James Gunn Explains Why Casting Superman Is Harder Than Batman

James Gunn says finding the right actor for Superman is more challenging than casting Batman.

The filmmaker explained that one reason is the character’s visibility. “Batman’s wearing a mask. Batman doesn’t have Batman face, like the thing about our Supermans is they’ve all had Superman face… That’s a specific sort of thing because people kind of have some idea of what Superman looks like from the comics,” Gunn said on the YMH Studios podcast.

When asked about casting Batman, Gunn previously confirmed he has ideas about potential actors. “Do I have ideas about actors to play Batman? Absolutely, I do. I have guys I like. I have guys that are at the top of the list, just like I had people that were at the top of the list for Superman,” he said.

He also emphasized that nothing has been finalized. “But let me tell you something, they aren’t David Corenswet, right? They didn’t get the job. People can guess, and maybe they’ll be right about certain things. I don’t know. I don’t know what you’re talking about specifically. [It’s] totally up in the air.”

Gunn explained that casting a character like Batman requires screen tests and careful evaluation. “We’d have to screen test, we’d have to do the whole thing. It’s unlikely that I’m going to hire someone that’s [like] Sylvester Stallone as Batman [where] we’re just hiring him. It’s unlikely that Batman’s going to be one of those guys.”

“But it’s possible! I know one actor in particular who’s a pretty big star that wants to be Batman. We’ve talked about it, but I’m not sure that’s the case,” he said.

The new Batman is expected to make his proper debut in the DC Universe with the upcoming live-action film The Brave and the Bold. Gunn also confirmed that Wonder Woman has not yet been cast.

Casting iconic superheroes is always a tough job because fans have strong expectations. Gunn’s careful approach shows he wants to get it right, and it makes sense why Superman is trickier to cast than Batman.

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