While plenty of roles are yet to be cast in the new DC Universe under DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, none have been more highly discussed than Batman. As Robert Pattinson continues his run in an Elseworlds setting for The Batman – Part II in 2027, the main DCU slate still has The Brave and the Bold set for release, which will introduce a 13th live-action iteration of the classic DC hero. While the film will depict Bruce Wayne alongside his son Damian, it also sets the stage for Batman to have a long run in the greater DCU before eventually becoming a major part of the Justice League.
Some of the biggest names in the industry have come up in fancasting for the new Batman, including Alan Ritchson (Reacher), Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain), and Jonathan Bailey (Wicked). Arguably the most popular name in this group has been Jensen Ackles, best known for his 15-year run as Dean Winchester on Supernatural before reuniting with creator Eric Kripke to play Soldier Boy on Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys. As he gets set to return to Kripke’s latest show, he has support for his possible DC debut from one of his co-stars.
Speaking exclusively with MovieWeb, The Boys star Antony Starr (Homelander) shared his support for Ackles joining James Gunn’s DC Universe as Bruce Wayne/Batman. At the end of an interview for The Boys, MovieWeb noted how Ackles would make a great Batman, which Starr also mentioned seeing. He then agreed “100%” that Ackles should be the next man to play the Dark Knight in the DCU.
Ackles is actually no stranger to Batman, as he’s voiced different versions of the character in multiple animated projects, including the two-part Batman: The Long Halloween (2021) and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths (2024). He’s also been open to taking on the role in live-action in past interviews, expressing a sense of pride in even potentially getting the opportunity to suit up in the cape and cowl.
Certainly, Ackles is more than qualified from a physical perspective to take on the role of Batman, as he has more than a few roles with heavy action requirements on his résumé. He’s also proven to have a knack for playing roles with more than one personality or identity, as seen throughout his time on Supernatural.
As of this writing, Gunn has provided no official status updates about the casting process for Batman. While he sees plenty of names thrown out as options online, he still has a great deal of work to do to narrow down the final options for the role. Additionally, with no confirmed timeline for The Brave and the Bold‘s release, the wait for this news may last for a while longer.
