The Batman: 6 Actors Who Could Play “Year One” Bruce Wayne

6. Nicholas Hoult

Nic Hoult is no stranger to comic book franchises, having starred in three X-Men movies and counting as the Beast, but it’s not a role that makes full use of his considerable talents, which have been on display ever since About A Boy.

Since his transition to an adult star, from Skins onwards really, he’s shown that he can do charming, and he has the good looks to fill Bruce Wayne’s line of tuxedos, but with a slight oddness to him too that would make him an appealing fit as the character, especially in his early years.

He’s got the range, too: he can be suave or nerdy, cool as you like or completely deranged. His filmography isn’t extensive but it is eclectic, and shows he could give a quiet, thoughtful take on a younger version of Bruce just starting out, and impress in the suit too.

He’s got the height, and although he’d need to bulk up, there’s nothing to suggest he isn’t capable of doing so. He doesn’t have the same chiselled jawline you’d expect from a Batman actor, the work he could do with the expressiveness of his eyes under the mask would more than make-up for it. Hoult’s been on the precipice of becoming a proper movie star for a while now, and this role would cement it.