Reacher star Alan Ritchson is one of the most popular Batman fan-castings there is, but the huge star has suggested he won’t play the Caped Crusader in the DCU, despite having spoken about a role with James Gunn.
In an interview with Variety, Ritchson revealed “words have been exchanged about Batman,” suggesting he and Gunn have chatted about the high-profile The Brave and the Bold role. But then we get the kicker: “I strongly don’t think that Batman is in my future.”
There is hope for Ritchson in the DC Universe, however. “I do think there is something in my future with DC,” he said. “And I would like that to remain true.”
The DCU Batman is one of the most-anticipated roles in Hollywood, although we know of more people who are out of the picture than in the frame. James Gunn recently ruled out Marvel star Chris Pratt for Batman, although it sounds like his Guardians of the Galaxy pal will make it into the DCU eventually.
In February, Gunn and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran confirmed The Brave and the Bold will introduce a new Batman into the DCU, ruling out Robert Pattinson crossing the streams in the process. At the time, Safran and Gunn said Pattinson would play Batman in Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga only.
So what does the prospect of Reeves’ The Batman 2 in 2027 and The Batman 3 coming out after mean for the timing of The Brave and the Bold? Gunn faces the potentially confusing situation of having two actors playing Batman in movies across two different DC universes.
As of February, The Brave and the Bold was said to be in “very active development,” and the story was “coming together very nicely.” But is The Flash director Andy Muschietti still directing? Gunn and Safran are developing the script, and will show it to Muschietti “when we have it in a place where we think it’s ready to go… and see if it’s a fit for him,” Safran said earlier this year. “I’m very, very actively involved in that script,” Gunn added, also earlier this year.
Speaking more recently on Batman, Gunn said he’s not actually writing The Brave and the Bold, but is working with an unnamed writer to “get it right.”
“Batman’s my biggest issue in all of DC right now, personally,” he said. “And it’s not — I’m not writing Batman, but I am working with the writer of Batman and trying to get it right, because he’s incredibly important to DC, as is Wonder Woman.
“So outside of the stuff that I’m doing in the projects that are actively going, our two priorities are finishing our Wonder Woman and our Batman scripts.”
Gunn then discussed in vague terms the kind of Batman he’s going for — or, perhaps it would be better to say the kind of Batman he’s trying to avoid.
“Batman has to have a reason for existing, right? So Batman can’t just be, ‘Oh, we’re making a Batman movie because Batman’s the biggest character in all of Warner Bros.,’ which he is. But because there’s a need for him in the DCU and a need that he’s not exactly the same as Matt’s Batman.
“But yet he’s not a campy Batman. I’m not interested in that. I’m not interested in a funny, campy Batman, really. So we’re dealing with that. I think I have a way in, by the way. I think I really know what it’s — I just am dealing with the writer to make sure that we can make it a reality.”
Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
