As ‘The Brave and the Bold’ directing rumors intensify, DC fans debate who Ben Affleck would cast as his own Batman replacement

DCU Batman movie The Brave and the Bold could tap former Batman actor Ben Affleck as director, and fans are excited about the possibilities.

DC Studios co-head James Gunn confirmed he’s been speaking with Affleck about an undisclosed role in the DCU, and his involvement in The Brave and the Bold would make the most sense. The actor was set to star in and direct in his own Batman movie, which would see the Dark Knight face off against Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke, so he’s likely to have some ideas already packed into his utility belt.

In a DC Cinematic Reddit thread, fans debated the candidates they’d most like to see as the new Batman. Affleck has worked with many talented stars through his career, but it’s doubtful the selection would be limited to only actors associated with the 50-year-old star. The one chosen should be who’s best for the role, and it’s important to distinguish the fresh version from Matt Reeve’s Robert Pattinson-led The Batman.

Here are some of the actors fans think Affleck himself would approve of as the DCU’s new Batman.

Taron Egerton

The role of Batman seems fitting for Taron Egerton at this point in his career. He’s already made his mark in the Kingsman franchise, movie adaptions of the comic book series The Secret Service by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, and that’s one of many roles to earn him recognition and acclaim. He portrayed Elton John in the biopic Rocketman, which received an Oscar nomination, and he recently appeared in the Apple TV Plus series Blackbird, which follows a man in prison who has to elicit a confession from a suspected serial killer. Egerton is the right age for a franchise movie of Brave and the Bold‘s magnitude, and it would be a natural next step for his career.

Brandon Sklenar

Brandon Sklenar isn’t the biggest name on this list, but he’s done astonishing work on the Yellowstone spin-off 1923 as Spencer Dutton, nephew to Harrison Ford’s Jacob Dutton. His under-the-radar status might work in his favor in the case of Brave and the Bold, since audiences have yet to typecast him, which could make it easier for him to slip into such a legendary role. Sklenar has already shown action-hero qualities as an adventurer in 1923, braving the challenging wilderness and temperamental seas. There’s an ease to his acting that could work well for Batman.

Lee Pace

Lee Pace has already been in successful franchises, including The Lord of the Rings as the Elven King Thranduil and Guardians of the Galaxy as Ronan the Kree warlord, so Brave and the Bold probably wouldn’t be all that daunting for him. Pace is a phenomenal actor that could easily embody the dynamics required for such a psychological role, but these franchises take many years to make and he might not want to commit to playing Batman at this point in his career. It would be exciting to see Pace’s performance, and the choices he’d make with the character, due to his tendency to commit everything to his roles. They’re believable no matter what, even as elves and aliens.