There’s been a Batman-shaped hole in the Arrowverse for a very long time now. It’s completely understandable, of course, seeing as the iconic hero is one of Warner Bros.’ most valuable properties and they’re pretty protective of depictions of the Dark Knight. Not to mention the fact that a live-action TV version could confuse audiences who are more used to seeing him in theaters up on the big screen. Add to this that the studio is also prepping Robert Pattinson to be the DCEU’s next Caped Crusader, and it makes sense why they’ve been keen to keep him off television.
But with Ruby Rose’s Batwoman show set to premiere quite soon, fans are now beginning to wonder if perhaps Kate Kane’s cousin, Bruce Wayne, might soon follow. And if he does, who could play him? The options are plentiful, of course, but one actor has now thrown his hat into the ring and it’s safe to say that he’d certainly be an interesting pick.
Speaking on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, Smallville star Tom Welling was asked if he’d want to play Batman in the Arrowverse and said he’d do it “in a second.” Of course, that’s far from confirmation that this will one day happen, but he’d certainly be a choice that fans could get behind should The CW ever decide to introduce the Dark Knight into their franchise.
Speaking of which, with Arrow set to come to an end soon, folks are now wondering where the universe built by the Arrowverse will go next. The recent “Elseworlds” and the upcoming “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event has and will give the various DC shows license to experiment with new characters though, and this could perhaps include a different version of Batman who hails from the Multiverse.
Then again, with “Crisis” still being so far off, it’s hard to say what state it’ll leave the Arrowverse in just yet. But if indeed The CW ever decides to bring Bruce Wayne into the picture, we certainly wouldn’t have an issue with them choosing Tom Welling for the job.