James Gunn Slams the Door on Jensen Ackles’ DCU Batman Rumors, but the Fan Campaign Isn’t Over

Few casting questions in the DCU generate as much chatter as who will play Batman. Fans have been floating names since James Gunn and Peter Safran rolled out their plans, and every social media breadcrumb gets treated like a clue.

The ‘Supernatural’ star has long been among the most frequently fan-cast names. He has voiced Batman in animated films including ‘Batman: The Long Halloween‘ and ‘Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths’, and Misha Collins previously revealed he nearly played Batman in The CW’s ‘Gotham Knights’ before scheduling blocked it.

That backdrop is what made this weekend’s rumor spread so quickly, and it’s why the news that James Gunn has shut down the Jensen Ackles Batman casting talk is already making headlines. On Threads on October 4, the DC Studios co-CEO said the studio hasn’t cast Ackles as anything.

According to several fan accounts on X, Ackles started following Gunn on Instagram on October 3. One post then claimed the actor had been cast in an unknown DCU role, and the speculation snowballed from there. Some X accounts even claimed Ackles swapped his Instagram profile picture for a Batman icon after the follow.

Gunn replied to the claim directly. He added that he met Ackles only once, about 20 years ago, when the actor was dating a friend of his, and described him as a nice guy.

The follow wasn’t entirely out of thin air. Several actors followed Gunn on Instagram before they were officially cast, both in the DCU and in other high-profile jobs. Grant Gustin also followed Gunn, which sparked similar DCU speculation, but he never landed a role in the franchise.

This is also the second casting rumor Gunn has knocked down in roughly a week, after he responded “No” to speculation that Matthew Lillard could play the Flash in ‘Man of Tomorrow’. Back in July, he also shot down claims that DC Studios had secretly cast its Batman.

‘The Brave and the Bold’ is directed by Andy Muschietti and is expected to focus on Bruce Wayne and his son, Damian. No lead actor has been announced, and Gunn has previously made clear that casting won’t begin for any DC Studios project until the screenplay is completed.

Gunn has said a writer is working on the script and that he thinks it’s really good, but that it wasn’t finished at the time. Muschietti, for his part, has said he’s seen the fan castings and finds them “curious,” according to SuperHeroHype. Gunn has also denied reports that the project was on hold.

Ackles has been open about his interest. At a convention in Italy, he said that while he wouldn’t reveal anything even if he knew, he would want to play the part. He also joked that he’d be mad when Pedro Pascal got the role.

Gunn didn’t rule Ackles out of anything down the road, though. That leaves the door open to a future announcement, even if nothing is happening right now.

Gunn mentioned back in September 2025 that he knew one big-name actor who wants to play Batman, without naming anyone. Since then, the guessing game has continued. Actors like Alan Ritchson and Brandon Sklenar have previously expressed interest in the role.

With ‘The Brave and the Bold’ still awaiting a finished script, a Batman announcement may still be a long way off. For now, the DCU has no confirmed Caped Crusader, and Ackles remains outside the franchise.

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