Jake Gyllenhaal said he would be thrilled to play Batman in the upcoming DC Comics Universe.
The actor, 43, told Screen Rant in an interview published on Monday, March 18, that donning the mask and black cape “would be an honor always,” adding, “Those types of things and roles are classics.”
Gyllenhaal explained, “Speaking of playing roles that other incredible actors have played in the past … which, to me, actually, when I think about it, I’m going to play Iago in Othello with Denzel Washington, and I think about, like, the history of actors that have played that role throughout time, and I’m intimidated by that.”
“So that’s the first level,” he added. “That’s what I’m working on right now.”
The first Batman movie under James Gunn’s management, titled The Brave and the Bold, will be directed by Andy Muschietti. Although no release date has been revealed, producers have said the film will center around the relationship between the Dark Knight and his biological son, Damian Wayne, who will serve as Robin.
Gunn confirmed during his January 2023 announcement as part of the DCU’s Chapter 1 that plans were underway to develop the film. In his reveal, Gunn mentioned a fresh actor would be stepping into the role.
Gyllenhaal would be the next in a long line of stars to portray the legendary superhero.
Robert Pattison, Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, George Clooney, Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton, among others, have flown through Gotham City over the years.
On the other side of the DCU, fans have been waiting for a follow-up to Pattinson’s 2022 The Batman directed by Matt Reeves.
Originally slated for an October 2025 release, The Batman Part II faced postponement last year due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Earlier this month, Warner Bros. announced a new release date of October 2, 2026.
When the sequel was announced in April 2022, Pattinson, 37, stood as the sole confirmed cast member. Other stars were rumored to potentially reprise their roles including Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. Colin Farrell‘s return as The Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot always remains a possibility depending on developments in his character’s Max spinoff series, which is set to debut later this year.
Pattison previously said he hoped that Mr. Freeze and the Court of Owls, an organization formed by Gotham’s most wealthy and powerful families, would appear in the second film.
“In my view, I just feel drawn to finding the grounded version of everything,” he told Collider in February 2023. “So to me it would be a challenge in an interesting way to try and figure out how that could happen, even the idea of something like Mr. Freeze, that’s such a great story, right? I think there’s actually a grounded version of that story, which could be really powerful and could be really great.”
