James Gunn Officially Comments on Casting the DCU's New Batman

Oct 30, 2026 - 20:09

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James Gunn Officially Comments on Casting the DCU's New Batman

Published Oct 30, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT

Willa Rowe is a contributing writer at Polygon, covering games and entertainment. She is a New York-based journalist and critic whose work has been featured in Kotaku, Digital Trends, the A.V. Club, GamesRadar+, and more. She also co-hosts the Girl Mode podcast.

The DC Studios boss wants 'the best actor for the role', not a 'movie star'

Absolute Batman leaping at a foe against an orange background

It has been clear for a while now that Robert Pattinson won't be the DC Universe's Batman, even with The Batman Part II still slated for release in 2028. Fans will be sad to see BatPat go, especially considering DC Studios co-head James Gunn has kept quiet on when we will see his successor. Thankfully, Gunn has finally given a small but meaningful update on the casting process for the next Bruce Wayne.

During a one-off podcast episode meant to clarify what is canonical in 2021's The Suicide Squad, Gunn revealed the current timeline for finding the DCU's Batman. While casting hasn't started yet, the filmmaker said "it won't be too long" before the search begins. As for what Gunn is looking for, he noted that in the past the "Batmans are always chosen as movie stars." Gunn said he wants to choose the best actor for the role, which he says is how Superman has typically been cast. That's true enough for the DCU's Superman David Corenswet, who was by no means an A-lister before Gunn cast him.

The DC Studios boss also notes that whoever plays Batman will likely be close in age to Corenswet because the two are "future best pals." Gunn said that he won't rule anybody out, even if they've been cast in past DC projects in minor roles.

Will we see the DCU's Batman in Man of Tomorrow?

Considering casting hasn't begun and filming for Gunn's Superman sequel has already concluded, it is highly unlikely the next Batman will debut in Man of Tomorrow. Gunn said as much during the podcast, calling rumors that the character will make a surprise appearance in an upcoming DC project "all bullshit."

Man of Tomorrow will see Superman forming a tentative alliance with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) to fight a bigger threat: Brainiac (Lars Eidinger). Returning cast members from across the DCU include Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., María Gabriela de Faría as the Engineer, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Milly Alcock as Supergirl, and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart.