Brave and the Bold Casting Thread

[Invader Joker]

His age is genuinely my only issue tbh

By the time Brave and the Bold comes out, he's gonna be like 50. While he'd still be fine at his current age, you only have to compare Keanu Reeves' movements in JW1 vs JW4 to see just how much that "old person" style movement tends to settle in for people. I could live with it if he gets cast, obviously. He'd be such a solid choice that I'd just roll with it if that's who they went with. And could he pull a Tom Cruise with his athleticism? Sure. But I'd still rather go with someone who's gonna turn 40 by the time Brave and the Bold comes out, personally.

The thing is that it's significantly easier to go around using body doubles and stunt doubles when it's with a batsuit though. I truly don't think it'll be that big of a problem in the end.

Also idk why there's this notion as if it's expected that Batman will simply remain "in his prime" throughout the /entirety/ of the DCU 10 year plan. Like, would it really be that big of a problem if Batman's aging is addressed somehow in the last 2 films of these chapters of the DCU? It certainly wasn't a problem for Iron Man. And with how adamant Gunn was on giving the Guardians proper conclusions in his trilogy, I also think it's quite likely he'll give Superman and Batman some sort of resolution as well instead of letting their stories drag on forever.

By the end of the 10 year plan, whoever gets cast as Nightwing or Red Hood will probably be 30 and the Damian actor will be in his 20s. Having a 56 year old Batman next to that is not egregious at all and if anything it might serve the whole family dynamic better if they simply let him age alongside his sons, instead of how it is in the comics where he's expected to forever remain looking and acting as if he was in his 30s while the Robins are forever in their 20s and Damian is forever in his teens.

And with Gunn being a fan of the Morrison run I don't think it's particularly unlikely that a passing of the torch to either Damian or Dick might be the endgame here.

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

Keanu walks/runs like he has to take a **** in that film, you're not wrong. But I feel like he was doing that in all of em anyway, but I digress lol

But I'm kinda in between on it. Pace would be a pretty cool pick, but I wouldn't be too upset if he didn't get it either. The whole age thing feels tricky though. If they cast a 50 year old or a 38 year old, they can make it work within the fictional world. But will they themselves be up for the task for 10 years? Depends on the person. I think Pace could even as the older example.

For what it's worth, Goyer pitched Apple a whopping 8 season 80 episode arc for Foundation. And Pace's character on that show comes with more or less the same physical demands that would be expected of him were he cast as the DCU Batman.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

Most of the physical stuff is handled by stuntmen and cg. Even 70 y/o Keaton worked.

Pace is more than fine for the next fifteen years. Unless it’s really important to you to see shirtless Bruce scenes in every movie

 

[Invader Joker]

Most of the physical stuff is handled by stuntmen and cg. Even 70 y/o Keaton worked.

Pace is more than fine for the next fifteen years. Unless it’s really important to you to see shirtless Bruce scenes in every movie

Even then he could probably pull it off.

 

[BatsAndNights]

The thing is that it's significantly easier to go around using body doubles and stunt doubles when it's with a batsuit though. I truly don't think it'll be that big of a problem in the end.

Also idk why there's this notion as if it's expected that Batman will simply remain "in his prime" throughout the /entirety/ of the DCU 10 year plan. Like, would it really be that big of a problem if Batman's aging is addressed somehow in the last 2 films of these chapters of the DCU? It certainly wasn't a problem for Iron Man. And with how adamant Gunn was on giving the Guardians proper conclusions in his trilogy, I also think it's quite likely he'll give Superman and Batman some sort of resolution as well instead of letting their stories drag on forever.

It's not necessarily that I expect Batman to always be in his prime for the entire run, but I do think a character leaving his prime hits hardest when it's essentially for the final outing. If you stretch it out significantly over multiple films, I kinda think it shifts into this normality. Because we'd have this "out of prime Batman" for probably 6 years, if it was for two movies for example. Whereas when it's only for one film, or one 3 year long development cycle, it hits harder in terms of it being an end of an era.

Most of the physical stuff is handled by stuntmen and cg. Even 70 y/o Keaton worked.

Good CG? Maybe.

Keaton's CG in The Flash was not good CG, however.

