Hollywood has a Batman issue. Well, sort of. There has been no shortage of Batman interpretations over the years, with some of them being better than others in the role. And we have a situation now where Robert Pattinson is playing Batman in the Matt Reeves universe – which has both a sequel and a Max series structured around The Penguin on the horizon – but also a need for a Batman in James Gunn’s DCU. For a while now, many fans have been linking Reacher star Alan Ritchson to the role… so much so that hulking actor finally addressed the rumors in a way that will have enthusiasts cheering him on.
The Batman interpretations have fit many a mold. There have been stealth Batmen (Christian Bale), cool Batmen (Michael Keaton), and menacing Batmen (Ben Affleck). Robert Pattinson’s take is kinda emo, with the second-year caped crusader more interested in playing the brooding bat than the charismatic Bruce Wayne angle. Because of Alan Ritchson’s physique, many assume he’d fit well into the heroic persona. And during a recent conversation with THR, the Reacher star finally embraced the rumors, saying:
I would love to play Batman. There, I said it, OK? I’ll shout it from the rooftops! I want to be Bruce Wayne! Here’s the thing about Batman. You know what his superpower is? Intelligence. Dude is the smartest superhero there is. He’s inventive, and he’s got all the gadgets. But he’s super smart. I want to be that guy. And also to have a cave with hyper cars. Sports cars, and awesome motorcycles. … I’m into that stuff.
I personally love his reasoning behind wanting to play Batman. And it’s true. The hero historically is described as The World’s Greatest Detective, and Matt Reeves in his storytelling made Bruce Wayne more of a sleuth than, say, Zack Snyder’s approach in his storytelling. The Batman was almost like Se7en with capes, and the movie was outstanding because of that. Because we expect Reeves to continue with that tone in his delayed The Batman: Part 2, James Gunn might want a unique approach, and that’s why I’d argue that Ritchson is an excellent fit.
Where do we expect to see Batman in the upcoming DCU stories? The obvious answer is the already announced The Brave and the Bold, a movie that is part of Gunn’s slate that plans to adapt Grant Morrison’s run of comics and elaborate on the relationship between Batman and Damian Wayne, the son Bruce has with Talia al Ghul. However, there also has been news about a live-action Teen Titans movie that could introduce the DCU’s Batman. Or, the Caped Crusader could appear in one of the TV shows Gunn plans to produce that will be available with a subscription to Max.
I’m unsure exactly what James Gunn is looking for in a Batman, but I can tell you that I love Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher, and he’s highly entertaining opposite the former Superman (Henry Cavill) in Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. So, his future is bright, no matter what happens.
