Since the beginning of the Arrowverse, there has been speculation and dissecting of easter eggs to find out if Bruce Wayne/Batman exists in the Arrowverse. With the new Batwoman show very much confirming his existence, fans are left to wonder if would ever see him make his appearance in the CW DC universe.
Kevin Conroy will be portraying an older Batman from another universe, so we are left to wonder what is left of his Earth-1 counterpart. Here are 10 actors perfect for the role of the CW Batman.
Sam Witwer
We’ve technically seen Sam Witwer in the Arrowverse before, with him making an appearance as Doomsday on Smallville, as well as a small role in Supergirl. Playing a paramedic with a lingering urge to transform into a monster, we got to see Witwer take on a brooding and mysterious persona, very similar to Bruce Wayne. Add in the fact he has a chiseled jaw and a charming smile, he has exactly what it takes to take on the dual identity of Bruce Wayne. At 39 years old, Witwer is the ideal age for Bruce Wayne given the Arrowverse Timeline. Given Witwer has plenty of experience in comic-based shows and action sequences in his time in Battlestar Galactica, he would be a great addition to the Arrowverse as the Dark Knight.
David Giuntoli
A grizzled and fresh-faced veteran who can easily charm his way out of any situation, there isn’t anyone better for Bruce Wayne than David Guntoli. As the star of Grimm, Giuntoli is no stranger to being the star of a show and with rumors of him playing Bruce in the DCEU before Robert Pattinson was cast, this can very well be his chance to prove he’s a good Batman. He makes brooding look good and his ability to make a good character out of subpar writing, he can be a great Bruce.
Eion Bailey
When Christopher Nolan was getting ready to find his Batman, Eion Bailey was among the few that were considered for the role. He even got a screen test and was in the suit before he was beaten out by Christian Bale. This would be his chance to prove why he got so close to playing the Dark Knight on the big screen and with the most experience of anyone on this list, he can very man a show or simply play a smaller role in Batwoman. With his wide array of emotions, he can play the complexity of Bruce Wayne beautifully.
Andrew Lincoln
Making his fame as another comic book character in Rick Grimes, Andrew Lincoln is almost built for the role. As Rick in The Walking Dead, he plays an unstable but heroic leader, that plays by his own rules and morals.
He is stubborn, but kindhearted, stopping at nothing to protect his family and loved ones. Rick is unhinged, he has gone up against some of the worst zombies and villains alone, sometimes with nothing but a pistol or baseball bat. Like Batman, Rick doesn’t care who he’s up against and will go face to face with anyone he sees fit.
Brett Dalton
Appearing in Marvel’s Agents of Shield Dalton has experience in comic-based shows and has plenty of fighting experience as a member of the show. He’s tall, charming, and has the ideal look one would see in Bruce Wayne, very closely resembling Bruce Wayne in the comics. He took a bland character and gave it his own charm and swagger and made him very likable despite the corny writing and mishandling of the character. He could bring a lot to the Batman mythos and can be a show stealer with his great acting skills and looming presence. We don’t expect him to star in his own show but make yearly cameos or frequent appearances similar to Superman on Supergirl.
Ian Bohen
With plenty of experience as the alpha or leader, Bohens has the mindset to stay in control during any situation but still fails to play well with others. Sound familiar? Ian Bohen was literally in a Batman movie already and has been in more than enough action movies to show he’s got what it takes to play the vigilante. He can also tone it down and act laidback and carefree like Bruce. With his ability to juggle two completely different personalities, one could definitely be seen Bohen taking on the cape and cowl of the Bat of Gotham. He could even add his own twist to the character and give Bruce Wayne something we’ve never seen before.
Daniel Gillies
Making his rise to stardom on Vampire Diaries/The Originals, Daniel Gillies has everything needed to play Batman. He’s got the height, the intangibles, the jawline, and the mysterious but charming personality needed to play Bruce Wayne.
Arguably the closest to Bruce Wayne on this list, Gillies can pull off the tux and playboy billionaire attitude and can quickly switch to the scowl and intimidating factor we all know Batman for. Favorited by many as the CW’s Bruce Wayne, there were even rumors of Gillies playing Bruce on Arrow’sSeason finale in 2017. There’s, not much to wonder why so many see him as the perfect Batman.
Ian Somerhalder
Another member of the Vampire Diaries, Ian Somerhalder played a carefree, arrogant and reckless immortal vampire Damon Salvatore. in Vampire Diaries’ eight seasons, we saw Somerhalder’s character evolve and become a hero in his own right, despite his arrogance being a lingering part of his character.
Somerhalder has the looks, physique, and experience playing the rich playboy Bruce Wayne is so used to playing. Given his fanbase and acting talent, Ian Somerhalder is an ideal candidate for Batman.
Anson Mount
Anson Mount is Bruce Wayne ripped from the comics, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the billionaire. In fact, so many people think so that there were several petitions to remove Ben Affleck as Batman in place of a younger, more built for the part Anson Mount. And as a fellow fan of the comics, Mount was humbled and expressed great interest in one playing him. With the empty vacancy in the Arrowverse, this could very well be a great opportunity for him. With experience playing a detective, Mount can bring “World’s Greatest Detective” title to fruition in a way we’ve never seen before.
Jensen Ackles
Known worldwide as Dean Winchester, the mystical hunter, Jensen Ackles has been a CW legend for years with Supernatural. Now that the show is coming to an end, Ackles can free up some time and play the Dark Knight. For a long time, Ackles’s name was tied with Bruce Wayne when the talks of his appearance in the Arrowverse became more serious and we wonder, why not? He has the swagger of Bruce Wayne, the silent arrogance of the Batman, and the experience working in the CW. Although he doesn’t have the towering height of Batman, he is every bit as intimidating and with his realistic, cosplay Batman suit, we can very much picture him in the cowl.
