WITH JAMES GUNN leading the DCU into its next phase, all bets are off for who could fill out the franchise’s roster of iconic characters. David Corenswet has already snatched up the most coveted role as Superman, while Milly Alcock is Supergirl and Nathan Fillion is Green Lantern. The role of Batman, however, is still up for grabs. And with the next Batman film, titled The Brave and the Bold, already in production, the internet is deep in speculation about who could land the big gig.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise releases its own Part II starring Robert Pattinson in 2027. And while that series takes place in a seperate timeline than the primary DCU, the casting of a separate Batman for the DCU has been a touchy subject, similar to the debate over who should be the next Bond.
Austin Butler, Channing Tatum, Jacob Elordi and Dev Patel have all been tipped as contenders to be the next Batman, There’s also a chance that Pattinson could cross timelines and retain his place. But it’s 35-year-old Brandon Sklenar, the star of 1923, who has emerged as the DCU fandom’s first choice for the part.
Sklenar himself has made it known that playing Batman would be a dream come true. During a recent appearance on the Today Show, Sklenar responded to the speculation. “I mean that would be a dream, wouldn’t it?” he said. “I was working in Spain and as I walked down the street someone called ‘Batman!’ It’s wild.”
As with any superhero role, having a chiselled physique is practically a requirement. That’s especially the case with Batman, after Christian Bale set the standard in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Luckily for Sklenar, that’s one area he already has down pat.
Sklenar was obliged to go kit off during a recent photoshoot for Flaunt Magazine, revealing he’s got the body needed to play Batman locked and loaded.
No, Batman doesn’t go shirtless too often and almost exclusively wears a bulky batsuit, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have some muscle that isn’t padding.
How has Sklenar quietly achieved such a rig? In 2025, his trainer shared a look at one of Sklenar’s gym sessions, while hinting that he was training for a big role. “Training one of my best friends for his biggest role yet has been a f*cking blast,” he wrote in the caption. “We pushed through the hard days and maximised the good.”
“This is the result of showing up day after day for months and months. Hitting 2+ hour grueling workouts and eating enough elk and salmon to feed a freaking village,” he continued.
So, there you have it. If you want to get shredded like Sklenar, start looking for elk. Of course, doing a two hour training session daily and eating plenty of any type of protein will likely get you similar results.
