Robert Pattinson is playing Batman in Matt Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga, but he won’t be the Dark Knight in the mainline DC Universe. Because the two continuities are separate from each other, there’s been much speculation about who will play the DCU’s Caped Crusader. Reacher star Alan Ritchson has emerged as a popular fan pick, but he’s just one name who’s been suggested. DC Studios co-head James Gunn has a full lineup of frequent collaborators; many of his Guardians of the Galaxy stars have already been featured in the DCU. Gunn would love to work with another one of the Guardians again, but he won’t be casting that actor as Batman.
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In an interview with the YouTube channel PelucheEn ElEstuche, Gunn was asked if he could see Star-Lord actor Chris Pratt play Batman one day. “As Batman, no. As something, yes,” Gunn said. “Chris Pratt’s one of my best friends. We talk all the time. He’s a great guy, and he would love to do something at DC. I would for him to do something at DC.”
Fans Still Have To Wait a While for the DCU’s Batman To Debut
Though fans have been speculating about who could play the DCU’s Batman for a long time, casting that role is not a priority for Gunn at the moment. Reeves’ The Batman Part II is scheduled to hit theaters in October 2027, and Gunn has previously said he doesn’t want the DCU’s Batman feature The Brave and the Bold to premiere in the same calendar year. That means The Brave and the Bold won’t debut until 2028 at the earliest — and that’ll depend on a variety of factors such as how that script progresses and how quickly Reeves’ third Batman movie comes to fruition.
As the DCU finds its footing, Gunn and Co. do not appear to be in a rush to introduce a bevy of new characters. Reports have indicated DC Studios plans to release just 1-2 movies per year. Supergirl and Clayface are slated for 2026, with The Batman Part II following the year after. The limited output is part of Gunn’s strategy to emphasize quality over quantity; no DC Studios project will begin production until a script is finished and Gunn is happy with it.
With all that in mind, it’ll probably be at least a few years before Pratt joins the DCU. His involvement with the franchise depends on which films move ahead first and if he’d be a strong fit for any of them. Gunn isn’t going to cast Pratt in something just because they’re friends; he wants to make sure it’s the right part. Furthermore, Pratt could still have some Marvel Cinematic Universe obligations to fulfill. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 promised Star-Lord will return, but it hasn’t been confirmed when that will happen. Pratt likely won’t come to DC until he’s finished with Marvel; plenty of actors have appeared in both franchises, but rarely simultaneously.
Pratt has the dramatic chops to pull off serious and emotional moments (as seen throughout the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy), so he wouldn’t just be a joke factory if he played Batman. But Gunn’s right in saying Pratt wouldn’t be a good fit for that particular role. It’s a character that wouldn’t make the best use of Pratt’s skill set as an actor. Not only that, Pratt’s a very famous face at this point, and it might be better if a relative unknown is cast (a la David Corenswet as Superman), making it easier for him to slide into the role.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
