Having recently brought you news of a possible Batman: Gotham by Gaslight live-action movie, we’re now hearing that Warner Bros. already have an actor in mind to play the Dark Knight. According to our sources – the same ones who told us Kevin Conroy was suiting up as Kingdom Come Batman in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” and that National Treasure 3 is in development – WB are considering The Punisher star Jon Bernthal for the role of Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader.
As we reported yesterday, Warner Bros. are keen to expand on the success of Joker by producing more standalone, Elseworlds-style movies featuring some of the more unusual takes on well-known characters. While Joker wasn’t strictly an Elseworlds story, the apparent Batman: Gotham by Gaslight movie would adapt one of the most famous alternate takes on the Dark Knight, as in the original comic, Batman’s reimagined in the late 19th century and takes on Jack the Ripper.
In the 2018 animated version of Gotham by Gaslight, Bruce Greenwood took on voice acting duties for Bruce Wayne, a role he’s also played in other DC Animated movies. Bernthal would certainly be an intriguing choice to play this Batman though, given his experience as Frank Castle on The Punisher, where he’s already shown his credentials as an action hero, vigilante and tortured character dealing with the death of his loved ones.
Of course, Bernthal is still very much expected to return as Castle in the MCU, with various pitches seeming to suggest that Marvel want an R-rated version of the character. Furthermore, Netflix’s The Punisher could be getting a third season on a new platform, while Castle might also show up in fellow Disney series Moon Knight. If this is the case, and a new Punisher movie is also in the works, it may be difficult for Bernthal to juggle his different acting commitments.
Then again, details are still quite thin on the ground for Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, so we’d be surprised if development has even reached a point yet where casting decisions are being firmly worked out. After all, from what we’ve heard over the last six months, DC are keeping their options open with one-off pictures, including movies built around other Batman villains, so Gotham by Gaslight is likely just one of several ideas on the table right now. Likewise, Bernthal is just one name who they’re considering for the role. But as soon as we learn more, we’ll be sure to let you know.
