Batman: 5 Actors Who Should Don the Cape and Cowl in the DCU
We look into the dark (k)night to make some predictions about the next caped crusader.
In a recent podcast about The Suicide Squad‘s canonicity to the new DCU, James Gunn said something that felt like a bat-signal blazing in the sky: Batman will be cast soon. We’ve long known that Robert Pattinson’s version of the Dark Knight in The Batman exists outside of DCU continuity, and Gunn announced Batman movie The Brave and the Bold as one of the first projects he and DC Studios co-head Peter Safran would be taking on. But, thus far, besides a silhouette in an episode of Creature Commandos, no Batman has actually been seen in the DCU, despite the movie Clayface taking place in Gotham City.
With a proper announcement of a new Batman coming, now’s the perfect time for us fans to do what we do best, and start making demands. The Brave and the Bold will reportedly feature the Damian Wayne version of Robin, Bruce Wayne’s preteen assassin son, which gives us a sense of how old this new Batman should be, as does the timeline laid out at the start of Superman. So, with those parameters in place, let’s start to speculate about the next person who gets to say, “I’m Batman.”
Alan Ritchson
One of the more popular fancasts for Batman, Ritchson has reportedly been speaking to James Gunn about a part in the DCU. Anyone who knows Ritchson’s work on the show Reacher understands how well he plays a brutal man who can execute a plan. And if Gunn and co. want to follow the lead of the wildly popular Absolute Batman, then the hulking Ritchson would be a great choice. That said, Ritchson has a military vibe about him that might make him more interesting as a character associated with the Armed Forces, such as the all-powerful Captain Atom or the villain Major Force.
Jake Gyllenhaal
One of the more interesting leading men of recent years, Jake Gyllenhaal certainly knows his way around a superhero movie. Before his loony turn as Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Gyllenhaal almost took Tobey Maguire’s place when contract negotiations stalled out before Spider-Man 2. But the real thing in Gyllenhaal’s favor is his ability to be both handsome and weird. The real-life son of industry insiders, Gyllenhaal has a certain blue-blood quality, necessary to play Bruce Wayne, to say nothing of his good looks. But Gyllenhaal can also be an absolute weirdo, something that’s been central to Batman portrayals since Michael Keaton invited us all to get nuts in 1989.
Ethan Peck
Most Den of Geek readers know Ethan Peck as Spock from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. And even if the quality of that show has diminished over recent seasons precisely because it spends way too much time on Spock’s love life, no one can deny that Peck does justice to Leonard Nimoy‘s character in the way he plays a stoic outsider. What readers may not know is that, in interviews, Peck is all charisma and charm. Furthermore, he is a blue blood as well, the grandson of respected screen legend Gregory Peck. Together, that means Peck could believably play a millionaire playboy born of privilege and a brooding grouch who has no patience for the shenanigans happening around him.
Henry Cavill
At this point, it’s utter cliché to pull Henry Cavill‘s name when talking about superhero casting. But in the case of Batman, it makes a lot of sense. As seen on The Witcher and in Mission Impossible: Fallout, Cavill works best, not when he’s wearing a symbol that means “hope,” but when he’s a grouch who is quickly running out of patience with anyone around him. He certainly looks good in a suit and he knows how to turn on the charm when needed. But if anyone can play a brooding, angry Batman, it’s Cavill.
Bill Skarsgård
Obviously, this one’s out of left field, and not just because Skarsgård’s taller and lankier than the usual Batman hopeful. It’s because Skarsgård knows how to play a creepy clown, and therefore should be the Joker. But if we’re looking at the Absolute Universe with Ritchson, we might also pay attention to the way that the Absolute Joker is essentially mainline Batman, a suave guy who has a cave under his mansion and lots of wonderful toys. Following that logic, one could imagine casting Pennywise as the DCU Batman, someone who cuts an impressive figure when in fancy clothes (remember John Wick: Chapter Four?), but who certainly feels like a creature of the night. Who else could better scare criminals, that superstitious and cowardly lot?