James Gunn shares rationale for casting DCU Batman, says Batman is "future best pals" with Superman

Batman’s live-action status remains unknown, and likely will for a while yet, but James Gunn is at least publicly acknowledging internal movement within the studio to finally put Batman in the DCU proper. After establishing the canon status of his 2021 film The Suicide Squad in a discussion on the official one-shot podcast, The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? (you can watch the video below for the answer, which naturally comes loaded with caveats), Gunn, joined by co-hosts and Squad co-stars Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee, briefly broached the Bat-topic. When asked whether an actor’s appearance in Squad would block them from appearing in future DCU movies, Gunn was adamant it wouldn’t and, surprisingly, cited Batman’s casting as an example of a returning actor slotting into a new role in future DC projects. (Like how former Aquaman star Jason Momoa appeared as Lobo in this summer’s Supergirl.) “It won’t be too long before we’re casting Batman—who isn’t cast yet, by the way,” Gunn said, dismissing persistent claims to the contrary by speculative DC wonks online. “It’s all bullshit.” 

“But when we do cast the DCU Batman, which isn’t very far away—you know, if I gave somebody a day role in Suicide Squad that’s gonna be the best Batman, I’m not gonna rule him out from that,” he said. (Exciting news for Michael Rooker!) “One of the things that excites me about casting Batman is being able to pick a Batman who’s actually the best actor for that role.” Gunn went on to note that every film version of Superman was chosen based on how well an actor fits the role, while Batman roles have more commonly been cast with movie stars, an indication, maybe, that securing a big name for Batman isn’t top of mind for the studio. (With apologies to Paul Giamatti.) Age, however, will be a big factor in casting. “That’s a huge thing. Roughly, Batman and Superman are around the same age,” Gunn explained. “They’re future best pals.” You hear that, David Corenswet? You’re about to have a new best friend—and sooner rather than later!

You can watch the full DC canon conversation in the video below.