have commented on the possibility of playing Bruce.

10

Jensen Ackles

He Claims Batman Is His Favorite Superhero Of All Time

First up is Jensen Ackles. The actor has become the fan favorite for the DCU’s Batman, and a lot of Ackles’ popularity for the role comes from how he was the first star to really show an interest in playing Bruce Wayne. At a fan convention in June 2023, Ackles was asked about the rumors that he was one of the frontrunners for the DCU hero.

The actor joked about how he would be mad when Pedro Pascal would eventually get the role, a nod to how the star has been racking up Hollywood franchises (Pascal has since become the MCU’s Reed Richards). Then, Ackles got more serious. He revealed that Batman is his favorite superhero of all time, confirming that he would love to play him, saying, “Sign me up.” Ackles has already voiced Batman in multiple animated movies, which helps his case. Check out the full quote below:

I don’t know. Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you. I mean, could I do it? Sure. Would I wanna do it? Yes. Will I be mad when Pedro Pascal gets it? Yeah. God bless you, Pedro. You just keep killing it, buddy. Let me know when you pᴀss on something. Look, right now nobody’s talking about anything… There’s a strike going on in the entertainment industry, and until that gets solved, nobody is having conversations about anything… Would I entertain the idea of playing my favorite superhero of all time? Nah, I’m good (laughs)… I would love it. Sign me up.

9

Alan Ritchson

The Reacher Star Has Even Shown Fans His Batman Voice

Another very popular casting choice for the DCU’s Batman is Alan Ritchson. The actor is no stranger to DC, as he played a young version of Aquaman in Smallville opposite Tom Welling’s Clark Kent and more recently gave life to Hawk in тιтans. Ritchson’s popularity exploded with the release of Prime Video’s Reacher, where his character, Jack Reacher, has a lot in common with the detective and physically imposing aspects of Batman.

Ritchson has commented multiple times on how he would love to play the DCU’s Batman. Recently, during WIRED‘s Autocomplete Interview, the Reacher star said he would not even have to be paid to play Batman, showing how much he wants the role. The actor then went on to show fans what his Batman voice would sound like, saying, “Gotham is mine.” Check out the full quote below:

8

Jake Gyllenhaal

The Hollywood Star Came Close To Playing Batman Before

Jake Gyllenhaal is the most well-known actor on the list. He has starred in several hit films over the years, but he never played a superhero despite coming close to it twice. One of those times was not only for a DC film, but to play Batman himself. The actor was considered for Batman Begins. However, the role ultimately went to Christian Bale, with director Christopher Nolan personally calling Gyllenhaal to relay the news.

While he missed out on leading The Dark Knight trilogy, the actor is still game to play Bruce Wayne. Talking to ScreenRant last year at an event for Prime Video’s Road House, Jake Gyllenhaal revealed he would love to play Batman. Gyllenhaal made it sound like he would be up to joining the DCU, as he called Batman a classic role and said playing him would be an honor. Check out the full quote below:

“Oh, man. That’s a classic. It’s an honor. Speaking of playing roles that other incredible actors have played in the past, to me actually roles that other incredible actors have played in the past, which, to me, actually, when I think about it, I’m going to play Iago in Othello with Denzel Washington, and I think about like the history of actors that have played that role throughout time, and I’m intimidated by that. So that’s the first level. That’s what I’m working on right now. But of course. It would be an honor always. Those types of things and those roles are classics.

7

Brandon Sklenar

A Recent Fan Favorite For The DCU’s Batman

Brandon Sklenar is the youngest actor on the list. At 34, he would be perfect to pair up with David Corenswet’s Superman. In the past, Gunn said that Superman would be around Corenswet’s age — the actor is now 31 — and that the DCU version of Batman could be a few years older than him. Sklenar would fit that description. His role as Spencer Dutton in 1923 has made him a popular Batman casting choice.

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In the Yellowstone spinoff series, Sklenar plays a physically imposing character who is a war hero, knows how to track others, and is incredibly resourceful. He excels in action sequences and intimidation scenes, which are great for the Dark Knight. Sklenar has revealed he wants to be the DCU’s Batman. After commenting on a few fan arts of him as Bruce Wayne, the actor said, “That would be a dream.” Check out the full quote below:

“I’ve seen a bunch of fan-casting for this Batman thing [‘The Bave & The Bold’] and that’s very interesting to me, I love Batman. That would be a dream, for sure. But we’ll see what happens, I’m built for it. It would have to be the right thing at the right time.”

6

Winston Duke

Another Actor Who Has Already Played A Version Of Batman

While Winston Duke is the only actor on the list who does not look like Bruce Wayne, he is one of the few to have already played the character. In doing so, Duke showed how he could nail one of the most important aspects of the character, Batman’s voice. The MCU actor, who became famous as M’Baku in the Black Panther movies, voices Bruce Wayne in the Batman Unburied podcast series.

Duke would be up for the opportunity to take his talents to a live-action Batman franchise if given the chance. He revealed as much when speaking to SlashFilm in 2024. The actor claimed he would love to be Batman and explore the change of narrative in new characters, which a black actor playing Bruce Wayne would certainly do. Duke also jokingly asked the interviewer to start a campaign for the casting. Check out the full quote below:

“Listen, man, can you start that [campaign]? [Laughs] I would say I challenge you to get on all these socials and push for me. Get your community. I would love to. I would love to do that as Batman. I’d love any opportunity to explore new characters, to change narratives around some of these entrenched ideas of how these characters are supposed to look, sound, and perform. I’m all for it.”

