10 Actors Who Could Play CW’s Batman
Batman should be a presence on CW TV
Say what you want about the DC movie universe, but in TV land, DC is thriving, especially on the CW network, which has no less than 5 shows devoted to various DC properties. And yet, it does feel like there’s a couple big gaping holes in that universe. Some of DC’s biggest heroes such as Wonder Woman, until recently Superman and Batman are nowhere to be found. At least part of this definitely seems to be Warner Bros. frankly arbitrary and nonsensical approach to what characters the TV shows are allowed to use, even though they claim DC TV & movies are separate and therefore TV should be able to use whatever characters they want for their shows. But the recent casting of Superman on Supergirl seems to be a sign that those rules are lightening up some finally, and with that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of who I think would make a good fit for CW’s very own Caped Crusader, Batman!
Now, this is not a knock on Gotham or David Mazouz, both of which I enjoy. But assuming we actually got to the point where David Mazouz was actually Batman, that’s not only at least several years off, but where Gotham presumably ends and odds are if they did some kind of Batman: Year One spin-off, it wouldn’t have anything to do with the CW shows.
Also, I’m not saying Batman needs a TV show. You save him for big events, maybe even go to the city of Gotham on some other shows every now and again, but he should basically be an occasional guest star, which would actually free him to jump from show to show as needed.
So with that in mind, here are 10 actors who I think could fill out the role of CW’s Batman nicely. I had certain rules for this list. One: They had to be younger than Ben Affleck, who is 43 and specifically plays a Batman who has been around for decades. And experienced Batman is certainly fine, but I didn’t want someone who was on the tail-end of their crime-fighting career. Two: While it could be someone from a CW show (otherwise that cuts off like 90% of young actors), they could not currently be on a CW DC show. Three: It has to be someone who would believably take the role of Batman on the CW network, so that also limits the pool to a certain level of actor, for better or worse (i.e. very few top level stars would do a TV show, much less a CW TV show).
This also isn’t the definitive list of actors who should play Batman and there are no other choices, there are honestly too many shows and too many actors to not miss at least a few perfectly valid choices. But with that in mind, here are 10 actors who I think could definitely do a good job playing Batman on the CW.
Next: #10. Nick Jonas
#10. Nick Jonas
Ok, before the hate starts, again keep in mind this has to be someone who would realistically work on a CW show, and that’s Nick Jonas to a T. You also might say Nick Jonas is a pop star, not an actor. But you’d be vastly underestimating this guy’s acting chops. Not only was he one of the few really good parts of the first season of Scream Queens, showing some great comedic range (and yes, Batman needs to be able to crack a joke every now and again), if you are questioning his physical ability, he was able to convincingly pull off being an MMA-type fighter in the short-lived TV series Kingdom. So he has the chops and the physical ability.
But honestly the one big thing working against Nick Jonas is something he cannot change anytime soon, his age. While CW is a land of young actors, Jonas at 23 would be younger than Grant Gustin, and Batman should probably at least feel like he’s older than The Flash unless you really want him to be like a Batman: Year One type of character. It’s certainly an outside the box choice, but sometimes those result in the best performances and I think Nick Jonas as Batman/Bruce Wayne could absolutely fall into that category.
Next: #9.Rick Cosnett
#9. Rick Cosnett
Ok let’s get this out of the way first. Yes, Rick Cosnett played officer Eddie Thawne on The Flash. And as Flash specifically deals with other dimensions as well as time travel, there is no reason that he couldn’t show up as Eddie Thawne again at any time on The Flash or for that matter Legends of Tomorrow and casting him as Bruce Wayne/Batman would mean we’ll never see Eddie Thawne again, and people (as far as I know) liked Eddie Thawne. It’s actually the reason he’s not higher on the list.
That being said, it seems wrong to exclude Rick Cosnett from the list just because he played a character who has in fact died on a CW DC show and may never be heard from again (although that may change in Season 3 of The Flash, who knows). I think Cosnett showed plenty of range and the ability to go dark on both The Flash and the new series Quantico. He’s also got that kind of more gruff exterior that might be a better fit for a playboy billionaire who’s lived a kind of hard lifestyle, even if it’s mostly keeping up appearances. Bottom line I think he could pull off a very good Batman/Bruce Wayne and while fans might be a little bummed that Eddie could never come back with a move like this, he could pull off a good enough performance as The Dark Knight that they won’t care.