As I said, I ain't even saying this would happen with absolute certainty. It's just a risk that comes with hiring anyone who's older and will be approaching their 60s by the time their run is up. If Lee turns up to the audition and he knocks it so far out of the park they're willing to accept that risk? I'll trust their judgment. He's definitely a great fan cast. But if I was the casting director, I'd probably go with someone a little younger to completely eliminate the potential risk.

 

[Invader Joker]

It's not necessarily that I expect Batman to always be in his prime for the entire run, but I do think a character leaving his prime hits hardest when it's essentially for the final outing. If you stretch it out significantly over multiple films, I kinda think it shifts into this normality. Because we'd have this "out of prime Batman" for probably 6 years, if it was for two movies for example. Whereas when it's only for one film, or one 3 year long development cycle, it hits harder in terms of it being an end of an era.

It'll take a long, long while for Lee Pace to get to the point where he won't be able to sell being an "in his prime" Batman, so you don't have to worry about that because it'd probably indeed be for the final outing. Keanu shot John Wick 4 when he was 56, and with a 10 year plan that's roughly the age that Lee would be for his final outing as well. (Also, again, if the narrative required them to disguise it, movie magic makes disguising this /extremely/ easy, since the batsuit does a lot for covering up stunt doubles and body doubles)

I will also note that Mr. Terrific is a character that like Batman is also supposed to be in peak physical shape, and the actor Gunn hired for that is the same age as Lee, so I really don't think he actually cares about that "risk" in the end.

As I said, I ain't even saying this would happen with absolute certainty. It's just a risk that comes with hiring anyone who's older and will be approaching their 60s by the time their run is up. If Lee turns up to the audition and he knocks it so far out of the park they're willing to accept that risk? I'll trust their judgment. He's definitely a great fan cast. But if I was the casting director, I'd probably go with someone a little younger to completely eliminate the potential risk.

My perspective is that they should just simply cast the best choice for the part that'll fit the movie at hand, and not really put /that/ much thought in where they'll be at in 10 years. Obviously some level of consideration is required, but if the actor is committed, looks great and is clearly the best pick they shouldn't really overthink it that much.
Robert Pattinson was also in the older age range of what they were looking for in The Batman, and it'd have been a giant waste if they had cast idk Alexander Ludwig or something instead under the notion that "Well in 10 years he'll be 36 while Robert will already be 42"

 

[BatsAndNights]

Robert Pattinson was also in the older age range of what they were looking for in The Batman, and it'd have been a giant waste if they had cast idk Alexander Ludwig or something instead under the notion that "Well in 10 years he'll be 36 while Robert will already be 42"

I think the difference with Rob is that while technically older in terms of being in his mid 30s, it'd be a bit silly to expect Rob to be "too old" to physically perform at 42. If anything, starting in your early to late 30s is probably the best bet for longevity given that means the actor will probably be in their late 40s to early 50s. And there's countless action stars who were 100% believable at that age. Daniel Craig did not look 51 in No Time To Die, by any stretch. But it's once you start getting past that where, as I said, it kinda starts becoming a risk of happening. And that's when I personally start thinking more about the actor's age. If their run is likely to end before that, I couldn't care less. And even if it could end at that sorta point, if they do get cast I'm hardly gonna throw my arms in the air about it. Lee's a great pick, as I said. Just one I'm mildly hesitant to get 100% behind.

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

I think the difference with Rob is that while technically older in terms of being in his mid 30s, it'd be a bit silly to expect Rob to be "too old" to physically perform at 42. If anything, starting in your early to late 30s is probably the best bet for longevity given that means the actor will probably be in their late 40s to early 50s. And there's countless action stars who were 100% believable at that age. Daniel Craig did not look 51 in No Time To Die, by any stretch. But it's once you start getting past that where, as I said, it kinda starts becoming a risk of happening. And that's when I personally start thinking more about the actor's age. If their run is likely to end before that, I couldn't care less. And even if it could end at that sorta point, if they do get cast I'm hardly gonna throw my arms in the air about it. Lee's a great pick, as I said. Just one I'm mildly hesitant to get 100% behind.

