James Gunn on DC Casting: Batman “Isn’t Far Away,” Harley Quinn Is Open and Man of Tomorrow Is Nearly Cast

James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has spent the past week answering questions about who will play the DC Universe’s next major characters. The headline answer is about Batman. Gunn says the part is not cast, that a decision is closer than people think, and that he is looking for the best actor available instead of a name that sells tickets on its own. He also left the door open on Harley Quinn and repeated that the major roles in Man of Tomorrow are already filled.

Most of the new remarks came on The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon?, a one-off episode of DC Studios’ official podcast hosted by Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee, which began circulating on October 29 and was released in full on October 30. This article pulls together what Gunn said there and in earlier interviews, so the full picture of the DCU’s casting plans is in one place.

The Short Version

Batman: not cast yet, with casting “sooner rather than later.”
What Gunn wants: “the best actor for that role,” not a default movie star.
Age: the actor “can’t be 60,” because Batman and Superman are meant to be contemporaries.
Harley Quinn: will “almost certainly” appear, but Margot Robbie’s return is undecided.
Man of Tomorrow: every major role is cast, according to Gunn’s April comments, and the film opens July 9, 2027.

Superman (2025), the first film of James Gunn's DC Universe — Image: TMDB (Superman, 2025)

Batman: The Best Actor, Not the Biggest Name

Gunn told the podcast that the DCU Batman “isn’t cast yet” and dismissed online claims that someone had already been chosen. According to Tbreak, he said it “won’t be too long before we’re casting Batman,” and Cosmic Book News reported that he quoted Gunn saying the casting “isn’t very far away.”

What he wants is a performer who fits the role best. Gunn contrasted the way Superman has been cast, where each screen version went to the actor who suited the part, with the way Batman has often been handled. In his words, as reported by Cosmic Book News, “Batmans are always chosen as movie stars,” and he would rather pick the best actor than keep to that pattern. The A.V. Club noted that he is “excited” to take that approach with the character.

It echoes something he said last September to IGN, reported by TheWrap, when he said that “you’d have a harder time finding actors who don’t want to be Batman.” He added that major actors had told him they wanted the cape and cowl. That list of interested names has not been made public, and Gunn has not said which of them, if any, are on his shortlist.

“Future Best Pals”: Why Age Is Part of the Casting

Asked whether age matters, Gunn answered “definitely,” because the DCU Batman is meant to sit alongside David Corenswet’s Superman. Tbreak quoted him describing the pair as “future best pals, contemporaries,” and the A.V. Club reported that he sees the two as “roughly” the same age. Corenswet is 33, according to ComicBook.com as cited by Tbreak.

The same podcast comments carried a practical reason. Cosmic Book News reported that Gunn said the actor “can’t be 60,” since the role is expected to run for around ten years. That points toward an actor in a range similar to Corenswet’s, not toward an older star taking the part for a single film.

A Familiar Face Is Not Ruled Out

Asked whether someone from his earlier DC work could be considered, Gunn did not close the door. Tbreak reported that he would not rule out an actor from The Suicide Squad if that person turned out to be the best Batman, and the A.V. Club said he used Michael Rooker as an example of a returning cast member who could be considered without being excluded outright.

Gunn has not linked that remark to any specific plan. The idea fits with a franchise that has been willing to bring back actors in new roles, but there is no sign that Rooker, or anyone else from that film, is being lined up.

Video: The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? The Official Podcast, via YouTube

Harley Quinn: “One Small Asterisk”

The podcast was built around a single question, whether The Suicide Squad counts as canon in the DCU. The hosts treated the film as part of the continuity, and Harley Quinn was the one open item, which Gunn called “one small asterisk.” He said the character will almost certainly appear in the DCU. Whether Margot Robbie plays her again is a separate matter.

James Gunn discussing Harley Quinn's future in the DCU — Image: The Movie Database (TMDB)

Gunn said he would “bend over backwards” to fit Robbie in if she wants to return, and that he may otherwise recast the part. Robbie has reportedly said she has not heard from DC about coming back. No casting has been announced. Our earlier report on Gunn’s Harley Quinn comments covers the details of the exchange.

Man of Tomorrow: Cast Is Set, With One Role Left

The most specific statement on a film already in production dates from April. After Deadline reported that four actresses had tested for the role of Maxima, Gunn answered on Threads, calling the reporting “shoddy & incorrect.” He wrote that he had “already” cast “every major role” in Man of Tomorrow, with one left to finalize, and said he was “absolutely not confirming” that Maxima is in the film at all. TechRadar reported his reply the next day, and ComicBookMovie covered the exchange.

James Gunn’s Threads post on Man of Tomorrow casting

Empire’s listing for the film, which cites a Variety report, names Adria Arjona as having signed on to play Maxima. Gunn is not quoted confirming that. The same listing places the rest of the cast as David Corenswet (Superman), Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), Lars Eidinger (Brainiac), Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen), Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl), Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner), Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific) and Aaron Pierre (John Stewart / Green Lantern). Man of Tomorrow opens in theaters on July 9, 2027.

Gunn’s Casting Remarks, in Order

September 2025Tells IGN that actors want Batman and that it is harder to find ones who do not; will not confirm whether Damian Wayne appears in The Brave and the Bold.
April 8, 2026Calls Deadline’s Maxima casting report “shoddy & incorrect” and says every major Man of Tomorrow role is cast but one.
October 29–30, 2026Says on the podcast that Batman is not cast, that casting is near, that he wants the best actor, and that Harley Quinn will almost certainly appear.

How This Fits the Wider DCU Slate

Casting remarks are only one part of a busy stretch for DC Studios. Gunn recently unveiled an adult animated series with Josh Hutcherson and Mackenzie Davis, covered in our story on the Mister Miracle DCU series. John Cena, meanwhile, said he had not heard that Peacemaker is in the next Superman film, even though Gunn has tied that season to it, as we reported in Cena’s reaction to the Man of Tomorrow link. On television, HBO’s Lanterns has no second season yet, with Peter Safran promising an answer by the end of the year.

The Batman search also arrives as DC’s film side tries to build a stable shared universe. Our feature on why DC struggled to match Marvel’s cinematic empire explains the history behind that pressure, and the look at how Clayface uses body horror shows the tonal range DC is covering this year. For the calendar ahead, our list of the most anticipated movies of 2027 includes the DC releases coming next.

What Happens Next

No Batman casting announcement has been made, and Gunn has not given a date, only a direction of travel. The next fixed point on DC’s film calendar is Man of Tomorrow in July 2027, so more updates on the cast, and on who will wear the cowl, are likely to come in the months before it. For more coverage, visit the Every Movie Plug news page, or explore our features in the articles section.

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