James Gunn’s recent comments about the prospect of casting Alan Ritchson as the DC Universe‘s Batman make the concept seem even more possible for the franchise going forward. Across the course of DC’s history, many iconic actors have played various live-action versions of Batman, cementing the iconic DC hero’s reputation ever further.

As such, the matter of who will end up being Batman in the DC Universe timeline is something of a major matter, with fans creating an ᴀssortment of fancasts regarding who could be the perfect choice. Alan Ritchson has ended up being a frontrunner amongst these picks, making the latest comments about whether he could be the DCU’s Batman all the more interesting.

Alan Ritchson Has Been A Major DC Universe Batman Casting Hope Since Day One

Ever seen the news that the DC Universe would be taking place – and thus would need a new actor to play Batman, since The Batman is set in a separate universe – first broke, fans have been clamoring for Alan Ritchson to get the role. Several years later, these hopes only seem to have been amplified.

This makes sense on several levels. First and foremost, Ritchson’s history in the action genre as a range of gritty and grizzled figures does seem as though it could translate over into the superhero world, especially since Batman is in essence an action hero, as much as the character is also much more than that.

Notably, though, Ritchson also has a history with the superhero genre that reinforces his potential in the DCU as Batman. Perhaps most famously, Ritchson played a young Aquaman in DC’s Smallville show, though the actor also took on the role of Hawk in тιтans before reprising the role for the Crisis On Infinite Earths event in the Arrowverse timeline.

With this in mind, the actor not only has experience in both the action and superhero genres, but has also spent his fair share of time in a wider DC universe, and thus would theoretically have a greater understanding of the demands and nuances of a broader franchise of this kind. As it stands, it appears DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn may also think the same.

James Gunn’s Comments About Alan Ritchson As A DCU Batman Make The Potential Casting Seem Even More Possible

James Gunn recently addressed the prospect of Alan Ritchson becoming the DC Universe’s Batman in a July 2025 interview on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast. While discussing what the DCU Batman’s future could look like, Gunn expressed his personal appreciation for Ritchson as an actor, responding to a question about him as a potential Batman casting by stating:

“I am a big Alan Ritchson fan. Both as an actor and as a guy. Let’s just wait to see what happens.”

Obviously, this is still a far way from being a confirmation that Ritchson will definitely be the DCU’s Batman. However, one of the two main architects of the DC Universe stating they are a fan of a potential actor is a promising sign, especially given it confirms Ritchson will be at least considered in the run-up to the casting.

James Gunn mentioning he’s a fan of Ritchson as a person is also interesting, given Gunn has previously discussed how he considers an actor’s ability to work with people and give others respect is of crucial importance to making movies run smoothly. With this having factored in to David Corenswet’s Superman casting, it will no doubt also be a factor for DCU’s Batman casting, too.

While Gunn saying to wait and see avoids weighing in too strongly either way on the matter, combined with the previous parts of the comment, it paints a hopeful picture of what’s to become for those crossing their fingers for Ritchson’s future. Indeed, this is especially promising given what the first DCU film has cemented for the franchise.

DCU’s Superman Casting Story Underlines The Potential Of Alan Ritchson Becoming The Franchise’s Batman

The prospect of current DC Universe fancasts becoming reality has felt more possible ever since David Corewnset was confirmed to be the DCU’s Superman. Corenswet was also a popular fancast prior to the actor netting the role, with the online hype for this potential casting seemingly helping draw attention to him as a viable candidate.

While this alone makes Ritchson’s chances feel solid, the release of Superman itself only exacerbates this idea. Superman‘s current critical and commercial success reinforces the concept that Corwenswet was the perfect casting for the DCU’s Superman, with many reviews reflecting this exact sentiment.

As such, it’s clear there’s real potential in bringing DC fancasts to life. This could make Gunn even more inclined to look at Ritchson as a Batman casting, especially if he already appreciates the actor’s work in the first place.

Though there are plenty of actors who seem like they could be stellar DCU versions of Batman, Gunn’s comments certainly suggest that Ritchson will be at least be one of the names weighed up for the role. However, with the DCU‘s live-action Batman debut seemingly some time away, we’ll have to wait and see what comes next for the hero.