I hear what you're saying. If we were having the same conversation a few weeks ago, I'd be in total agreement with you. But a few weeks ago, Nathan Fillion and Edi Gathegi had not been officially attached to Superman: Legacy. To put it bluntly, that's a hell of a game-changer! Fillion's already in his early 50s, and, if we're being honest with ourselves, Gathegi isn't exactly the healthiest looking of 40-something-year-olds. Pace, on the other hand, looks better now than he did in his 30s. And, as other posters have noted, the costume and the stunt crew will do a lot of the heavy lifting anyway.

Don't get me wrong. Your concerns are certainly valid, but really, what's the alternative? I mean, sure, there are a few different actors who would be serviceable in the role, but will serviceable be enough to get butts in seats? That remains to be seen; but to address your other point about risk, one could just as easily say that choosing a mediocre actor over an exciting one like Pace probably isn't in the franchise's best interest either. General audiences can smell boring from a mile away, after all. In that sense, whatever risk that might come with Pace showing signs of wear of tear prematurely is at least a worthwhile one.

 

[Invader Joker]

I hear what you're saying. If we were having the same conversation a few weeks ago, I'd be in total agreement with you. But a few weeks ago, Nathan Fillion and Edi Gathegi had not been officially attached to Superman: Legacy. To put it bluntly, that's a hell of a game-changer! Fillion's already in his early 50s, and, if we're being honest with ourselves, Gathegi isn't exactly the healthiest looking of 40-something-year-olds. Pace, on the other hand, looks better now than he did in his 30s. And, as other posters have noted, the costume and the stunt crew will do a lot of the heavy lifting anyway.

Don't get me wrong. Your concerns are certainly valid, but really, what's the alternative? I mean, sure, there are a few different actors who would be serviceable in the role, but will serviceable be enough to get butts in seats? That remains to be seen; but to address your other point about risk, one could just as easily say that choosing a mediocre actor over an exciting one like Pace probably isn't in the franchise's best interest either. General audiences can smell boring from a mile away, after all. In that sense, whatever risk that might come with Pace showing signs of wear of tear prematurely is at least a worthwhile one.

Pace has always felt like a leading man in the making tbh He's always been due for a big break like this. I feel that his take on Batman would instantly become very iconic and just catapult him immediately, regardless of his age.

That's not to say that Ethan Peck or Oliver Jackson Cohen aren't good actors, or wouldn't do a serviceable job, but Lee just has /something/ that they lack, in particular for this specific type of Batman, same way that Corenswet simply fit Superman in a way that other choices didn't. There's a very specific presence that he brings that others lack that'd bring a lot for this movie and the DCU in general.

 

[Karelia]

If we are getting an older Batman, I'm down for Jensen Ackles or Sam Witwer.

Ben Barnes would be interesting too.

 

[BatsAndNights]

I hear what you're saying. If we were having the same conversation a few weeks ago, I'd be in total agreement with you. But a few weeks ago, Nathan Fillion and Edi Gathegi had not been officially attached to Superman: Legacy. To put it bluntly, that's a hell of a game-changer! Fillion's already in his early 50s, and, if we're being honest with ourselves, Gathegi isn't exactly the healthiest looking of 40-something-year-olds. Pace, on the other hand, looks better now than he did in his 30s. And, as other posters have noted, the costume and the stunt crew will do a lot of the heavy lifting anyway.

Don't get me wrong. Your concerns are certainly valid, but really, what's the alternative? I mean, sure, there are a few different actors who would be serviceable in the role, but will serviceable be enough to get butts in seats? That remains to be seen; but to address your other point about risk, one could just as easily say that choosing a mediocre actor over an exciting one like Pace probably isn't in the franchise's best interest either. General audiences can smell boring from a mile away, after all. In that sense, whatever risk that might come with Pace showing signs of wear of tear prematurely is at least a worthwhile one.

Oh yeah if the choice is between an older actor whose age is less than ideal but is phenomenal at the job vs a mediocre actor who's the perfect age, obviously I'm gonna prefer the former. And as I said, my literal only issue with Lee is his age has me slightly hesitant to back him 100%. Take that away, I think you could not ask for more. Although what is also worth mentioning, when it comes to this subject, is this


While yes, Guy Gardener and Mr Terrific are being played by older people, Gunn's said that this is a Superman who's going to be part of a world where superheroes already exist and are already established. So logically, I'd assume Guy and Terrific are meant to be part of the Old Guard, as it were. Hence them being older, while Superman's meant to basically be 30 give or take. And I think this tweet's a good indicator that Batman's gonna be somewhere a little similar, if a bit older to explain him having a son. But maybe not necessarily in his 40s. Because like Superman, Batman's gonna be part of the New Guard of superheroes. If the auditioning process comes around and not a singular person can even touch Lee, obviously it should go to him and I'd have no issues with that despite my slight reservations. But with the literal thousands of male actors with dark hair, a strong jawline and in their mid 30s, mathematically I don't see it being very likely that none of them can hold a candle to Lee. We'll just have to see what comes about with the casting process whenever that happens.