Next: #8. Robert Buckley
#8. Robert Buckley
Ok, I want to stress here that I absolutely LOVE iZombie. And in no way want Robert Buckley to stop playing Major Lilywhite. His bromance with Raj is fantastic, and he had one of the most interesting turns of the whole run of the show so far. That’s also the main reason he’s low on this list, because I love the show, and don’t really want any of the principal actors leaving. And I realize that technically iZombie is a show based on a DC comic, but it’s really its own separate thing.
But specifically, it has been all that Robert Buckley has been able to convey as Major Lilywhite in two seasons of iZombie that makes me think he’d be a great Batman if offered the part. He’s gone some incredibly dark and emotional places which is not something you’d expect of an actor who is basically playing a naïve frat boy. As much as I would hate for Robert Buckley to be off iZombie at any point, if it’s to step into the cape and cowl of Batman, I think it would be an opportunity he shouldn’t pass up and would do a fantastic job.
Next: #7. David Giuntoli
#7. David Giuntoli
Yup, David Giuntoli is still going strong as monster hunter Nick Burkhardt on Grimm. But let’s face it, that’s a show that while it certainly has it loyal fans, is a bubble show on Friday night on network TV, which could pretty much be canceled at an executive’s whim, which probably increases with each season, and Grimm is coming up on its sixth with a reduced episode order.
So if Grimm does happen to get canceled, Giuntoli seems like he’d be able to jump to another network like CW and fill the role of Batman. And while he’s certainly got the chops and has plenty of experience doing the action hero thing, he also arguably more than anybody else on this list, just looks like he could totally be Bruce Wayne straight from the comic book page. It’s like, no one should care if Bruce Wayne has blond hair or is played by a foreign actor. But if you want an actor who looks like Bruce Wayne from the pages of DC Comics, David Giuntoli seems like a really solid choice.
Next: #6. Dave Franco
#6. Dave Franco
Granted, Dave Franco is mostly known for comedic roles in stuff like 21 Jump Street and Neighbors. But I think he’s due for a shot at a more dramatic role, and actually his work in movies like the ones I previously mentioned make me think he’s pretty damn perfect to play a youngish Bruce Wayne that is very much putting on a façade of being a rich party boy. I also like the idea that’s he a little more high profile actor than most of the others on this list, but someone who is pretty willing to jump back and forth between both TV and movies.
The one thing going against Dave Franco vs. virtually every other actor on this list is that he doesn’t have much experience being an action hero on the movie or TV side. But that’s nothing that couldn’t be fixed with some training and a good stunt double. I mean, Grant Gustin was mostly known for Glee before he was The Flash, I don’t think most people would’ve thought of him as the lead for an action-heavy superhero show. It’s aiming a little high in terms of profile, but I think nabbing Dave Franco for the role of CW’s Batman would be a huge get and a challenging role that would really allow Franco to stretch as a performer.
Next: #5. Jack Falahee
#5. Jack Falahee
Yeah, it might be really hard to snatch up Jack Falahee, as How To Get Away With Murder is a red hot show. But as the ruthless and sometimes completely two-faced Connor Walsh on that show, it’s hard not to see him as someone who can really pull of the required duality of being both Batman and Bruce Wayne in the same manner.
Granted, much like Dave Franco, he doesn’t really have any action roles on his resume, but as far as somehow who could really pull off the dramatic range required, I think Jack Falahee is arguably the best actor on this list. He’s probably the guy who could pull off showing the pain Batman deals with every day of his life better than most actors on TV. Granted, he’s already gotten his breakout role, but Jack Falahee as the first guy to be TV’s Batman (not counting animated appearances of course) since goddamn Adam West and giving a defining performance that stands up there with guys who are huge fan favorites would seem like a great opportunity that would really raise his profile.
Next: #4. Richard Madden
#4. Richard Madden
I mean, Richard Madden seems like a super obvious choice for this role if you have seen the guy’s work. His first big role was as a boxer in Cinderella Man (fantastic movie btw), and he showed great physicality and range there. Granted, he’s Scottish, but he can pull off a number of accents including American very well. He’s obviously garnered great acclaim for his big breakout role as Robb Stark on the hit HBO show Game Of Thrones. He’s higher profile than your average CW actor, but not so high I don’t think he’s out of the realm of possibilities.
