Following The Flash prominently featuring both Ben Affleck and Michael Kenton’s versions of Batman, fans of DC Comics’ Caped Crusader have even more to look forward to in the coming years on the cinematic front. Along with Robert Pattinson continuing to play Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves’ standalone The Batman franchise, a new Batman will be introduced in the DC Universe’s The Brave and the Bold, which now has Andy Muschietti attached to direct. It remains to be seen when we’ll learn who will play this upcoming DC movie’s Batman, but Jensen Ackles has addressed the rumors that he’s up for the role, and he used that opportunity to humorously call out Pedro Pascal.
For those of you wondering why Ackles would mention Pacal while discussing Batman, the Supernatural alum had his own panel at the recently-held JIB13 convention, and during the Q&A portion, a fam brought up the rumors that he’s in talks to play Gotham City’s shadowy protector on the big screen. In the middle of Ackles answering, a fan mentioned Pascal, as earlier in the panel, the former mentioned that he’d lost out on leading HBO’s The Last of Us to the latter. With that context set up, read what Ackles had to say below (via YouTuber Aurélie Kitty):
Look at Jensen Ackles, using a Batman question as a platform for throwing some shade Pedro Pascal’s way, though at least we know it didn’t come entirely out of the blue. Regardless, with Pascal having already been selected to play Joel in The Last of Us, Ackles jokingly shared that he’s ready for him to also swap Batman from him too. On a more sincere note, while the actor who’s more recently played Soldier Boy in The Boys (which is streamable with an Amazon Prime Video subscription) wasn’t able to comment on the veracity of these Batman rumors, he certainly sounds like he’s game to take on the role for The Brave and the Bold. Let’s be real though, there are plenty of people out there who’d be interested in seeing a Pascal-played Batman too.
Of course, Ackles is no stranger to the world of Batman, In 2010, he voiced Jason Todd, a.k.a. Red Hood, in the direct-to-video animated movie Batman: Under the Red Hood, and by 2021, he was first heard as Bruce Wayne himself in the two-part adaptation of The Long Halloween, which takes place in the Tomorrowverse line of movies. The actor has since reprised the role in Legion of Super-Heroes, and his Batman will be one of the leading characters in Justice League: Warworld. Still, I can imagine how jazzed Ackles would be learning he’d get to portray the character in both animation and live-action, a feat that’s only been done before by Adam West and Kevin Conroy.
The only major detail that’s been revealed about The Brave and the Bold’s plot so far is that it will see Batman teaming up with his biological son, Damian Wayne, who’ll be taking on the Robin mantle. It will also be inspired by Grant Morrison’s Batman run in the comics that lasted from 2006 to 2013. The Brave and the Bold is one of five movies on the DC Universe’s Chapter One slate, the others being Superman: Legacy, The Authority, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Swamp Thing.
If you’re interested in hearing how Jensen Ackles sounds as Batman, Max subscribers can stream the Long Halloween movies and Legion of Super-Heroes now, and Justice League: Warworld will be released on July 25. You’ll also find The Last of Us Season 1 on Max, and it’s already set to return for Season 2 on a to-be-announced date.