 

[Invader Joker]

While yes, Guy Gardener and Mr Terrific are being played by older people, Gunn's said that this is a Superman who's going to be part of a world where superheroes already exist and are already established. So logically, I'd assume Guy and Terrific are meant to be part of the Old Guard, as it were. Hence them being older, while Superman's meant to basically be 30 give or take. And I think this tweet's a good indicator that Batman's gonna be somewhere a little similar, if a bit older to explain him having a son. But maybe not necessarily in his 40s. Because like Superman, Batman's gonna be part of the New Guard of superheroes.

I think you are reading waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much into that tweet to be honest, especially the whole inference that Batman is part of the "new guard" of heroes lol. I truly do not know where you got that from.
Mind you the quote he was referencing was:


“He’s working. He’s a reporter. He’s at the Daily Planet. Again, we’re coming into a world where superheroes exist and have existed. So, does that mean Batman might be a couple years older than Superman? Yes, it could be.”

If anything that to me implies that Batman is also part of the old guard. I also feel that people are interpreting the whole "couple years" comment way too literally as well. It's really common to say "wait for me a couple minutes" and not literally mean 4 minutes, it's just a manner of speech. I mean, this is the same man that said he'd only announce a couple DCU projects and ended up announcing 10. It's not a word anyone uses literally.

To me the most likely scenario is that he doesn't have a set age in mind and is probably open to different possibilities depending on who fits the role the most on his eyes once he gets around he casts him.

If the auditioning process comes around and not a singular person can even touch Lee, obviously it should go to him and I'd have no issues with that despite my slight reservations. But with the literal thousands of male actors with dark hair, a strong jawline and in their mid 30s, mathematically I don't see it being very likely that none of them can hold a candle to Lee. We'll just have to see what comes about with the casting process whenever that happens.

I can see it because we've literally listed pretty much all of the ones that are even remotely recognizable and I guess it's in my opinion but none of them hold a candle to Lee for what this particular take seems go be going for. It's the same way that Gunn auditioned a bunch of actors for Superman and then it came out that yeah Corenswet was the best one after all. It often can be thought that for every role there are other dozens of actors that could do it but to be honest for big roles like this the majority of the times it really does come down to only 2-4 people in terms of people that check all the boxes and that are realistic, especially for something as recognizable as Batman, and a franchise as ambitious in their plans as the DCU.

Reposting:

Full list of actors in their 30s (Not endorsing any of them or speaking on their likelihood, just to list them all)

