The Best Batman Fancast Has Seen Your Pleas: “I Mean, That Would Be a Dream Come True.”
Once you spend enough time on the Internet, you start to see a lot of Batman fancasts. With a new iteration of the character set to appear onscreen in the DC Universe, the debate around who should put on the cape and cowl has only continued to grow.
In recent days, one particular choice has taken social media by storm: Paul Anthony Kelly, who is currently starring as John F. Kennedy Jr. on FX’s hit miniseries Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. As Love Story has been debuting new episodes each week, more and more people have latched onto the idea of him playing Batman, arguing that his charm and his ability to yearn onscreen capture Bruce Wayne’s energy perfectly.
The possibility has now made its way to Kelly himself, who was asked about the fancasts in a recent interview with GQ. As the model-turned-actor put it: “If that’s what they say, then who am I to say no? I mean, that would be a dream come true.”
Love Story executive producer Brad Simpson also addressed the Batman of it all, arguing that it should ideally be one facet of Kelly’s career. Specifically, he cited Cary Grant-esque screwball comedies as the kind of thing Kelly would excel in, something that I personally would love to see immediately. (Elsewhere in the interview, Kelly also cited Grant as one of his personal influences.)
“What you may not totally see here is he’s got great comedic timing,” Simpson says. “I actually feel like he could fulfill that role that we’ve been looking for, of the leading man who is masculine and at ease, but also has that charm and that sort of wit that actors of old had. Sure, he can play Batman the way the internet wants him to, and he can go do superhero roles. What I really hope people do is create Cary Grant–style roles for him, His Girl Friday–style roles. That’s the sort of thing I think he’d be incredible at.”
There’s absolutely no telling at this point if Kelly might even end up in contention for the DCU’s Batman, but his response to it potentially happening has definitely further endeared the Internet. Honestly, that entire GQ profile has only further helped him break the Internet, between the photoshoot itself and him responding to the notion of being a sex symbol with: “Why not? Listen, there’s an ass for every saddle.”
What Is the DCU’s Batman Movie?
While an animated version of the DCU’s Batman was briefly shown throughout Creature Commandos, fans have been chomping at the bit to see when and how the character will make his full debut. It has already been confirmed that Batman will not appear in next year’s Man of Tomorrow, and that work is actively underway on his solo film in the universe, The Brave and The Bold.
Screenwriter Christina Hodson, whose credits include Birds of Prey and Bumblebee, is reportedly working on the script for The Brave and the Bold. The film was initially pitched as a showcase for the larger “Batfamily”, and particularly Damian Wayne, Bruce’s biological son in the comics who eventually takes on the mantle of Robin as only he can.
Last fall, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn told the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast that, “I think we have a really, really good story now for what’s happening with Batman.”
“There’s a religious aspect to some of this stuff that’s very uncomfortable,” Gunn added. “Should Batman have white eyes? That’s a big subject of conversation. It’s like, ‘Guys, that’s really what matters?’ But those are the things they care about. Should his utility belt be yellow? Should he have the yellow crest around the bat? All of that sort of stuff. None of those things are what’s most important to me. What matters is the character, the story.“
“I think that’s one of the fun things about Batman though, is that there are so many expressions of Batman that are cool, and [having] different ways to access that character is one of the ways in which he’s so iconic,” Gunn continued. “I don’t think it’s a matter of the blue and the grey or the black Batman. I think both those things are really cool. I like the detective Batman, but I also really like the fighter Batman, that’s just the brute that’s, you know, fighting. I like the silly ’50s Silver Age Batman, with Bat-Mite. I like all of these different versions of Batman.“
(featured image: FX)
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