DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn revisited the topic of casting the DCU's Batman and revealed four new insights about the search. Despite constant cries from fans to introduce the Dark Knight early in Man of Tomorrow, Clayface, or another DCU project, Gunn is remaining steadfast on his commitments to debut his Batman in The Brave and the Bold alongside Damian Wayne and the rest of the Bat-Family. The reboot's script has been in the works for some time, but it remains unclear when DC Studios intends to move The Brave and the Bold into production, as the focus right now is on the Elseworlds endeavor of The Batman: Part 2.
DC Studios just released The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? podcast, in which James Gunn discusses his blue brand debut with stars Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee to conclude what is and isn't canon to the DCU. Right before wrapping up that chat, Gunn treated listeners to four major reveals about casting the next Batman, from teases about their age to when an actor will be announced:
Batman Isn't Cast Yet, But Will Be Soon
The Caped Crusader has been the subject of casting rumors since the DCU's original announcement almost 4 years ago. Those rumors and fan castings may have piqued the interest of The Brave and the Bold director Andy Muschietti, but Gunn made it clear that any rumors Batman has been cast are "all bulls***."
However, there was a glimmer of hope for Batman's most eager fans, as Gunn noted that the casting process "isn't very far away" from finally happening:
"It won't be too long before we're casting Batman, who isn't cast yet, by the way. For all the people thinking he's going to show up in this or that, it's all bulls***."
DC Studios is in the late stages of production on The Batman: Part 2, the Elseworlds sequel starring Robert Pattinson, which hits theaters in February 2028. Even with The Batman 2 cooking behind the scenes, it seems Gunn remains eager to move forward with The Brave and the Bold and his own version of the hero.
Superman & Batman Will Remain Contemporaries
Having previously shut down claims that the DCU would have a "middle-aged Batman," Gunn offered a fresh clue to the Dark Knight's age on the podcast.
He hinted that Superman and Batman shouldn't be "drastically different ages" and are "contemporaries," pointing toward an actor landing the role who isn't too much older than 33-year-old David Corenswet:
"People are always looking for little hints about the casting of Batman. Roughly, Batman and Superman are around the same age. I don't think that they're drastically different ages. They're future best pals. Contemporaries."
The DCU boss has said in the past that Batman may be a "couple [of] years" older than Superman, but it seems their age gap won't be much more than that, given that he still wants the World's Finest to be "contemporaries."
The Next Bruce Wayne Might Not Be a Movie Star
As one would expect, Gunn is excited to find the "best actor" to play the DCU's Batman, but their level of stardom doesn't seem to be a factor. He pointed out how that has always been the defining factor in casting Superman, while previous Batman casting searches have often sought "movie stars:"
"One of the things that excites me about casting Batman is being able to pick a Batman who's actually the best actor for that role. Supermans have always been chosen based on who is the best actor for that role. And for some reason, Batmans are always chosen as movie stars."
Between Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson, the Dark Knight's history is a trail of A-list talent. However, it seems Gunn may be open to some lesser-known names to play the role next in The Brave and the Bold, but that doesn't necessarily mean unknown.
James Gunn Isn't Ruling Out The Suicide Squad Actors
Interestingly, Gunn isn't ruling out actors who have already appeared in DC projects from being the next Batman, as he wants to "get everybody into account" if they stand a chance at being the best man for the job:
"If I gave somebody a day role in 'The Suicide Squad', that is going to be the best Batman, I'm not going to rule him out from that, I want to get everybody into account."
Of course, Gunn only cited one example here of not ruling out somebody who had a "day role in The Suicide Squad," but that likely more broadly covers actors who have taken on minor parts in the DCU, but presumably not its biggest leads.
Find out the 10 actors that The Direct considers contenders for the DCU's Batman.
James Gunn's Latest Batman Casting Updates Reveal the Perfect Choice
Batman is around his late 30s or early 40s when Damian Wayne becomes Robin, as fans know he will in The Brave and the Bold, making an actor in his mid-to-late 30s a likely choice for the DCU. Assuming Bruce became the Caped Crusader in his early-to-mid 20s, that would leave around 10 years for him to have established a Bat-Family and gone through three Robins before the DCU storyline begins.
That notion seems to rule out popular fan casts like Theo James, Jensen Ackles, Alan Ritchson, and Jake Gyllenhaal, who have aged out of that bracket. While Glen Powell and Brandon Sklenar are still in their 30s and remain in the right age range, it seems that their stardom won't help them with Gunn's Batman search.
Several years ago, James Gunn narrowed his Superman search down to David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, and Tom Brittney in the final stages. Of course, Corenswet landed the part, and Hoult became Lex Luthor, but one has to wonder if he could circle back to Brittney for Batman, as he declared him a "great f***ing actor" in response to a fan on Threads who proposed him for Bruce Wayne.
At 36 years old, Brittney fits the bill as a few years older than Corenswet, not a major established "movie star," and clearly talented, not to mention having that Bruce Wayne look. It would be surprising if Brittney didn't at least land an audition for the DCU's Batman, and he may even be a contender for the part.