Gabriel Basso: December 11th, 1994. (28 now) Will be 30-31 when filming. 5'11
Leo Suter: September 26, 1993. (29 now) Will be 31-32 when filming. 6'0
Alexander Ludwig: May 7, 1992 (31 now) Will be 33-34 when filming. 6'2
Brandon Sklenar: January 29, 1991. (32 now) Will be 34-35 when filming. 6'2
Tom Brittney: October 26, 1990. (32 now) Will be 34-35 when filming. 6'2
Michele Morrone: October 3rd, 1990. (32 now) Will be 34-35 when filming. 6'2
Bill Skarsgard: August 9th, 1990. (32 now) Will be 34-35 when filming. 6'3
Aaron Taylor Johnson: June 13th 1990 (33 now) Will be 34-35 when filming. 5'10
Jeremy Irvine: June 18th 1990 (33 now) Will be 34-35 when filming. 5'11
Jack Lowden: June 2nd, 1990. (33 now) Will be 34-45 when filming. 6'0
Nicholas Hoult: December 7th, 1989. (33 now) Will be 35-36 when filming. 6'3
Tom Bateman: March 15, 1989 (34 now) Will be 35-36 when filming. 6'2
Glen Powell: October 21st, 1988 (34 now) Will be 35-36 when filming. 5'11
Jonathan Bailey: April 25, 1988. (35 now) Will be 37-38 when filming. 5'11
Robbie Amell: April 21, 1988 (35 now) Will be 37-38 when filming. 5'11
Lucas Bravo: March 26, 1988 (35 now) Will be 37-38 when filming. 6'1
Karl Glusman: January 3, 1988. (35 now) Will be 37-38 when filming. 6'2
Miles Teller: February 20, 1987. (36 now) Will be 38-39 when filming. 6'0
Zane Holtz: January 18, 1987 (36 now) Will be 38-39 when filming. 6'0
Oliver Jackson Cohen: October 24, 1986. (36 now) Will /probably/ be 38 when filming. 6'4
Sam Claflin: June 27, 1986. (36 now) Will be 38 when filming. 5'11
Ethan Peck: March 2, 1986 (37 now) Will be 38-39 when filming. 6'0
Christopher Abbott: February 1, 1986. (37 now) Will be 38-39 when filming. 5'11
Max Irons: October 17th, 1985. (37 now) Will be 39-40 when filming. 6'2
Brant Daugherty: August 20th, 1985. (37 now) Will be 39-40 when filming. 6'2.
Tom Cullen: July 17, 1985 (37 now) Will be 39 when filming. 6'0
James Norton: July 18, 1985 (38 now) Will be 40-41 when filming. 6'1
Jonathan Groff: March 26, 1985. (38 now) Will be 39-40 when filming. 5'10
Theo James: December 16, 1984. (38 now) Will be 39-40 when filming. 6'0

Again, not saying /all/ of these choices are bad (Though the overwhelming majority are) but I can't really think of anyone on this list that fits Bat-dad Grant Morrison "peak human" Batman as much as Lee does. Ethan Peck and Oliver Jackson Cohen would be fine, but even they wouldn't be as exciting as he is or at least I don't particularly find them as undeniable for this take on Batman.

 

[BatsAndNights]

I think you are reading waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much into that tweet to be honest, especially the whole inference that Batman is part of the "new guard" of heroes lol. I truly do not know where you got that from.
Mind you the quote he was referencing was:


“He’s working. He’s a reporter. He’s at the Daily Planet. Again, we’re coming into a world where superheroes exist and have existed. So, does that mean Batman might be a couple years older than Superman? Yes, it could be.”

If anything that to me implies that Batman is also part of the old guard. I also feel that people are interpreting the whole "couple years" comment way too literally as well. It's really common to say "wait for me a couple minutes" and not literally mean 4 minutes, it's just a manner of speech. I mean, this is the same man that said he'd only announce a couple DCU projects and ended up announcing 10. It's not a word anyone uses literally.

Sure, this is down to my interpretation of things but I'm not just basing it off that tweet. I'm inferring it from the casting decisions made for people who are very clearly intended to be the "Old Guard", as it were. When I'm talking about that, I'm not referring to that tweet I've quoted. I believe Gunn talking about this came from something he said on Threads, admittedly the exact source is escaping me but I am almost certain I read something like that somewhere. The fact I cannot exactly place it is gonna annoy me for a while now lmao

Anyway, a lot of this is my own inferring, I'll freely admit that, but it is still what I believe to logically make sense. I believe what Gunn is gonna be doing is have the main DC Trinity act as symbols of this changing of the guard. Where we go from heroes like The Authority, who are a little closer to a grey area vs the Trinity/Justice League, who are unquestionably acts of good. And I think the age of Superman, in comparison to the other heroes cast in Legacy, is a good reflection of that. In terms of established facts, it's quite apparent that's the intention with Superman. And I don't think assuming Gunn's gonna do the same for the main Trinity is necessarily that unreasonable. Obviously, I could be wrong. But that's what makes the most sense to me, personally.

As for the couple years thing, I dunno. Gunn's already said that Superman's gonna be "Corenswet age", so that more or less puts him at late 20s to early 30s. If this Batman was gonna be upwards of 10 years older than that, I think Gunn would've mentioned something. I don't see him saying Batman will be a "couple years older" and meaning that he's literally a decade older. As I said, I think the intention there is Gunn basically saying Batman will be a bit older to justify Damian's existence as a 10 year old. But because Superman is meant to be part of the "New Guard", I don't see Batman being part of the "Old Guard" because he doesn't fit what that means thematically. It makes more sense for Batman to be part of this New Guard, representing with Superman, as this unquestionable act of good in comparison to the more grey superheroes of old.

