Jensen Ackles has been a favorite of genre fan after turning in consistently amazing performances on Supernatural for almost 15 seasons. As Dean Winchester, he's become one of TV's biggest badasses -- not to mention most swooned-over hunks -- fighting off demons, ghouls and, well, the apocalypse time and time again with his brother, Sam.
However, with the show ending this season, Ackles has time for a new gig. And following Ackles' latest Halloween costume -- an oh-so perfect depiction of Batman -- fans are expressing their opinion loud and clear: Ackles needs to play the Arrowverse's version of the Dark Knight.
In the past, Warner Bros. has been stubborn about allowing The CW's DC TV shows to use Batman. However, the new series Batwoman has officially made Batman a part of Arrowverse. Not only is his name regularly invoked on the series, in the upcoming crossover event, "Crisis on Infinite Earths," Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Beyond) will play an older version of Bruce Wayne. That could mean it's only a matter of time before a version of Batman starts to make regular appearances in the Arrowverse.
Fans lost their minds seeing Ackles in the Bat-suit. However, it also caught most off guard because of his history cosplaying as the Red Hood. That cosplay seemed fitting as Ackles voiced the bitter Jason Todd in the Under The Red Hood animated movie. And the character felt organic to the actor because Ackles does gritty and angry so well. As a result, he's long been a fans' choice to play the resurrected and bloodthirsty Robin in the DC filmverse. Yet, seeing him fitted so well in the cape and cowl shows how well Bruce Wayne could suit him too.
First, Ackles has the size and athleticism for the role, and he wears his 41 years well. Ackles also has the gruff voice. And, as seen in Supernatural, he's able to play a hunter all about the business as well as someone who's a detective, a jokester, a ladies' man. This is what Bruce embodies and it's easy to envision Ackles being a playboy and philanthropist in the day, beating off the ladies with a stick, and then the Dark Knight when the sun sets, ready to dole out justice for Gotham. So, casting Ackles as a middle-aged Bruce Wayne would be a natural pick.
Apart from the personality and the chiseled jaw, Ackles is indeed an action star. On Supernatural he's been gunning down, stabbing and rumbling with creatures of the night for over a decade, which is similar to what Bruce does against so many villains, from goons to science experiments to monsters like Man-Bat.
Plus, Ackles is a fan of the DC realm, clearly in love with the Bat-verse and he has the energy of a young Kevin Conroy. With Conroy appearing as an older Bruce in Crisis, it would make sense to have a younger Batman appear in the future. While a cameo for a younger Bat in Crisis doesn't seem in the cards, including the Caped Crusader in the future is something that feels like the next step for DC TV.
Notably, the Arrowverse has brought back actors from other DC properties in the past as totally new characters -- Dean Cain, Laura Vandervoort and Helen Slater, for example -- so it shouldn't be a problem bringing longtime CW stalwart Ackles right over to Gotham, a place he could easily call home. It'd be a familiar switch on a network he's made his name on. Not to mention, given Ackles' disposition and overall style, he's everything Bruce should be. It'd be wasted potential if the CW doesn't have him perched on rooftops, saving his city every night.