James Gunn Fuels ‘Batman’ Casting Rumors With Taylor Sheridan, Brandon Sklenar Comments
Along with being an excellent filmmaker and launching the rebooted DCU in an impressive fashion thus far, James Gunn is proving to be one of the best in the business at fueling fan speculation flames. Whether it's a teaser or hint about Peacemaker, or providing fans with just enough information about a specific topic to spark their interest in a movie, the DC Studios co-CEO has put on a masterclass.
That especially stands true for his future Batman film, which is expected to come after Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II and relaunch the franchise. While Gunn has revealed his Batman movie will be titled The Brave and the Bold, it’s expected to be released in 2028 or 2029. The constant hot-button topic among fans relates to the casting of Batman in the new DCU, and he recently mentioned another fan-favorite choice, 1923’s Brandon Sklenar.
What James Gunn Said About Batman Casting, Taylor Sheridan and Brandon Sklenar
Sklenar was a breakout star on the Taylor Sheridan-created Yellowstone prequel, emerging as the top choice of many on social media to play Batman. As The Hollywood Reporter highlighted, Gunn mentioned on his Peacemaker: The Official Podcast that he was watching Sheridan’s 1923, which led to obvious fan speculation.
Not surprisingly, Gunn told THR that he was “definitely not doing scouting” for the Batman role by watching 1923.
“I’m definitely not doing scouting for the Caped Crusader. But I’m always scouting when I’m watching TV shows,” Gunn says. “In fact, I really like the young woman [Julia Schlaepfer] in 1923. She is just so fantastic that I suggested her for something recently. She’s Brandon’s [Sklenar] significant other in that series.”
Whether Gunn’s being honest or not is anyone’s guess, but he’s a huge movie buff, and based on how honest he’s been about several topics regarding his projects, there’s reason to believe him. However, Gunn did go on to praise Sheridan for his work and admit that he’s a big fan of Sklenar’s.
“I’m watching [1923] because I like Taylor Sheridan’s stuff, especially that one. That’s my favorite of all his shows,” Gunn shares. “So I’m watching it mostly for fun, and I’m definitely not watching it because I need to find a Batman. By the way, I love [Sklenar]. I think he’s great. I really do. I honestly think he’s great.”
Gunn’s last line about Sklenar is hard to ignore, and it’s certainly not going to make fans take their foot off the gas while pushing for the 35-year-old to be the future face of Batman.
James Gunn’s Comments on ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson Also Fueled the ‘Batman’ Casting Hype
Gunn’s praise for Sheridan and Sklenar is noteworthy, just as his comments about Reacher star Alan Ritchson were, another top choice among Batman fans.
During an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast back in July, Gunn mentioned Batman casting and admitted he’s a “big Alan Ritchson fan.”
“Probably not, probably not in the same calendar year again. I’m not going to say if The Brave and the Bold is the first time you’ll see this Batman,” Gunn said. “I haven’t thought of casting yet. I am a big Alan Ritchson fan, both as an actor and as a guy…let’s just wait to see what happens.”
The popular director/CEO of DC Studios name-dropping a few popular fan picks to play Batman doesn’t appear to be just a stroke of luck. However, we won’t know who Gunn’s top choices are for the role anytime in the foreseeable future, which means the speculation will continue to run rampant.
Related: ‘Peacemaker’ Season 3 Fate Gets Surprising Update From James Gunn