Jensen Ackles is the leading favorite among many to play the new Batman of James Gunn's DC Universe, and I believe that the actor has proved throughout his career that he would be the best man for the job. The last actor to play Batman as the lead version of the hero in a cinematic universe was Ben Affleck in the DCEU. Affleck and the rest of the cast from 2017's Justice League are reportedly out for the new DCU. While I quite enjoyed Affleck's portrayal of Batman, I'm okay with the decision to change actors for the DCU.
After all, Affleck was not even planned to be the main Batman of the DCEU anymore. Michael Keaton's return as the Dark Knight in 2023's The Flash was originally meant to lead to him taking over Affleck's place. Keaton's Bruce Wayne would have been a mentor to younger heroes. While I would love to see that sort of dynamic with Batman in live-action, I think the 73-year-old Keaton is now too old for that role in a cinematic universe. With Robert Pattinson's Batman staying separate from the DCU, The Brave and the Bold movie will cast a new Bruce Wayne.
Jensen Ackles’ Past Roles Make Him Perfect For The DCU’s Batman
The Actor Has Experience Playing Dark Characters
I am confident that Jensen Ackles is the perfect choice for the DCU's Bruce Wayne. The actor has plenty of roles that make him a great candidate to take on the iconic DC hero, with both live-action and animated projects helping paint a picture of what Ackles' Batman could look like over the next decade or more of the projects on the DCU's slate. Ackles' most famous role is a fantastic example of all that he could bring to the table as the Dark Knight. The actor co-led 15 seasons of Supernatural, playing Dean Winchester.
Dean's life was shrouded by darkness, violence, and pain, all aspects common to Batman's journey.
Dean was a hunter. In Supernatural, that meant the character — and his brother Sam — would often investigate bizarre supernatural cases, which included murders, disappearances, demonic possessions, and much more, killing whatever caused the problems. Like Bruce Wayne, Dean also took on that dark life path after a major childhood tragedy. Dean's mother was killed by a demon when he was a kid. As an adult, Dean's life was shrouded by darkness, violence, and pain, all aspects common to Batman's journey. Ackles excelled in making Dean a well-rounded character that displayed both Bruce Wayne's playboy attitude and Batman's focus & brooding.
Jensen Ackles is returning as Soldier Boy for The Boys ' season 5 — the show's final season — and will lead his own spinoff series, Vought Rising .
Another major live-action role that makes a good case for Ackles' Batman casting is his more recent turn as a "superhero" in The Boys. The superhero satire series is one of the most popular shows of the last few years, which is in large part due to The Boys' star-studded cast. Despite sharing scenes with fan favorites like Antony Starr's Homelander and Karl Urban's Butcher, Ackles' Soldier Boy stole the show every time he was onscreen. The star displayed great skills for superhero action sequences, as well as depth as an actor to make an evil character charismatic like few can.
I’m A Fan Of Ackles’ Animated Version Of Batman
The Star Brings A Lot Of Emotion And Nuance To The Dark Knight
While I think Ackles' live-action roles are more than enough to show the actor's range for such a major role in the DCU as Batman, his animated projects are an even better showcase of what he could bring to the role. The reason for that is Ackles has already succeeded in bringing Batman to life in a shared universe, as the actor voiced the Dark Knight in DC's animated Tomorrowverse. That included two solo Batman movies — Batman: The Long Halloween Part One and Two — as well as appearances in Justice League films and more.
The Batman aside, live-action movies often don't include the Dark Knight's excellent detective skills as much as they should. Thankfully, Ackles' animated Batman films were all about that, following a long investigation that allowed the star to play Bruce Wayne and Batman across a wide breadth of iconic characters from Gotham City. Both in solo films and the later team ensembles in the Tomorrowverse, Ackles managed to bring Batman's complex nature to life perfectly, adding a lot of emotion to his voice work in the role that made the character compelling. I want that level of acting in the DCU.
Jensen Ackles Is Perfect For The DCU’s Batman Plans
An Older Bruce Wayne Makes Sense For The DCU
Only a few things have been revealed about the DCU's Batman reboot movie so far, but what has come out is reason enough for me to be excited. After the DCEU did not use the Bat-Family, James Gunn's DC Universe will include multiple Bat-Family characters in The Brave and the Bold. While I'm hoping that Nightwing will be announced for the movie sooner rather than later, only the Damian Wayne version of Robin has been confirmed for the movie so far. The Batman reboot will be about Bruce Wayne and Damian meeting and forming a connection.
Damian Wayne is the fourth male Robin in DC Comics canon, which should mean that many other members of the Bat-Family will be active in the DCU. As such, having a Batman actor the same age as Superman star David Corenswet — 30 — would not be the best choice. At 46, Ackles is the perfect age to play a believable Bruce Wayne as the central figure of an expansive Bat-Family in live-action. I think a Batman in his 40s would be the most realistic choice with the team's confirmation, and it would follow DC's older Green Lantern search.
I’m Convinced Ackles Wants To Play Batman As Much As Fans Want Him To
The Supernatural Star Has Made His Wishes Clear
Finally, Ackles has shown a lot of interest in playing Batman in the DCU. The actor has previously dressed up as the character, donning a Batsuit for cosplay shots that gave fans a peek at what Ackles could look like as Batman in live-action. Ackles even nearly got the chance to play a live-action Batman. The actor almost appeared as Batman in Gotham Knights, but Ackles ultimately could not do it due to scheduling conflicts with another project. The information was revealed by Two-Face actor Misha Collins to Multiverse of Color, adding that Ackles "was pretty psyched about the prospect."
Ackles has commented on playing Batman in the DCU, saying, "I would love it. Sign me up." The actor also revealed that Batman is his favorite superhero. I believe that Ackles' Batman comments, the fact that the actor has already done a great job voicing the character in multiple animated films, and his live-action roles make the star the ideal candidate to take on the role in the DCU. Casting for the new Batman has yet to start, but whenever that may be, Ackles' popularity and skills should hopefully lead to at least an audition for the role.
