James Gunn Says Alan Ritchson Is a Contender for DCU’s Batman Role

In a recent interview, James Gunn was asked about the possibility of Alan Ritchson donning the Batsuit. The man with control over the future DCU productions wouldn’t commit, but he sounds like the answer isn’t no.

“I am a big Alan Ritchson fan. Both as an actor and as a guy. Let’s just wait to see what happens.”

The Batman script is not complete. Along with Wonder Woman, it’s a priority project for Gunn and the DCU. But, you have to think they’re looking at who they want to play this iconic hero, who is so central to anything in the DC comics. And, don’t forget that Robert Pattinson’s Batman is not part of the canon of the new DCU they’re building that started with Superman. So there’s room for someone completely different.

Alan Ritchson’s Credits

Ritchson is most recently well known for his role as Jack Reacher in Reacher, the action series based on novels by Lee Child. But he’s not a stranger to playing a super-powered character or even to the DCU. In the series Smallville (2005-2010), he was a young Aquaman/Arthur Curry. And, for the HBO series, Titans, he filled the role of Hawk/Hank Hall.

In an interview with Wired, he was quoted as saying, “I get asked every day if I’m playing Batman. Would I play Batman? Yes? You wouldn’t even have to pay me to be Batman. Yeah, I’d don the suit.” So he’s ready to go! And, if you’ve seen him in action, it isn’t a far stretch to picture him in the Batsuit.

When Will We Know?

It’s impossible to guess when we’ll get the official word on casting for Batman or for Wonder Woman. The scripts are still being worked on, so decisions made there will likely inform who they choose for the role. Based on Superman, Ritchson would be a good fit.  He’s proven in action roles, and he has the look to match David Corenswet’s Superman. Our take is that he’s a really good pick, and it sounds like James Gunn might think so too.