Batman: The Brave and the Bold – Who Will Be James Gunn’s Dark Knight?

“I’m Batman.” When Michael Keaton growled those famous words at the start of 1989’s Batman, he finally erased all doubt that he should be the guy donning the Dark Knight’s cape and cowl. Up until then, the idea of the wiry comedian taking on the role rubbed many fans the wrong way, so much so, in fact, that they launched a letter-writing campaign to demand that Warner Bros. recast the character.

It’s sort of fitting, then, that the status of Batman remains so contentious today. With James Gunn rebooting the DC Universe and rending obsolete the older, grizzled Batman played by Ben Affleck (and we’re not going to talk about George Clooney reprising the part for the teaser in The Flash), questions abound once again about the new protector of Gotham City.

We know that a new Batman will appear in The Brave and the Bold, directed by Andy Muschietti. Drawing inspiration from Grant Morrison‘s Batman and Son storyline, this film will once again feature the Dynamic Duo, with Batman fighting crime alongside his son Damian Wayne, who suits up as Robin.

Although Gunn’s been very reluctant to share details beyond that basic plot, he did recently tell IGN “I can’t tell you the amount of big actors that have told me they want to be Batman.” So let’s take a moment to look at some of the guys who have lit their own Bat-signal to get Gunn’s attention, hoping that they too can someday say, “I’m Batman.”

Alan Ritchson

Easily the most high-profile of the Bat-hopefuls, Reacher star Alan Ritchson has made clear his desire to take his skills to Gotham City. In fact, Ritchson has already had some conversations with Gunn about a place in the new universe. On one hand, Ritchson makes perfect sense, as he already spent some time in the DC Universe, appearing as Hawk on the television series Titans. On the other, Ritchson is really, really big, which isn’t always a quality one associates with a guy who spends his nights perched on the ledges of buildings.

Or is it? The recent hit comic book series Absolute Batman reimagines the Caped Crusader as not just a man raised in poverty by his single mother, but also as a massive dude. Absolute Batman takes place in a universe outside the mainline DC universe, but its popularity makes the strongest case for Ritchson yet.

Ben Barnes

A newer addition to the group is Ben Barnes, best known for his parts in The Punisher and Shadow and Bone. With his dark features and good looks, Barnes certainly has the traditional appearance of the brooding Bruce Wayne. And even though The Punisher was a far more grounded show than the high-concept take on Batman we’re likely to get in Brave and the Bold, Barnes at least has shown that he knows how to work in a world in which costumed vigilantes exist.

However, Barnes makes his pitch not by consulting his resume, but by appealing to emotion. Speaking to Collider, Barnes mentions watching old family movies and, “in every single one, I was dressed like Batman or Robin Hood. I think there may have been a Spider-Man one, but it was mainly Batman.” Usually, one would think that a warm family memory wouldn’t be a good pitch to play a guy who famously had a rough childhood. But maybe Barnes’s unusual approach will appeal to Gunn.

Brandon Sklenar

Like the others on this list, Brandon Sklenar has admitted he would like to play Batman. But he hasn’t had to make too much noise himself, because his fans are making it for him. Sklenar has been a popular fan cast in certain corners of the internet, so much so that there’s already a bit of a backlash to him being chosen… which, to be clear, hasn’t actually happened yet.

In his favor, Sklenar has experience working in genre and big franchises, thanks to his role as Spencer Dutton in the Yellowstone spinoff 1923. And while other issues dominated the conversation around last year’s It Ends With Us, Sklenar did put in a performance as a handsome guy with a dark secret. However, those parts also have a certain sweetness that might make Sklenar a bad fit for Batman, especially as with Caped Crusader trying to raise his ninja assassin son.

Jake Gyllenhaal

Like Sklenar, Jake Gyllenhaal has shown up more as a fan cast suggestion than as someone begging to get the part. But he has at least commented upon the possiblity. While doing press for last year’s Road House remake, Gyllenhaal was asked about his interest in taking on the part, to which he responded favorably. “Oh, man. That’s a classic [role]. It’s an honor,” Gyllenhaal responded.

On one hand, Gyllenhaal’s response is to be expected. Who isn’t going to be interested in playing an incredibly popular character in a movie that will certainly make millions? On the other, Gyllenhaal was a frontrunner for Batman Begins twenty years ago. And while the opportunity to play a young Batman has passed him by, he might be in the perfect spot to play an older Batman, wrestling with fatherhood.

Robert Pattinson

Maybe we shouldn’t even include Robert Pattinson on this list, for a few reasons. First of all, because he’s already Batman, playing the part in Matt Reeves’s The Batman. Second, he’s not said anything about wanting to be in The Brave and the Bold. Third, both Reeves and Gunn have made it clear that The Batman is separate from the rest of the DCU.

And yet… the longer that the Batman part in The Brave and the Bold stays vacant, the longer we think about Pattinson just taking the spot. Yes, he plays a more grounded, younger, and emotional version of the Dark Knight than the version in the Grant Morrison comics, with its undying ninjas and mad scientists from other dimensions. But given that Pattinson already has the suit, it’s hard to imagine that Gunn isn’t giving a little thought to just bringing him into the main DCU.

The Brave and the Bold is currently in preproduction.