I can see it because we've literally listed pretty much all of the ones that are even remotely recognizable and I guess it's in my opinion but none of them hold a candle to Lee for what this particular take seems go be going for. It's the same way that Gunn auditioned a bunch of actors for Superman and then it came out that yeah Corenswet was the best one after all. It often can be thought that for every role there are other dozens of actors that could do it but to be honest for big roles like this the majority of the times it really does come down to only 2-4 people in terms of people that check all the boxes and that are realistic, especially for something as recognizable as Batman, and a franchise as ambitious in their plans as the DCU.

Reposting:




Again, not saying /all/ of these choices are bad (Though the overwhelming majority are) but I can't really think of anyone on this list that fits Bat-dad Grant Morrison "peak human" Batman as much as Lee does. Ethan Peck and Oliver Jackson Cohen would be fine, but even they wouldn't be as exciting as he is or at least I don't particularly find them as undeniable for this take on Batman.

I have one question when it comes to this list you've compiled

What exactly is it based off? What's the original source you've used to compile this?

 

[Invader Joker]

Sure, this is down to my interpretation of things but I'm not just basing it off that tweet. I'm inferring it from the casting decisions made for people who are very clearly intended to be the "Old Guard", as it were. When I'm talking about that, I'm not referring to that tweet I've quoted. I believe Gunn talking about this came from something he said on Threads, admittedly the exact source is escaping me but I am almost certain I read something like that somewhere. The fact I cannot exactly place it is gonna annoy me for a while now lmao

Anyway, a lot of this is my own inferring, I'll freely admit that, but it is still what I believe to logically make sense. I believe what Gunn is gonna be doing is have the main DC Trinity act as symbols of this changing of the guard. Where we go from heroes like The Authority, who are a little closer to a grey area vs the Trinity/Justice League, who are unquestionably acts of good. And I think the age of Superman, in comparison to the other heroes cast in Legacy, is a good reflection of that. In terms of established facts, it's quite apparent that's the intention with Superman. And I don't think assuming Gunn's gonna do the same for the main Trinity is necessarily that unreasonable. Obviously, I could be wrong. But that's what makes the most sense to me, personally.

Yeaaaah I think you're making a lot of assumptions. Gunn has never even mentioned anything about there even being an "old guard" of sorts and it's not like the Mr. Terrific actor is ancient or even looks old lol (Not to mention... Hawkgirl is 21)
They're probably just the heroes that are active around the same time that Superman is active, but they started before him for whatever reason, just like Batman inevitably did.

And even if there was "a new guard" and an "old guard"... come on dude Batman has a Bat-Family by this point, he has Damian and Dick is presumably already Nightwing. Regardless of Batman's specific age, it's pretty obvious that Batman in this universe has been around for longer than Superman. It makes more sense he'd be part of an "old guard" if there even is an "old guard" since just by what little we know we can infer he's significantly farther in his career than Superman is.

And honestly the way he responded to the Superman age question just makes me think he doesn't actually care about the specific ages of any of these characters lol. Wouldn't be surprised if there's actually zero references or placements to the age of anybody in the actual film. In the very tweet you showed he literally said "I just said Superman would be younger than his 40s" which kinda makes me think the specific age of the Superman actor was never a concern for him to begin with, he just wanted someone that could play "Superman that's not middle aged and clearly far into his career".

As for the couple years thing, I dunno. Gunn's already said that Superman's gonna be "Corenswet age", so that more or less puts him at late 20s to early 30s. If this Batman was gonna be upwards of 10 years older than that, I think Gunn would've mentioned something. I don't see him saying Batman will be a "couple years older" and meaning that he's literally a decade older.

It's just such a vague phrasing, man. Have you never been told "Wait for me a couple minutes" and then you have to wait like 30 minutes? lol It's not the sort of thing that you should really take mega-literally.

And why would he mention any specifics in regards to Batman yet? The movie isn't even written yet, he doesn't know when exactly it's gonna start casting, and like I said I doubt he'll even be especially prioritizing the exact age one way or another. I mean this is quite literally the latest he said in the subject:


He can't exactly discount any possibilities just yet.