5

Glen Powell

The Actor Is Taking Hollywood By Storm

Glen Powell has become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors in the past few years. With box office and critical hits like Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone but You, Twisters, Hit Man, and more, the actor is bouncing from one successful project to another. That has led to him becoming a popular fancast for many superhero roles. Powell has commented on playing heroes like Marvel’s Cyclops and DC’s Booster Gold in the past.

However, Powell revealed that Batman is the one superhero he would consider playing. The actor commented on his ideas for Batman and how he would play him, revealing that he would like to go for a wild tone that escapes the grounded Bruce Wayne Robert Pattinson plays in The Batman franchise. Powell claimed he was “always a Batman guy,” and after he had a small role in The Dark Knight Rises, it would be a full-circle moment. Check out the full quote below:

“I was always a Batman guy. I would have a wild take on Batman. It definitely would not be like a Matt Reeves tone – it’d probably be closer to Keaton.”

4

Ben Barnes

The Actor Would Enjoy Playing Both Sides Of Batman

Ben Barnes has shown throughout his career that he can do quite well with both heroic and darker roles. That is why he would be perfect as the DCU’s Batman, who is a mix of both. Barnes has already stepped into the comic book realm, playing the villain Billy Russo, aka Jigsaw, opposite Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle in Netflix’s The Punisher. Now, the actor can move on to playing a hero.

Speaking with Cinema Surgery, Ben Barnes revealed the superhero he would like to play is Batman, claiming it has always been the one for him. The actor noted how he would also have a good time playing the non-superhero side of the character, saying he would “enjoy the Bruce Wayne of it all.” At 43, he would be believable as the Batman of the DCU with an entire Bat-Family.

3

Scott Eastwood

Another DCEU Actor Who Could Join The New DCU

With the change of regime at DC, most of the DCEU’s actors were let go. That said, a few cast members managed to move over as their characters, while Jason Momoa left Aquaman to play Lobo in James Gunn’s DC Universe. Scott Eastwood could follow Momoa’s lead, and he would not have a hard time doing so, as the star played a minor character who died in 2016’s Suicide Squad.

Originally, Eastwood was meant to return in Ayer’s planned Suicide Squad sequel to reveal that his DC character had survived and was a bigger player than it had seemed. However, after that never came to pᴀss, the actor told ScreenRant that he is a Batman guy and thinks Bruce Wayne is the most interesting DC character. Eastwood would like to play Batman and delve into the dynamic of his two lives. Check out the full quote below:

“I mean, I think out of the DC universe, I’m definitely a Batman guy. I’m definitely a Batman guy. I think he’s the most interesting character because he is living double lives that are kind of a little bit more intriguing to me than some of the other ones. Yeah, I don’t know. There’s something cool about that character.”

2

Tyler Hoechlin

From One Hero In DC’s Trinity To Another

Tyler Hoechlin is a special case. The actor has already given life to a major DC character in live-action, and he did so for 8 years. Hoechlin played the Arrowverse’s version of Superman, with the actor appearing in Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl and multiple crossover events. Then, he got to lead Superman & Lois‘ four seasons, cementing himself as a perfect Clark Kent and Man of Steel.

Now that Superman & Lois has ended, he is free to take on another DC role. At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Tyler Hoechlin revealed he wants to play Batman if he is given the chance to move on to another DC role. He claimed he loved the Dark Knight. Hoechlin going from Superman to Batman would be a shocking move, but his time as Derek Hale on Teen Wolf showed he is great at darker characters. Check out the full quote below:

“Am I allowed to say this? We’re not coming back for another season – Batman, there… I love Batman.“

1

Jon Hamm

One Of The Longest-Running Batman Fancasts

Finally, Jon Hamm ends the list. The actor has revealed over the years that he has always been a comic book fan, with Hamm himself claiming to have great knowledge of the medium. Ever since his Mad Men days, there have been rumors that he could end up playing Batman on the big screen, with fan campaigns continuously asking for the actor to do so.

In a 2018 interview with Graham Bensinger (via The Hollywood Reporter), Hamm claimed he was “sure there’s an interesting version of that” when asked about playing Batman. While Ben Affleck played the DCEU’s Batman, Hamm has a chance of getting the role in Gunn’s DC Universe. In 2024, Hamm told THR that he is still in conversations with both Marvel and DC to join their respective cinematic universes. If it is not Batman, Hamm could land another role in the DCU.

Batman

First Film

Batman

Latest Film

The Batman

Upcoming Films

The Batman Part II

First TV Show

Batman (1966)

Video Game(s)

Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Asylum (dupe), Batman: Arkham Knight, Gotham Knights, Batman: The Telltale Series

Summary

One of the core leading characters of DC Comics, Batman is the face behind his multimedia franchise that has been in circulation for over eighty years, initially conceived by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, appearing in the 27th issue of Detective Comics at the end of the 1930s. The Caped Crusader is the alter ego of billionaire playboy philanthropist Bruce Wayne, a man tormented by the death of his parents who has dedicated his life to cleaning up the streets of Gotham. Batman’s media works range from comic books to tv shows to films and video games. In the films, several actors have donned the cape and cowl, such as Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Robert Pattinson, in the most recent incarnation of the character. The franchise continues to enjoy success more than ever, especially with The Dark Knight trilogy of films and the Batman: Arkham video game trilogy. With a commanding rogue’s gallery of some of the most recognizable villains in the superhero genre, Batman caters to several audiences and offers a wide variety of options to keep him at the forefront of the genre.

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