Paul Anthony Kelly gets fan-cast as Batman in James Gunn's 'The Brave and the Bold'; netizen say 'welcome back Bruce Wayne'

The DC Universe may have found its next Batman, as far as these fan-castings go.

Social media is abuzz with fans rooting for Hollywood newbie, Paul Anthony Kelly to be the next Bruce Wayne in James Gunn's upcoming film 'The Brave and the Bold'.

Following the success of Kelly's debut FX series 'Love Story', featuring as John F. Kennedy Jr, fans seem convinced that the hunk has what it takes to be the frontrunner to take on the role as Batman in the Andy Muschietti directorial. His name now joins fellow fan-favourites like Brandon Sklenar, Jensen Ackles, Alan Ritchson and Jake Gyllenhaal to play the part. This chatter comes at a time when DC Co-CEO James Gunn insisted that casting for the role will only begin after the script is completed.

Fans ask DC to cast Paul Anthony Kelly as Batman

Taking to social media, fans have joined the conversation to point out how Kelly not only bears a striking resemblance to the comic-book version of Bruce Wayne, but his scenes in the FX series even look like they could have been from a Batman film.

“Welcome back Bruce Wayne,” one fan wrote on social media, while another declared, “This is James Gunn’s DCU Batman stop all the auditions I’ve seen enough.” A third added, “Bruce Wayne walking into the Daily Planet after he buys it in ‘Man of Tomorrow’,” while another fan referenced the animated classic, “This is literally Bruce Wayne in Mask of the Phantasm on his knees at his parents grave telling them he doesn’t know if he can still be Batman.”

David Corenswet's casting as Superman

Fans also noted that much like Kelly, actor David Corenswet who plays Superman, notably got his start in Ryan Murphy's 'The Politician and Hollywood'.

How Paul Anthony Kelly landed role as JFK Jr.

Speaking about Kelly's casting as Kennedy Jr, executive producers Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson told PEOPLE magazine that they found the perfect fit in the actor as they were searching for a certain “’80s, old school masculinity- a man with hair on his chest, sort of Richard Gere, Tom Selleck, the classic chiseled looks - we're not making those guys anymore, for some reason, and he really needed to have that.” Ultimately, they felt Kelly embodied the physicality and presence required for the role.

'The Brave and the Bold' is still in development and no official casting announcements have been made as yet.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”