Reacher star Alan Ritchson has confirmed he won’t be playing Batman in the DCU, but he has had conversations with DC about playing “another character” instead.
Ritchson touched on the rumors that he could portray the next iteration of the Caped Crusader during a Reacher panel at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026 (via CinemaBlend). His thoughts on the matter follow years of hopeful fancasts as the DCU carves out its corner of the movie universe with a new Superman, a new Gotham, and eventually, a new Batman.
Ritchson didn’t quite outright deny that he would play Bruce Wayne in the DCU, but it sounds like the chances of it happening any time soon are slim. Still, it appears he and DC will have each other’s phones ringing for a long time to come.
“I feel like I have to address this because it comes up all the time,” Ritchson said. “I don’t ever want to lead somebody on to feel like, ‘Maybe he’s…’ I’ve had a lot of conversations with DC about what to do because we would like to work together. I still never say never – maybe Batman is in the future – but I don’t think it is.”
Ritchson has been addressing rumors that he would play Bruce Wayne in the DCU for years. He seemed amused by the idea when it was brought up in 2023, although he dodged mentioning any potential conversations about actually portraying the character. Then, in August of 2025, the Reacher actor confirmed he had spoken with DC but cast doubt on being Batman.
Fans started to get their hopes up yet again when Ritchson beat around the bush on Happy, Sad, Confused last week, but at SDCC 2026 he downplayed his chances of playing Batman once again. However, it sounds like there is at least one character both he and DC have in mind.
“We’re having conversations about another character,” he teased. “I just don’t think Batman is in the cards for me, as much as I would love to do it.”
Ritchson mentioning conversations of playing “another character” drew lots of oohs and aahs from the SDCC crowed – but who is this mystery superhero/supervillain? For now, Ritchson is keeping his lips sealed, but with the DC barreling forward every day, it hopefully won’t be too long before we hear more.
While the DCU’s Batman has not been (publicly) cast, DC will at least introduce viewers to its new Gotham when its Clayface movie comes to theaters later this year. We can at least hope to learn more as DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran move closer to releasing their Batman: The Brave and the Bold project in the future. The Batman Part 2 should help with the wait in the meantime.
Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
