Jurassic World's Jonathan Bailey Rumored to Become the DCU's Dark Knight

The versatile star of this summer’s blockbuster Jurassic World: Rebirth is reportedly being considered for a major role in James Gunn’s DCU Batman franchise. That role: The Dark Knight himself, Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Jonathan Bailey, the Emmy-nominated actor who has starred in shows like Fellow Travelers and Bridgerton in addition to films like Jurassic World: Rebirth and Wicked, is, per Out.com, rumored to become the Dark Knight in Gunn’s DCU at Warner Bros. Discovery. Rumors have been swirling around Bailey taking on the role of the Dark Knight for a while now via social media and other superhero news sites.

Now, a brand new crop of rumors has movie fans wondering if, in fact, Bailey will be the new Bruce Wayne, joining David Corenswet’s Superman in the DCU. On the social media site, X, formerly Twitter, user @godsandmortaIs posted a video and captioned it, “So you mean Jonathan Bailey is the top choice for Bruce Wayne?”

The post, from Oct. 5, has more than 900,000 views and counting. It seems fans are excited about the prospect of Bailey taking on the role as the iconic hero, with user @dhebshxbxbb posting on X: “F**k it…Jonathan Bailey would make a great Batman for the DCU.” Another post, from X user @TheJakeChristie said, “The Gunn would be firing at levels previously unseen” if Bailey were officially cast in the role. Additionally, user @tombsraider posted via X, “The people unknowingly yearn for Jonathan Bailey as Batman.”

Bailey famously portrays Lord Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest son of the family, on Netflix’s hit period drama Bridgerton. He starred alongside Scarlett Johansson in Jurassic World: Rebirth, playing Dr. Henry Loomis. He received an Emmy nomination for his role as Tim Laughlin in Fellow Travelers and was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance as Fiyero in Wicked.

Gunn Teases the DCU’s Batman

It remains to be seen if Gunn will ultimately decide to cast Bailey as Batman, but the filmmaker and co-CEO of DC Studios did recently tease a darker Batman in the new DCU. Gunn recently hinted at his plans for the Caped Crusader, who will be a protagonist in his upcoming superhero movie, The Brave and the Bold. In an appearance on Tom Segura’s 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast, Gunn said, “I like the detective Batman, but I also really like the fighter Batman, that’s just the brute that’s fighting.”

As for the DCU Batman, the only official appearance of the character in the Universe is a brief cameo in Gunn’s HBO Max animated series Creature Commandos. Gunn has previously gone on record saying that any DCU characters featured in animated versions are the same as their live-action counterparts.

If cast, Bailey would join a slew of actors to have played Batman, some of whom include Adam West, Michael Keaton, Kevin Conroy, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson. Pattinson is set to reprise his role in the upcoming The Batman: Part II, which, despite several delays, is on tap to hit theaters on Oct. 1, 2027. Matt Reeves, who directed 2022’s The Batman, is returning to write and direct the follow-up. Colin Farrell was also recently confirmed to be returning for the sequel, along with Pattinson.

So far a release date for The Brave and the Bold has not been announced.