He’s got the chops, the look and the physicality already. Really, the biggest obstacle to him taking up this role is that he seems fairly ensconced over in the U.K. and may not want to relocate to Vancouver, where all the DC TV shows are filmed, for months at a time. But that’s why I also think if Batman was a sort of guest character that didn’t actually have a TV show and only showed up for big events on the other shows, it would be a perfect fit for him. I don’t think I need to sell you anymore on this idea. Richard Madden is the right age, has the right experience, the range. He might not be my personal top pick just because I have a few personal choices to round out the top 3, but on paper, Richard Madden might be the best overall choice to play Batman on TV.
Next: #3. Aaron Ashmore
#3. Aaron Ashmore
No, that’s not Iceman from the X-men movies. You may not be aware of this, but Shawn Ashmore, who is known for roles like Iceman in the X-Men movies and the following actually has a twin brother with a fairly successful career all his own. Aaron is probably best known for roles in Warehouse 13 and actually as another DC character, Jimmy Olsen on Smallville.
And that being on shows like the ones mentioned is really what Aaron Ashmore brings to the role better than arguably any other actor on this list. Tons of experience in genre shows. Some actors definitely act like genre shows (which comic books shows basically are) shouldn’t be treated as seriously as other shows, and while they might never be Emmy material, it still shows when they don’t really care about the role. Aaron Ashmore is a dude who has pretty much built his career on genre shows, so he’s used to the atmosphere, and never treats it like something that’s beneath him or something that’s just another job. I also feel frankly like Aaron Ashmore is just the right level of actor for this, where he’s known for a few things, but this would be a really high profile job for him and something he wouldn’t leave anytime soon if he got the part.
Next: #2. Enver Gjokaj
#2. Enver Gjokaj
Look, if Agent Carter ever gets some miracle renewal on Netflix or something, I’ll be one of the first to insist that Enver Gjokaj gets his role back as Agent Sousa, because damn that show was great. But Agent Carter has gone to cancellation land and as such, Enver Gjokaj is pretty much the only actor on this list without a current gig. That isn’t enough to get somebody on this list obviously, but it helps in addition to me thinking he can fill the role really well.
And actually it’s not even Gjokaj’s run as Agent Sousa that got me thinking he’d do really well in the part of Batman/Bruce Wayne, but his work on the short-lived Joss Whedon show Dollhouse that really made me think he’d be a great fit for the role. In Dollhouse, Gjokaj always had to play many different personalities, and what is Bruce Wayne/Batman but a guy who plays several different personalities, but is also a master at impersonation. Dollhouse was a pretty uneven show, but that doesn’t change the fact the Gjokaj showed plenty of range during the show’s run. He’s a super talented actor who probably won’t be out of work for long, and if his next role involves throwing a few batarangs at some bad guys, I’m all for it.
Next: #1. Jensen Ackles
#1. Jensen Ackles
When I started thinking about this list, there was one name that came to mind immediately and that was Jensen Ackles. Granted, he’s on Supernatural, a show I enjoy, but one that’s also about to start it’s 11th season, so it’s got to be coming to the end soon I would think. Ackles is also a little bit older than most of the actors on this list at 38, which while certainly not old, might make him feel a little out of place teaming up with a bunch of actors years younger.
How Ackles might be perfect for the role of Batman though, is if you want an experienced Batman, but not one quite as world weary as Ben Affleck’s movie Batman. Just someone who has done a few rounds with the Joker and The Riddler and knows the score of crime fighting. One thing is for sure, I think Jensen Ackles has shown he can play a guy who is cold and detached and does whatever it takes to get the job done, but still has a spark of hope and humanity left in him. For that reason if they were to actually cast a Batman for The CW network, Jensen Ackles would absolutely be my top choice.
And that is the list of actors I think could reasonably play the role of Batman if CW ever starts looking for someone to play the Caped Crusader. Remember this list is based on actors who I think they could realistically get for the role, and people who, while they might be good actors, aren’t too good for something like a CW TV show. This is a thing that may never happen, but then we also thought they’d never cast Superman on Supergirl, so we can hope. Got anybody you’d like to see play Batman on the CW, either on his own show or as an occasional guest star? Let us know in the comments!