As ever, the DC Cinematic Universe is in crisis. The newest release, The Flash, is having a tough time at the box office, but new head honchos James Gunn and Peter Safran are hoping to turn things around. They’re building a new DCU from the ground up, complete with brand new movies about Superman and Batman, with new actors playing each of the iconic superheroes.
This is in addition to The Batman movie with Robert Pattinson, by the way; that’s getting a sequel of its own. The new DCU Batman movie is called The Brave and the Bold, and will be about Batman fighting alongside his son Damien Wayne, who in the comics becomes the new Robin.
And who will play the new Caped Crusader? Your guess is as good as mine, but of course the rumors have already started.
Supernatural star Jensen Ackles wants to play Batman
One of the fan favorites to play the next Bruce Wayne is Supernatural veteran Jensen Ackles, who has voiced Batman in a few animated features. Is he putting on the cape and cowl?
“Uh, I don’t know. Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you,” Ackles said at the Jus In Bello Convention in Italy, per Deadline. “I mean, could I do it? Sure. Would I want to do it? Yes.”
"Look, right now nobody’s talking about anything. There’s a strike going on in the entertainment industry, and until that gets solved, nobody is having conversations about anything. Would I entertain the idea of playing my favorite superhero of all time? Nah, I’m good. It seems like a lot of work, you know. You gotta put on a bat suit and be a superhero. I would love it. Sign me up."
Ackles also acknowledged the real thing standing between him and a part in the DCU: actor Pedro Pascal, who’s lately been snapping up every role worth playing. “Will I be mad when Pedro Pascal gets it? Yeah. God bless you, Pedro. You just keep killing it, buddy. Let me know when you pass on something.”
Pedro Pascal prevented Din Djarin from showing his face in The Mandalorian season 3
Pascal got his break playing Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones, and it’s been nonstop success for him since, especially recently. He plays the title character in The Mandalorian on Disney+, lead character Joel in The Last of Us on HBO, and just got cast in Ridley Scott sequel to Gladiator. I feel like he could just show up to the set of The Brave and the Bold without being cast and the crew would zip him into the Batsuit without question.
It does help that Pascal doesn’t actually have to be present on set for The Mandalorian anymore; the character covers up his face pretty much the whole time, so all Pascal has to do is record the lines in a voice booth. That’s not to say that voice acting is easy, but not having to spend months lumbering around in a Mandalorian suit helps clear up the schedule.
“It didn’t seem true to be concerned with Din Djarin’s face,” Pascal recently told Variety. “And we also had to be economical — if it was going to be done — for it to have the most amount of impact.”
"There was actually a version of an episode of season 2 where he takes his helmet off at the beginning of the episode and is in a different kind of costume. And there was a conversation, and I was like, ‘I think we should hold it.’ And they were like, ‘Are you crazy?’ And I was like, ‘No, I really think that it should come when the stakes feel their highest.’I’m not the outlier of the universe who doesn’t care about my face. But I would much rather the show work than betray it to any kind of human need to be seen.”"
Pascal has shown his face on The Mandalorian a few times now, but not in the most recent season. If his schedule continues to be packed, I wouldn’t expect him to show it anytime soon, especially if he lands the role of Batman.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels
h/t StarWarsNewsNet