Who Should Play Batman In The 'Man Of Steel' Sequel?

Christian Bale
Bale would be the easy choice, but he recently stated that he is done taking on the position and won't be returning for a fourth time. We applaud his unwillingness to be greedy about the trilogy's success, though he woud undoubtedly do the role justice even this time around. Maybe the time for a fresh face has arrived.
Tyler Hoechlin
Comic Book News reported that Hoechlin (Recognize him from "Teen Wolf" and "Lincoln Heights"?) is getting a screen test for the role of Batman, as he well should. The actor is handsome, tactfully rugged, and appears mysterious. He looks the part, and here's to hoping he can play the part, too.
Josh Brolin
If this were a Batman-only film, Josh Brolin should be seriously considered for the role as Batman. However, this is a Superman-Batman mash-up and Brolin just seems too much older than Henry Cavill to take on the role. Maybe if the plot revolved around Superman putting Batman into retirement, Brolin would be a good fit. Hopefully, though, the film won't be about that.
Ian Somerhalder
Wait, wait... Hear this one out. He fits the look of Batman (perhaps a younger version, but makeup and time can fix that), he's no longer in the running for "Fifty Shades of Grey" (so he'll be taken seriously), and he looks like the perfect balance of mysterious and intimidating. Imagine that smirk showing when his mask is on. This role could be his biggest break yet.
It's truly a shame that Hammer already shot down the potential role, because he wouldn't make a bad Batman. He was "The Lone Ranger" this year, remember? His resume includes job experience as a masked wonder. Too bad, so sad. Well, he'll already be costarring alongside Cavill in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." anyway.
Ryan Gosling
While he may have the charm and the class to be Batman (and the support), Ryan Gosling really shouldn't be Batman. After his roles in "The Notebook" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love," Gosling just comes off as entirely too mellow. The public can't respect him as the Caped Crusader when there's memes on the Internet promoting his soft side. Seriously, Google "Ryan Gosling Hey Girl." You'll find pictures like this.
Chris Pine
Like Gosling, Pine was another preferred choice for the role of Batman. Also like Gosling, Pine just doesn't seem to fit the part. By appearances alone, Pine carries a smirk on his youthful face and has a boyish personality. He doesn't seem mature enough for the role, though this can be changed with a year or so of preparing for the task. Maybe by early 2014, when shooting is expected to start, Pine would be ready?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Yes, this film will serve as a sequel to "Man of Steel" and not the Batman trilogy. Still, how weird would it be for the actor who played Robin to suddenly upgrade to Batman? Maybe it isn't such a crazy idea to the fans who are heavily pushing for Gordon-Levitt to play Batman, but it should be. This actor just looks like a Robin and not a Batman/Bruce Wayne.
Reach Film Editor Kathy Zerbib here; Follow her on Twitter here.