James Gunn May Have Cast the DCU's Batman (We're 99.9% Convinced It's This Actor)

Warner Bros. and DC are yet to announce which actor will become the next live-action Caped Crusader in their upcoming Batman reboot, The Brave and the Bold, but we may already know who that actor is.

Adapted from the DC comic of the same name, The Brave and the Bold, directed by Andy Muschietti (2023’s The Flash), will introduce a new actor as Batman in the newly established DC Universe from DC Studios’ co-CEOs/chairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran.

The new DCU replaces the defunct DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and was launched this year with the release of Superman (2025). Directed by Gunn and starring David Corenswet in the title role, the film grossed over $616.7M worldwide and received positive reviews.

Now, the plan is to bring in a new Batman in the same way Corenswet breathed new life into Superman. Of course, we do already have a live-action Dark Knight — Robert Pattinson’s iteration in Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), which has a sequel due out in 2027.

But those films exist in their own standalone universe (officially dubbed “DC’s Elseworlds”). Though there were reportedly talks to integrate the “Battinson” into the new DCU, it seems Reeves wants to keep the “Batman Epic Crime Saga” isolated from any other established continuity.

Related: James Gunn’s DCU Falls Apart as Zack Snyder Confirms That Henry Cavill Is Still Superman

Naturally, fans continue to speculate about who the next Batman actor is, with names ranging from Alan Ritchson (Jack Reacher) to Henry Cavill, who portrayed Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013). Now, a new name has entered the arena, and we’re 99.9% convinced he’ll be the one who gets handed the keys to the Batmobile and the Batcave.

Recently, James Gunn has sparked new speculation about the DCU’s Batman after responding on Threads (via thedirect.com) to a fan who suggested that English actor Tom Brittney (Grantchester) could be the next Dark Knight.

“That guy is a great f**king actor!” Gunn replied. There are two very interesting things about Brittney: a) he was originally considered for the role of Clark Kent/Superman in this year’s reboot, and b) he looks a lot like Corenswet, and it’s possible Gunn is going for a similar look for the new Bat of Gotham.

Unfortunately, we still have a while to wait before we see The Brave and the Bold, as director Andy Muschietti recently told Variety that he was unable to give an update on the film yet. But hopefully, we’ll find out which actor will be leading the DCU alongside Corenswet soon.

The Batman — Part II releases in theaters on October 1, 2027.

Who do you think the next live-action Batman should be? Share your thoughts!