Tyler Hoechlin has already spent the last few years saving the world as Superman, but now he’s setting his sights on Gotham. The Superman & Lois star, who wrapped his four-season run as Clark Kent in 2024, has admitted that he wants to take a swing at playing Batman in James Gunn’s DC Universe. Yes, Superman wants to be Batman.
At this year’s FAN EXPO Canada, Hoechlin joined the Men of Steel panel where ScreenRant’s Joe Deckelmeier asked if Robert Pattinson’s Batman could ever fit into Gunn’s shiny new DCU. Hoechlin jumped in with:
“Well, selfishly, I’m going to say no because I still want to play Batman. I think and I say that Rob did a fantastic, fantastic job and [with] Matt Reeves it was great.”
It’s a bold statement, especially since Hoechlin first donned the cape in Supergirl season 2 back in 2016. Back then, his Superman was often treated as more of a supporting act in the Arrowverse than a headliner. That all changed in 2021 when he led Superman & Lois, where his performance turned skeptics into fans. Over four seasons, audiences got to see a Superman who wasn’t just about punching aliens but was also a father trying to raise two boys while saving the planet. That experience might be exactly why he feels ready to take on Bruce Wayne and Damian Wayne’s father-son dynamic in The Brave and the Bold.
Of course, Hoechlin isn’t the only name floating around for the next Batman. Fans and trainers alike have been speculating wildly. Just ask 1923 actor Brandon Sklenar, whose fitness coach, Wesley Wilson, practically broke the internet with a shirtless training pic. Wilson bragged: “Training one of my best friends for his biggest role yet has been a f**king blast… Hitting 2+ hour grueling workouts and eating enough elk and salmon to feed a freaking village.” Naturally, DC fans immediately started whispering: “Wait, is he the next Batman?”
The speculation hasn’t stopped there. Fortress of Solitude even ran a fan poll, pitting three long-rumored names against each other: Scott Adkins, Alan Ritchson, and Jensen Ackles. The results? Adkins grabbed 16.7%, Ritchson flexed his muscles into 38.3%, but Ackles, who has already voiced the Dark Knight in animation, came out on top with 45% of the votes. Fortress readers clearly want to see him trade the Impala for the Batmobile.
Ackles himself isn’t against the idea. Speaking to Collider, he admitted, “You talk about not wanting to fumble the football – that’s one that I would be nervous as hell to carry. But also proud. A certain feather in the cap. Anybody who gets to wear the cowl, they got something.”
Meanwhile, Hoechlin has kept things classy when discussing his Superman successor, David Corenswet. Earlier this year, he told ScreenRant: “I’m so looking forward to see what they’re going to do with it. I think they’re great. I’m [a] huge, huge Guardians [of the Galaxy] fan, so I can’t wait to see what James has done with it. David sent me a really nice note before they started shooting. He’s a very, very classy guy, so I wish him and Rachel and Nick and everybody there the best. And for the fans too! I just hope it’s the best movie of the year.”
With Gunn’s Superman still soaring in cinemas, the big question now is who will don the cape and cowl as Batman next? Whether it’s Hoechlin, Ackles, Ritchson, or someone else entirely, DC fans are ready to meet the new Dark Knight of the DCU.
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