One Major DCU Batman Fancast Expresses Interest In The Role

Although the upcoming DCU film, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, is still a long way from production—and a cast is yet to be announced—a major fan favorite, Brandon Sklenar, has expressed interest in the role of the DCU‘s Dark Knight.

James Gunn’s new DCU is set to introduce a new live-action Batman to fans, potentially in the recently-delayed Andy Muschietti’s Batman: The Brave and the Bold or the recently-confirmed Clayface movie. While this version of Batman already debuted in Creature Commandos by way of a cameo, no actor has been announced yet, and there is still an air of ambiguity about who will play the character given the recent discourse on Robert Pattinson from Matt Reeves’ The Batman joining the DCU.

Related

DC: 7 Reasons Why the DCU and The Batman Shouldn’t Merge

Fans are often debating why The Batman universe should merge with the DCU, but here are a few reasons why that shouldn’t happen.

American actor Brandon Sklenar had long been a popular choice among fans to don the cape and cowl in the DCU. When Liam Saul on Instagram, made a fan art depicting the actor as Batman/Bruce Wayne beside David Corenswet’s Superman, Sklenar expressly endorsed it, liking the post and commenting “I approve,” to the support of many fans. In November 2024, Blake Lively, who starred alongside Sklenar in It Ends With Us, also gave his approval on the fan casting.

Several actors have also expressed their interest in taking up the role. Notable fan favorites for Batman in the DCU include Jake Gyllenhaal, Armie Hammer, Jensen Ackles and Alan Ritchson. At 34 years old—a prime age for the role—Brandon has been able to edge out competitors thanks to his unique combination of Bruce Wayne and Batman-like characteristics: a tall physique at 6ft 2, a muscular build, polished voice, and the iconic square jawline. Brandon’s build is complemented by a filmography worthy of such candidates. In his role as Spencer Dutton in 1923, Brandon portrayed a character marked by resilience, trauma, and complexity, qualities Bruce Wayne possesses.

All these play out against the backdrop of uncertainties surrounding the state of Batman in the DCU. Thanks to recent back-and-forth from DC filmmakers with stakes in the current, or future, live-action iteration of the Caped Crusader—Matt Reeves, James Gunn, and Andy Muschietti—there are still talks on whether Robert Pattinson’s Batman would be subsumed into the DCU or there will be a brand new Dark Knight as initially planned. Reeves recently stated that it would only be possible if it “makes sense,” coupled with the words, “we’ll have to see where that goes.” Gunn’s statements in an interview not long after also left the door open for such a possibility. However, Andy Muschietti set the concerns about Batman’s status straight, saying that it’s “quite obvious” that the DCU would not be starring Pattinson.

Fortunately for fans hoping to see Reeves’ universe absorbed into the DCU, Muschietti’s comments are not definitive; the ultimate decision rests with Gunn, the co-CEO of DC Studios. Fans who feel that the contrast in tone of both worlds would be difficult to merge would secretly be praying to Warner Bros. and Gunn not to pressure Reeves into a creative decision against his wishes. The “grass” amidst this clash of elephant ideas is The Batman: Part II whose delayed future is now even more uncertain if its star is to switch universes.

More

Maybe Robert Pattinson Should Just Be The DCU Batman

Rumors have suggested that Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav wants DC Studios to make Pattinson its Batman, and it’s not a bad idea.

Source: Liam Saul | Instagram