From Romance to Gotham: Brandon Sklenar Is Leading Betting Favorite for the Next Batman

A surprise 36-year-old actor who's made his name in romantic films has emerged as the way-too-early betting favorite to replace Robert Pattinson as Batman on the big screen.

After a sublime performance by Pattinson as Batman/Bruce Wayne in The Batman, director Matt Reeves had the easy decision to bring him back for the highly anticipated sequel, The Batman Part II.

The sequel is currently expected to hit theaters on Oct. 1, 2027. Though we're still seven months away from the projected release date, it's not too early to speculate on Pattinson's successor if he doesn't return for a third Batman film.

In their updated betting odds for the next Batman star, Action Network has the It Ends with Us star Brandon Sklenar as the favorite at +200, or an implied probability of 33.1 percent.

Smallville and Blue Mountain State star Alan Ritchson carries the second-best odds at +400, with a 20 percent implied probability. Jake Gyllenhaal is behind Ritchson at +500, with an implied probability of 12.5 percent.

Jake's sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal , played Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight, the second of Christopher Nolan's three Batman films.

Robert Pattinson Is Seventh Actor to Play Batman in a Live-Action Film

With the Batman movie franchise rebooting under Reeves, Pattinson became the seventh actor to portray the World's Greatest Detective in a live-action film, and the third in the 21st century.

Adam West, who took center stage as the legendary superhero in the '60s television series, reprised his role in Batman, which was released in 1966. Michael Keaton was cast for Batman (1989) and Batman Returns before departing the franchise.

Val Kilmer and George Clooney each suited up once as Batman, for Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, respectively. Christian Bale was the star of Nolan's critically acclaimed trilogy.

Ben Affleck wore the cape and cowl for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League before stepping down from the role.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 5:40 PM.