Early Predictions Peg Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin As Possible Options Warner Bros.' Next Batman

Advance planning for “Man of Steel 2” is well underway and that can only mean one thing – Warner Bross and DC are looking for their next Batman. Sure, they could have teamed up Kale-El with, say, Wonder Woman for their next step towards the franchise to end all franchises – Justice League. As it stands, though, the list of contenders is largely male, white and around the age of 40.

Predictions abound as to Henry Cavill's co-star in Man of Steel 2.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, quite a few actors have been considered for the part – from Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles and The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln (could you imagine Rick Grimes as Superman?) to trending names such as Ryan Gosling and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. More outlandish rumors have even pegged Simon Pegg (ha!) and Daniel Dae Kim as being in the running. As of yet, however, no one is actually in the running.

The film is only in the very early planning stages, with the script currently being written and director Zack Snyder only just beginning to look at various options for Bruce Wayne: Note, Christian Bale, the star of Nolan’s excellent Dark Knight trilogy, has said explicitly that he will not return to the franchise. So, considering the ageing-late 30s-to-early-40s requirements, who would be the best men for the job?

Snyder has apparently started "looking". It's anyone's guess at this point.

Currently, the most serious contenders for the part seem to be Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling. Brolin is, of course, a Warner Bros. favorite, having starred in a number of productions for the studio. Brolin headlined the 2010 dud Jonah Hex. Even so, the studio brought him back for 2012’s Gangster Squad. Clearly, the big shots have a lot of faith in the actor’s ability.

Then there’s Gosling, also a Gangster Squad star, whose profile is considerably higher these days – and not just thanks to the Hey Girl and Feminist Ryan Gosling memes. The actor has starred in mostly indie flicks up until now, such as Drive and Blue Valentine, but some of his movies have turned into undisputed hits, thanks in large part to Gosling’s impressive acting chops. A bit younger than the rest maybe, but we’re sure ladies and gentlemen alike would not mind if he were to be cast as the next Batman.

Gosling for Batman 2013?