James Gunn says the DCU’s Batman hasn’t been cast, but it won’t be long. Speaking on The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? The Official Podcast, the DC Studios co-chief also shot down the rumours that someone already has the cowl. As IGN reports, Gunn is open to anyone, including actors he’s already worked with.
Variety quotes him from an advance clip of the podcast, which is due out Friday. “It won’t be too long before we’re casting Batman,” Gunn said, adding that anyone claiming he’ll turn up in this project or that one is wrong. TheWrap notes the update arrives four years after the launch of DC Studios.
An actor first, a star second
The most interesting part is how he wants to choose. Gunn said he wouldn’t rule out someone he gave a small part in The Suicide Squad if that person turned out to be the best Batman. He argued that Superman has always gone to whoever was the best actor for the role, while Batman has tended to go to movie stars. Variety reads this as a signal that a big name isn’t mandatory, which fits with his earlier casting of the relatively unknown David Corenswet as Superman.
Age is the other clue. When Steve Agee asked whether it matters, given the actor will be playing the part for years, Gunn answered “definitely.” He said the two heroes are roughly the same age and described them to TheWrap as “future best pals, contemporaries.” ComicBook.com puts Corenswet at 33, so the new Batman is likely to be in a similar bracket.
Where the rumour mill stands
Gunn has been busy knocking down names. He previously said Jensen Ackles has not been cast in the DCU, and Alan Ritchson, a fan favourite for the part, has said he’s in talks about a role that isn’t Batman. Gunn has also named Batman, along with Superman and Wonder Woman, among the studio’s diamond characters, which explains why he’s taking his time.
This Batman will live in a separate world from Robert Pattinson’s. ScreenCrush notes The Batman Part II is scheduled for 18 February 2028, and Pattinson himself isn’t sure the two versions will ever meet. There’s no announced date for the DCU casting itself, so “soon” is all we have for now.
Has the DCU Batman been cast?
No. Gunn said on the podcast that Batman hasn’t been cast and called rumours that he’s about to appear in specific projects wrong.
How old will the new DCU Batman be?
Gunn hasn’t given a number. He said Batman and Superman are around the same age, which points to an actor close to David Corenswet, who is 33 according to ComicBook.com.
Is Robert Pattinson playing the DCU Batman?
No. Pattinson stars in Matt Reeves’ separate The Batman series, which is expected to stay apart from Gunn’s DCU.
