5 Actors Who Could Play Batman In James Gunn's DC Universe

With the success of "Superman," the new DC Universe is off to the races with director James Gunn's new vision. David Corenswet was received positively by audiences as the new Man of Steel, so nailing the casting of the DCU's next Caped Crusader is crucial. We've yet to see a perfectly cast Big Three (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman) existing in the same universe; it's up to Gunn to ensure that the remaining two heroes complement Corenswet's Superman while remaining distinct.

Since 2005, we've seen three signature performances as Bruce Wayne: Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy, Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder's DCEU, and Robert Pattinson in Matt Reeves' "The Batman." Most immediately, James Gunn must work to remove the bland taste that Affleck's Batman left in the previous iteration of the DC film universe. Affleck took the stoic aspects of Batman too far, creating a version of the character so dry in affect that he lacked any memorable characteristics.

DC's next Batman can take cues from the better portrayals of the Dark Knight in Bale and Pattinson's performances. Bale was charming, intelligent, and protective, and he acted out Bruce Wayne's repressed trauma excellently. Pattinson, playing Bruce in his early years as Batman, nailed the darkness of the hero in a way that showed vulnerability, unlike Affleck.

There are actors out there that can marry the triumphs of these various portrayals while bringing new flavor to the role. Here are five actors who could play Batman next.

Chris Pine is no stranger to the DC universe, as he was Diana Prince's love interest Steve Trevor in both "Wonder Woman" DCEU films. In addition to his previous stint in DC, he has experience leading a franchise as James T. Kirk in the rebooted "Star Trek" trilogy of the 2010s. When given the opportunity to lead a cast, he takes it — he ultimately chose "Star Trek" over an "L.A. Confidential" sequel in order to play leading man Kirk. His choice paid off, as not only was he well-received as Kirk, but the franchise as a whole was a success befitting of the "Star Trek" legacy.

You cast an actor like Pine as Batman if you are fearful of the franchise bombing. You could argue casting Ben Affleck stemmed from similar logic, but the difference with Pine is he has proven his cache as a box office franchise leader. Additionally, he has appeal to masculine and feminine audiences with his combination of good looks and action star physicality. Outside of superficial qualifications, Pine is also a dependable actor who could deliver the range of emotions required of an interesting Caped Crusader. He has shown he can be straight-laced, humorous, and romantic if the role calls for it, and these skills would be useful as both Bruce and Batman. All in all, he'd be a safe bet to lead DC into the future.

Glen Powell would be a sensible option as Batman. He's the happy medium of mainstream enough to entice people to watch a new Batman series, but novice enough as a franchise leader that he would feel motivated to prove himself in the role. An actor on the cusp of becoming a capital letters Movie Star needs a signature character or franchise to launch them into household name status.

He has had consistent work for the last decade, featuring in diverse productions like "Scream Queens," "The Expendables," and "Hidden Figures." In the last few years, however, he has picked up steam as a marquee actor. He held court with mega star Tom Cruise in the 2022 smash "Top Gun: Maverick." Recently, he had lead roles in "The Running Man," "Twisters," "Hit Man," and "Anyone But You" — running the gamut of genres from disaster movie to comedy. He also has creative inclinations, as he is currently the co-creator and producer of the Hulu comedy "Chad Powers."

All of this to say that Powell is hitting his stride at this point in his career. He's in his prime creatively and physically, has broad range as far as genre is concerned, and has buzz around him that could move the needle of the DC franchise. And frankly, he looks the part; he's tall and muscular, rugged but equally clean-cut. He has the duality of light and darkness that any great Batman should possess.

Zac Efron would be an inspired choice as Batman. Similarly to Robert Pattinson with "Twilight," he forever has stock with women who grew up watching him as a teen idol in "High School Musical." And also just like Pattinson, that teen idol image would make him a hard sell as the Dark Knight. At least Pattinson's whole shtick as Edward Cullen was being mysterious just like Batman. Efron has no such reputation, starring mostly in comedies in the years after "HSM" ended.

However, Efron's shift to dramatic roles in "The Iron Claw" and "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" prove that he can be tortured and demented. Both characters in these movies were based on real people, showing that Efron is capable of playing figures that niche audiences are familiar with — and playing them well. These experiences would be a benefit when playing comic book IP, especially one with lore as universally known as Batman's. The actor understands the importance of getting it right.

While the Caped Crusader is certainly a dark figure, the best iterations of him are also fetching and even humorous at times. Efron's comedic skills could provide transferable humor that superhero films pepper in for levity. For audiences to buy into a hero, we must find them likable. If nothing else, that's one department Efron has never lacked in.

Known as the dapper love interest in romcoms like "Crazy Rich Asians" and "Last Christmas," Henry Golding is a wild card pick for Batman. Sure, he may be best suited for romantic film roles, but his suave nature could transfer over fantastically to the wealthy bachelor tendencies of Bruce Wayne. In fact, if the role was for Bruce only, Golding may be the best choice on this list.

But, Golding would need to play Batman as well. Though overlooked in his filmography, he has taken part in quite a few action films like "The Gentlemen," "Assassin Club," and "Snake Eyes" in the G.I. Joe universe. Indeed, since the aforementioned two romcoms, he has generally worked on more masculine projects, most recently joining the cast of "The Old Guard" franchise in the 2025 sequel. He has the ferocity to be a crimefighter.

Across his films, Golding portrays curiosity, cunning, finesse, and intensity. All of these traits would read excellently as Batman, particularly when it comes to the detective approach the Bat has with solving crime.

Ben Hardy is a lesser-known British actor who has experience that would help him greatly as Batman. He's been a part of a comic book film cast with "X-Men: Apocalypse" as Archangel. He's starred in various genres including action, thriller, and horror — all elements that appear in varying degrees in a modern "Batman" film. Most recently, he was in the record-breaking 2025 horror movie "The Conjuring: Last Rites" if you'd like to get a sense of his acting.

Even if Hardy isn't cast, choosing a relatively unknown actor like him could be the best move for this rejuvenated DC. There are two benefits to this. First, you won't have a bigger name actor to immediately overshadow David Corenswet, who is newer to the public. The studio should want someone on equal footing to Corenswet to mirror the equal importance of Superman and Batman to DC.

Second, it will be easier for the DCU to "blank slate" the hero with an un-cemented actor in Hollywood, a person who won't bring ego to the role. Seasoned actors tend to rely on their tried-and-true acting styles and force their character to bend to their comforts, rather than adjusting their acting to accordingly fit the part. This was the major failing of Ben Affleck's Batman. With superheroes, audiences are looking to find identifiable traits of a character they've likely grown up with. An actor we don't know will help the personality of the new Batman shine through unobscured.