I have one question when it comes to this list you've compiled

What exactly is it based off? What's the original source you've used to compile this?

I scrolled through 1000 names of actors in that age range in imdb and compiled all which even remotely fit the "possible Batman contender" criteria (White, tall, handsome, etc)

MDb: Birth Date between 1983-01-01 and 1993-01-01, Male, with Height Info (Sorted by Popularity Ascending) - IMDb

Maybe I missed a few but probably not many. And I could've scrolled down even further but past the 1000 number it's entering truly unknown "barely has anything on their imdb" territory so I didn't think it was even worth to check those out since the chances an actor of that type gets cast as Batman are pretty much zero. Even some of the names I included are already stretching it.

 

[Boom]

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

Although what is also worth mentioning, when it comes to this subject, is this


While yes, Guy Gardener and Mr Terrific are being played by older people, Gunn's said that this is a Superman who's going to be part of a world where superheroes already exist and are already established. So logically, I'd assume Guy and Terrific are meant to be part of the Old Guard, as it were. Hence them being older, while Superman's meant to basically be 30 give or take. And I think this tweet's a good indicator that Batman's gonna be somewhere a little similar, if a bit older to explain him having a son. But maybe not necessarily in his 40s. Because like Superman, Batman's gonna be part of the New Guard of superheroes. If the auditioning process comes around and not a singular person can even touch Lee, obviously it should go to him and I'd have no issues with that despite my slight reservations. But with the literal thousands of male actors with dark hair, a strong jawline and in their mid 30s, mathematically I don't see it being very likely that none of them can hold a candle to Lee. We'll just have to see what comes about with the casting process whenever that happens.

Having initially come to the same conclusion on the basis of that tweet myself, I'd agree that's certainly one way to look at it. But here's the thing: one way isn't the only way. For all we know, in saying that Batman "might be a couple years older" than Clark, Gunn could have very well been speaking off the cuff. Point being, nothing in his tweet firmly indicates that Bruce will be older than Clark by only X amount of years.

This "old guard/new guard" theory feels even less anchored to material facts, IMO. I know it's just a bit of healthy extrapolation on your part, but who's to say that Batman's role in the DCU can't be similar to that of The Comedian's in Watchmen? Hell, Gardner and Terrific themselves might still be active superheroes. We really don't know at this point. What we do know is that Gunn isn't opposed to casting heroes with older actors, however. We have unequivocal evidence in the recent casting of Fillion and Gathegi as Superman: Legacy's Guy Gardner and Mr. Terrific, respectively. That, at the very least, increases the possibility that Gunn won't be deterred by Pace's age when casting his new Batman.

One last point: When you say "thousands of male actors", you're referring to unknowns, right? Fair enough. But I can see the studio going for someone a little more recognizable than, say, a Tom Brittney type, if that makes any sense. And when I look at reasonably well known actors in the 30-something age range (not talking household names, mind you), it's basically slim pickens. Peck and Cohen are among the best of the lot, but so many others lack the intensity that I'd want to see from this latest take on the character. On the flip side, look at Bateman, or even Theo James. Both are tall, dark, and athletic, but the former would likely be serviceable at most, and the latter isn't even that. Would I still watch the movie if one of those guys were cast in the role? Begrudgingly, yes, but only because Legacy's already off to such a great start, and I really want to see where all this goes. But really, we can do so much better than a purely superficial choice in Batman.

 

[Invader Joker]

Having initially come to the same conclusion on the basis of that tweet myself, I'd agree that's certainly one way to look at it. But here's the thing: one way isn't the only way. For all we know, in saying that Batman "might be a couple years older" than Clark, Gunn could have very well been speaking off the cuff. Point being, nothing in his tweet firmly indicates that Bruce will be older than Clark by only X amount of years.

This "old guard/new guard" theory feels even less anchored to material facts, IMO. I know it's just a bit of healthy extrapolation on your part, but who's to say that Batman's role in the DCU can't be similar to that of The Comedian's in Watchmen? Hell, Gardner and Terrific themselves might still be active superheroes. We really don't know at this point. What we do know is that Gunn isn't opposed to casting heroes with older actors, however. We have unequivocal evidence in the recent casting of Fillion and Gathegi as Superman: Legacy's Guy Gardner and Mr. Terrific, respectively. That, at the very least, increases the possibility that Gunn won't be deterred by Pace's age when casting his new Batman.

