There's a lot of mystery surrounding the DCU's Batman. The burning question on everyone's minds is who will end up playing him. Multiple fan casts have floated around online, from Brandon Sklenar to Alan Ritchson. Unfortunately, with The Brave and the Bold not looking to be any closer, and Batman not expected to show up in 2026's Clayface, the casting of the Caped Crusader seems to be quite far away... or is it?
In an unexpected turn of events, we may (emphasis on "may") have gotten a tease about DCU's Dark Knight from a surprising source. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn recently posted a picture showcasing the storyboards for his Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, which he's gearing up to start shooting in April.
A fan replied to the post with a picture of Tom Brittney (who was one of the finalists to play Clark Kent in Superman) captioned with, "Bruce says [merman emoji]." For context, the merman emoji was featured in Peacemaker, and is regularly used by Gunn on social media. Surprisingly, Gunn actually replied to the post, stating: "That guy is a great f—king actor!"
The post has very little engagement, so it's curious that Gunn chose to specifically reply to it, likely being aware of the attention it would garner. The director enjoys teasing future announcements with sneaky social media posts. A good example is the time he posted an image of Mister Terrific prior to him being announced as part of the Superman cast.
Furthermore, there's history between Tom Brittney and DC Studios. As mentioned, the actor was one of the top contenders for the role of Clark Kent, alongside David Corenswet. And here's a key thing to consider: If he likes an actor enough during an audition, Gunn keeps them in mind for future roles. This is a common practice in the industry, but the director appears particularly fond of it. A big example is Nicholas Hoult, who got the role of Lex Luthor after being a finalist for Superman.
This isn't the first time Gunn has praised Brittney either. In 2024, a fan on Threads asked him if it was true that the actor had worn and torn Henry Cavill's Man of Steel costume for his Superman audition. Gunn replied: "Yes. Tom messed it up and then Corenswet came in and he was way too tall, so it just got torn to shreds. BTW, Tom is truly one of my favorite actors. Incredibly talented guy."
Superman and Batman have typically been portrayed as having very similar builds and even facial structures in the comics, so it wouldn't be surprising to see a Clark Kent hopeful get the role of the Dark Knight.
During an interview with The Ringer-Verse, Gunn stated he had actors in mind for Batman, but cautioned those people mind not even end up playing the Dark Knight:
"I mean, do I have ideas about actors to play Batman? Absolutely, I do. I have guys I like. I have guys that are at the top of the list for me. Just like I had people that were at the top of the list for Superman. But [...] those aren't the people... they aren't David Corenswet. So, they didn't get the job."
Ultimately, this might just be Gunn praising a performer he had a good experience with during the Superman audition process. However, as mentioned, the fact that he specifically replied to a post linking him to Batman, when he doesn't respond to other posts asking him about the future of the DCU or that propose other actors for roles, says a lot about the potential importance of his response.
The Brave and the Bold does not have a release date, but the Caped Crusader will return to the big screen in The Batman Part II, which releases on October 1, 2027. Meanwhile, the next feature in the DCU, Supergirl, comes out June 26, 2026.
Do you think Gunn was hinting at Brittney being cast as Batman? Who would you pick to play the Dark Knight? Drop your thoughts in the comments!