James Gunn has not officially cast the new DCU Batman for Brave and the Bold (targeted December 2028). The most-discussed candidates in trade-publication speculation include Jacob Elordi, Alan Ritchson, Jensen Ackles, Penn Badgley, and Andrew Garfield. Gunn has said only that "there's people out there I think about." Robert Pattinson remains in Matt Reeves's separate Elseworlds Batman continuity and is not part of the DCU.
The DCU Batman casting situation
James Gunn's new DC Universe (DCU), which launched with Superman (2025), requires a new mainline Bruce Wayne / Batman for the planned 2028 film The Brave and the Bold. Director Andy Muschietti — best-known for The Flash (2023) — was selected for the project in 2024, but casting has been deliberately delayed while Gunn and screenwriter James Mangold finalize the script.
The new DCU Batman is creatively distinct from Robert Pattinson's Reeves-Elseworlds Batman, Ben Affleck's DCEU Batman (now retired with The Flash 2023), and Michael Keaton's multiverse-cameo Batman. The Brave and the Bold's adaptation of Grant Morrison's Damian Wayne storyline requires an actor capable of playing Bruce as an established middle-aged crimefighter — not an origin-story young Batman.
The top 10 candidates, ranked
The most-frequently-cited name in trade speculation. Elordi's recent Oscar-buzz performances in Saltburn and Priscilla, combined with his physical presence (6'5") and ability to convey internal menace, have made him the consensus favorite among casting analysts. The only counter-argument: at 28, he may read as too young for a middle-aged Bruce Wayne dealing with an adult Damian.
The age and physicality both work — Ritchson's Reacher performance demonstrates he can carry a brooding-violent character at scale. His ability to play simultaneously contemplative and physically dominant is a closer match to comic-book Bruce Wayne than most working actors. Trade outlets have repeatedly named him among the favorites; Ritchson has publicly said he'd take the role.
Long-time fan-favorite for Batman. Ackles has voiced Batman in animated productions and was reportedly Zack Snyder's preferred replacement before Affleck. At 47, he fits the older-Bruce reading of Brave and the Bold. The downside: his Supernatural TV-procedural profile may be considered too narrow by studio executives prioritizing prestige-cinema credibility.
Badgley's You demonstrates he can play a quietly-disturbed character with menace masked as charm — which is essentially the Bruce Wayne playbook. He's emerged as a dark-horse favorite in 2026 industry-conversation circles. The risk: Badgley has publicly distanced himself from his You character's anti-hero archetype, which may also be his rationale for declining Batman if asked.
Garfield's Spider-Man performances (2012, 2014, 2021 multiverse return) have demonstrated his comic-book leading-actor credentials. The reverse-casting angle — Spider-Man actor going to Batman — has historical precedent (Tobey Maguire was considered for Batman in the 2000s). At 42, he hits the right age. The downside: his post-Spider-Man career trajectory has prioritized character-driven prestige roles over franchise tentpoles.
Skarsgård has demonstrated wide tonal range — from terrifying (Pennywise in It) to balletic-physical (John Wick 4). His physicality and ability to anchor a film with controlled intensity make him a credible Batman. His Swedish heritage doesn't disqualify him; American-accented training has been standard for decades of cinema.
The prestige-cinema candidate. Driver's three-time Academy Award nominations and his Kylo Ren franchise experience suggest he could handle a Batman role with both commercial-blockbuster scope and serious dramatic depth. The challenge: Driver has publicly preferred director-driven mid-budget projects over franchise commitments in recent years.
Pascal is currently anchoring Marvel's Phase 6 as Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The major obstacle: Marvel-DC double-casting at the lead-character level is essentially unprecedented and would be a substantial creative-risk for both studios. His name appears in fan speculation but is dismissed by industry-source reports.
The former DCEU Superman has been speculatively-named for Batman in fan circles. Cavill himself has publicly preferred British-character roles since departing DC, but his physicality and franchise-leading-actor experience make him a credible-if-unlikely pick. James Gunn explicitly recast Superman with Corenswet, which makes a Cavill-Batman pivot feel narratively-incoherent for the broader DCU.
James Gunn's casting pattern with David Corenswet for Superman (a relatively-unknown actor lifted to lead-character status) suggests the DCU Batman could similarly emerge from outside the obvious-name conversation. An unknown casting would also signal Gunn's intent to make the DCU Batman stylistically-distinct from any prior cinematic Batman. If history repeats, the actual cast announcement may surprise everyone.
What we know about the production
The film will adapt Grant Morrison's 2006 Damian Wayne run. The plot centers on Bruce Wayne discovering that Talia al Ghul has raised their biological son — Damian — as an assassin trained by the League of Assassins, and Damian's transition into the new Robin under Bruce's guidance. The father-son dynamic is the film's emotional core.
For more context on the upcoming DCU slate, see our recent reporting on the Brave and the Bold delay, our Every Batman Actor Ranked guide for historical context, and our Marvel vs DC comparison for franchise positioning.
Related guides
- Every Batman Actor Ranked — all 8 cinematic Batmen reviewed.
- Who Could Play the Next Joker? — DCU villain speculation.
- Brave and Bold 2028 Delay — production timeline.
- Every DC Movie Ranked — full DC catalogue.
- Marvel vs DC Comparison — franchise context.