Ever since James Gunn was announced as Co-President of DC Studios, fans have been speculating what the future of the DCU is. With reports of a new Superman and a potential reset of the DCU, many have wondered what this means for the character of Batman, one of the most popular superheroes in the world and arguably Warner Bros.’ most profitable film franchise. While many would assume Robert Pattinson would be Batman in the new DCU, it appears that The Batman franchise will remain its own stand-alone set of stories.

This leads Warner Bros. and DC in the position to cast a new Batman that will be appearing in films while Robert Pattinson is also playing the role. This is on top of the fact that this will be the fifth Batman since 2005 as audiences have had Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton returning, and Pattinson.

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While there are fears of too much Batman, there will need to be one in James Gunn’s new DCU. With that in mind here are some actors that could play the Caped Crusader that would be different enough from previous versions and could offer a new spin on the character.

Henry Golding

     Paramount Pictures

Henry Golding seems to have spent a good portion of his career trying to prove he can play Batman. In Crazy Rich Asians he showed he could play a suave handsome rich man, and A Simple Favor showed the actor was able to play dark psychological material. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins showed the actor had what it takes to be the star of an action movie. the actor feels like an obvious pick to play Batman.

While most depictions of Bruce Wayne have been white in past adaptations, there is nothing about the character that is defined by his race, and casting an actor like Henry Golding could show a more diverse DCU.

Jamie Dornan

     Universal Pictures

It might be type-casting to cast Jamie Dornan as another rich billionaire with a mysterious secret after having played Christian Grey in the 50 Shades franchise, yet it is hard to deny the actor seems well suited for the part. Much like Robert Pattinson, who many fans associated with his role as Edward Cullen in Twilight, Dornan has done quite a bit of work to distance himself from 50 Shades of Grey. After his excellent work in the Irish series The Fall, Dornan had a huge year in 2021, as his roles in Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Sol and Belfast showed the actor’s range with two very different projects in terms of tone and audience.

Dornan has lobbied to play a superhero role and would likely jump at the chance to play Batman. There is even the fun behind-the-scenes factor of casting Dornan, a contemporary to Robert Pattinson, given that 50 Shades of Grey began as Twilight fan-fiction, with Christian Grey being a stand-in for Edward Cullen. Both characters are dark, mysterious, and brooding, making the actors that play them ideal picks to play Batman.

Noah Reid

     ITV Studios

Noah Reid is most well-known to audiences for playing Patrick on the hit comedy series Schitt’s Creek. While Reid might not immediately jump out as the dark, gloomy avenger of the night, Reid has the acting range to give it a try. More importantly, he could play a version of the character closer to the Silver Age version of Batman, or the more lighthearted but still serious take seen in Batman: Brave and the Bold. Similar to Michael Keaton, Reid could surprise audiences with what he would bring to the role of Batman.

John David Washington

     Warner Bros.

John David Washington has worked with both The Dark Knight trilogy director Christopher Nolan and current Batman actor Robert Pattinson on Tenet, which would make for a poetic casting of Washington to play Bruce Wayne and Batman in the DCU. The son of Denzel Washington, who himself would have once made a great Batman, John David Washington has the presence to play the Caped Crusader.

There has been a great deal of discussion if a non-white actor could play Bruce Wayne ,and following Winston Duke voicing Batman in the audio drama Batman: Unburied, it shows that DC is comfortable exploring a Black actor in the role. Casting John David Washington would not only put a great actor in the role of one of the most popular superheroes, but his casting would help distinguish his Batman from Robert Pattinson.

Lucas Bravo

     Netflix

Lucas Bravo has had an incredible run lately. The French actor broke out with audiences due to his role on the hit Netflix series Emily in Paris. In 2022 the actor starred in Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris and Ticket to Paradise, two films that showed very different sides of the actor. Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris showcased a more traditional leading man, while Ticket to Paradise put a spotlight on his comedic talent.

The actor seems destined for big things and casting him as Batman would be a major get for DC Studios. He certainly has the looks to pull off Bruce Wayne, and while many would question casting a French actor as an iconic American hero like Batman, the actor could always put on an American accent like British-born stars Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson when they put on the cape and cowl.

Jensen Ackles

     The CW

Jensen Ackles has been a top fan choice to play Batman since his breakout role on Supernatural. Fans wanted to see the actor play the character on the Arrowverse, and while that did not happen, Ackles is no stranger to the world of Gotham City. The actor voiced Jason Todd aka Red Hood in the 2010 direct-to-video animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood and has been the voice of Bruce Wayne in the Tommorowverse series of interconnected DC animated films including Batman: The Long Halloween and Legion of Superheroes. Ackles himself has expressed interest in wanting to play Batman.

The actor has grown and matured to where he could play an older version of Bruce Wayne, one that has had a long history in Gotham City and likely taken a few different sidekicks under his wing. Jensen Ackles could handle the intensity, but also the warmth associated with the father-like figure that the character is known for in the comics that many of the films have overlooked. Possibly casting a fan favorite could help win some fans over who have been disappointed by recent DCU cancelations.