James Gunn’s DC Universe Reportedly Wants ‘Star Trek’ Icon as the Next Batman

From the gothic streets of Michael Keaton’s Batman era to the gritty realism of Christian Bale’s tenure and the seasoned brutality that Ben Affleck brought to the role, Hollywood’s most prominent actors have long queued up for the chance to wear the legendary cape and cowl. Even as Robert Pattinson continues to chart his own dark path as the Caped Crusader, the rumor mill never stops when it comes to the future of the Dark Knight. The latest reports indicate that an actor best known for navigating the final frontier as a beloved Star Trek icon has been offered the mantle, setting the stage for a bold new chapter in DC’s expanding universe.

This new chapter is coming together under Dynamic Duo, a highly stylized animated feature from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and DC Studios. The movie is set to push visual boundaries by blending several different filmmaking styles, including stop-motion, CGI, and live-action elements, to tell a very different kind of story, as the narrative shifts the spotlight off Bruce Wayne to chronicle the early years of two iconic iterations of Robin – Dick Grayson and Jason Todd – in the treacherous underworld of Gotham City. While Batman is not the main player, he is still expected to loom large in the story, and the project has already begun filling out its voice cast, targeting a high-profile actor famously associated with the bridge of the USS Enterprise.

Paramount Pictures

According to reports published by industry insider Jeff Sneider via The InSneider, Chris Pine has been offered the highly coveted role of Batman in Dynamic Duo. If he accepts the offer, it will mark his return to DC films after previously portraying Steve Trevor in the live-action Wonder Woman franchise. The upcoming film operates as a standalone DC Elseworlds project, despite persistent online rumors claiming it has secretly been written into the fold of the main DC Universe. James Gunn has firmly clarified that the project sits outside mainline continuity, allowing it to tell a distinct story unburdened by broader franchise canon.

While Gunn’s core DCU requires the exact same actors to portray their characters across both animation and live-action, this standalone project would mean that Pine’s potential casting is operating on a different contract. Even so, his name being tentatively attached to Dynamic Duo provides a possible hint of the archetype that DC Studios may eventually seek when casting the main DCU’s Batman for The Brave and the Bold, which is set to turn the spotlight on the Bat-Family, specifically Bruce Wayne and his son, Damian.

If Pine closes on his reported deal to voice Batman in Dynamic Duo, he will join a star-studded ensemble of franchise heavyweights, as Sneider claims that Mason Thames (How to Train Your Dragon) is locked in to voice Dick Grayson, while Lee Pace is lined up to play (The Hobbit) the leader of the Red Hood. Other names reportedly on the roster include Logan Kim (The Walking Dead: Dead City) as Jason Todd, as well as Marsai Martin (Black-ish) as Barbara Gordon. While unconfirmed, the voice cast being assembled indicates that the project is making steady progress, with a fresh lineup of talent ready to breathe new life into Gotham’s legacy.