One last point: When you say "thousands of male actors", you're referring to unknowns, right? Fair enough. But I can see the studio going for someone a little more recognizable than, say, a Tom Brittney type, if that makes any sense. And when I look at reasonably well known actors in the 30-something age range (not talking household names, mind you), it's basically slim pickens. Peck and Cohen are among the best of the lot, but so many others lack the intensity that I'd want to see from this latest take on the character. On the flip side, look at Bateman, or even Theo James. Both are tall, dark, and athletic, but the former would likely be serviceable at most, and the latter isn't even that. Would I still watch the movie if one of those guys were cast in the role? Begrudgingly, yes, but only because Legacy's already off to such a great start, and I really want to see where all this goes. But really, we can do so much better than a purely superficial choice in Batman.

In my opinion if youth was a pressing concern for Gunn in terms of how he wanted to cast Batman he wouldn't have chosen a storyline about a mega-established Batman as the direct basis of the film. Same thing if it was /that/ important for him that Batman and his early-career Superman were similar ages.

I mostly just read his responses to the subject as an "I don't know, could go either way depending on who we cast", especially the latest one he gave about having no clue about what Batman's age will be because they haven't cast the actor yet. To me he couldn't be more clear he doesn't actually have a mega-fixed age range in mind. (Even in the earliet tweet he emphasized the "MIGHT" twice)

It's probably really likely that whatever shortlist ends up forming for DCU Batman has mid 30 something and mid 40 something year olds alike.

 

[Invader Joker]

The begging has started. (And with any luck it'll end up being another Michael Jai White situation)

 

[Invader Joker]

 

[Eddie Dean]

The begging has started. (And with any luck it'll end up being another Michael Jai White situation)

At least Michael Jai actually ended up in a Batman, something that Jensen will never do.l

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

I have wanted Ryan Gosling as Batman since 2011, I hope they finally can snag him this time. They tried to get him for Justice League Mortal, Green Lantern, Suicide Squad, and BVS.

There are few actors that wouldn’t feel like a downgrade from Pattinson. You can’t go from Pattinson to Scott Adkins or Jensen Ackles, it’s too big of a jump. Those guys would both be good in a tv show but compared to Pattinson they’re not in the same league of ability.

Pattinson is in an elite group, guys like Gyllenhaal or Gosling can compete but that’s the level of ability they should shoot for.

 

[Invader Joker]

I have wanted Ryan Gosling as Batman since 2011, I hope they finally can snag him this time. They tried to get him for Justice League Mortal, Green Lantern, Suicide Squad, and BVS.

There are few actors that wouldn’t feel like a downgrade from Pattinson. You can’t go from Pattinson to Scott Adkins or Jensen Ackles, it’s too big of a jump. Those guys would both be good in a tv show but compared to Pattinson they’re not in the same league of ability.

Pattinson is in an elite group, guys like Gyllenhaal or Gosling can compete but that’s the level of ability they should shoot for.

I can't see Gosling as Batman as anything other than a miscast. Even in DC there are probably about 15 characters he'd be better suited for. Gyllenhaal might work though.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Gosling as Batman would be maybe the biggest casting coup DC ever pulled off. I just don't think it'll ever happen, especially not in this movie.

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

Gosling as Batman would be maybe the biggest casting coup DC ever pulled off. I just don't think it'll ever happen, especially not in this movie.

Agreed completely, I’ve wanted this to happen for so long and WB kept trying to make it work . Maybe this will finally be the time he commits. I think he would be perfect as BatDad

 

[Invader Joker]

I really think Gosling would be more suited for characters like Flash, Booster Gold, Animal Man, Catman, etc.

I know he can do more than just comedy, but comedy seems to be one area in specific where he really excels at so if he were to join a superhero franchise I'd rather have it be in a role where he can use his full strengths as an actor. Batman doesn't seem like the best pick for him, and to be honest he doesn't seem like the best pick for Batman either. There are more ideal picks for Gosling and there are more ideal picks for Batman as well.

He also strikes me as a bizarre match for Corenswet. It's just a weird pairing that I don't think would work well.