10 DC Universe Batman fancasts are so good that any of them would be a sight to behold if they became true. Ben Affleck played Batman in the DCEU, recently appearing for what should be his last time as the character in The Flash. Michael Keaton also returned as an older version of his Bruce Wayne from the two movies directed by Tim Burton — 1989's Batman and 1992's Batman Returns — in The Flash. While two Batman actors might have been too much for any other movie, The Flash's ending saw Ezra Miller's Barry Allen get stuck in a world where George Clooney is Bruce Wayne.

With Gunn confirming that Clooney is not the DC Universe's Batman, and both Affleck and Keaton out, DC only has one Batman actor continuing in the role in live-action, Robert Pattinson in Matt Reeves' The Batman universe, which will continue to exist outside the DC Universe's canon. The new Batman actor of the rebooted DC Universe, which James Gunn and Peter Safran will replace the DCEU with, will debut in The Flash director Andy Muschietti's The Brave and the Bold. The movie features Batman getting to know Damian Wayne, his son, and some fancasts for the role have started to get traction.

10 Henry Cavill

Henry Cavill debuted as Superman in 2013's Man of Steel but never really got the chance to fly as high as he should've. Gunn recast Cavill for Superman: Legacy, deciding to go with the younger David Corenswet as the DCU's Clark Kent. Gunn confirmed talks for another DC role for Cavill, and fans have primarily turned to Batman. Cavill's work as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher shows his ability to play a gritty, emotionally closed-off character with a lot of heart, such as Batman. While he could be great as the hero, having the last Superman movie actor as Batman in the DC Universe might be too distracting.

9 Alan Ritchson

Alan Ritchson plays Jack Reacher in Amazon Prime Video's popular Reacher. In the series, the actor shows how he can use his 6'2" height and impressive physique to create vibrant action sequences. Reacher is a perfect showcase of the star's physical abilities for Batman, as well as the quiet stance the Dark Knight is known for, with Jack Reacher being a man of few words. Ritchson is also a known name for DC fans, with the actor having played the charming Aquaman in Smallville and the hilarious Hawk in Titans, both roles showing his capacity to excel as Batman's other side, Bruce Wayne.

8 Theo James

Theo James became known worldwide for playing Tobias "Four" Eaton in the Divergent dystopic movie franchise. The role showed James' athletic ability for Batman, with Four being an instructor of Divergent's Dauntless faction, which is all about having excellent physical skills and being brave in the face of danger. More recently, James played an important role in HBO's hit series The White Lotus season 2. As Cameron, James showed his undeniable charm as a billionaire playboy, making him perfect to take on Bruce Wayne's tumultuous life head-on.

7 Oliver Jackson-Cohen

Oliver Jackson-Cohen was a popular fancast for Marvel Studios' Moon Knight before Oscar Isaac got the role. Jackson-Cohen's breakout role as the troubled Luke Crain in Netflix's hit horror limited series The Haunting of Hill House put him on many people's radar. The actor delivered a nuanced performance as a character that was haunted by his family's past and present. Then, as the villain in The Invisible Man, Jackson-Cohen showed that he could also instill great fear in other characters through an intense performance that makes him possibly playing the DC Universe's Dark Knight an exciting idea.

6 Ben Barnes

Despite the first major role in his career being that of good-natured Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Ben Barnes has made a name for himself over the years by playing darker characters. For Marvel, the actor delivered a gripping portrayal of villain Jigsaw opposite Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle in Netflix's The Punisher series. Recently, Barnes embraced darkness like never before to give life to The Darkling in Shadow and Bone. With his charming persona, as seen playing Logan Delos in Westworld, and past playing dark characters, Barnes is a great pick to be the DCU's Batman.

5 Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal was considered as Batman for The Dark Knight trilogy, but the role ultimately went to Christian Bale. The actor was also almost cast as Spider-Man before director Sam Raimi gave the part to Tobey Maguire. While he never got the chance to play a superhero, Gyllenhaal appeared in Spider-Man: Far From Home as the villain Mysterio, with his character being the one to reveal Peter Parker's secret identity to the world. Gyllenhaal is an extremely versatile actor that could bring magnetic energy to his Batman akin to his performance in Nightcrawler. His Bruce would be perfect playing off a young Damian in the DC Universe.

4 Jon Hamm

At 52, Jon Hamm is one of the older Batman fancasts. Despite his age making it almost impossible for him to be cast as the DC Universe's Batman, Hamm is one of the most popular candidates for the role among fans. Hamm's time as Don Draper in the classic Mad Men series showed that the actor has got Bruce Wayne handled, with Draper being a match for the mask of the sleazy rich playboy that Bruce displays to the public. Throughout his career, movies like Baby Driver have shown that Hamm has the intense energy necessary to be convincing as Batman. It also helps that Hamm is open to playing Batman.

3 Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is no stranger to superhero movies. The actor's first major role was as Kick-Ass in two movies that displayed his charm and comedic abilities. Later, Taylor-Johnson joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Quicksilver, only for his sarcastic speedster to die in his first appearance. Now, the actor will get to headline next year's Kraven The Hunter, playing a villain — well, an anti-hero in the movie — that will allow him to showcase not only his physical prowess but also a darker side. Taylor-Johnson can deliver the charm, occasional warmth, violence, and on-screen presence that should come with a Batman in a world where the Bat-Family exists.

2 Nicholas Hoult

Nicholas Hoult became famous for playing the wise and tragic Beast in the younger continuity of Fox's X-Men franchise. Over at DC, Hoult came close to nabbing the studio's most popular heroes. Hoult and Pattinson screen-tested for The Batman, with Hoult being the runner-up.

Recently, the actor lost the DC Universe Superman: Legacy title role to Corenswet similarly, after Hoult was reportedly also in the running for the Man of Steel. After two close calls with playing major DC heroes, including Batman, Hoult would be a fantastic pick for the DCU's Dark Knight, and his performance as a loving father in spite of his character's violent tendencies in The Great makes him perfect to handle The Brave and the Bold's Bruce-Damian dynamic.

1 Jensen Ackles

Finally, Jensen Ackles has emerged as the fan-favorite choice to play DC's Batman. Ackles has commented on his chances of playing Batman, saying, "I would love it. Sign me up." While, at 45, Ackles might be too old for the role, he would excel at it. Ackles' past playing both the playboy and tortured sides of Dean Winchester on Supernatural and his time as the violent Soldier Boy in The Boys showed he has what it takes to play Batman in live-action. Ackles is also Batman's voice actor in DC's Tomorrowverse animated continuity, making it easy to see why fans want him to play the DC Universe's Batman.