Batman is a popular hero, whether that's in the former DCEU, the many standalone movies, or other media. Bruce Wayne, The Head of Wayne Corporations, also serves as Batman, the protector of Gotham City, who rids the streets of crime as best he can. Batman is arguably the most popular character in the DC Universe, with Superman and Wonder Woman following closely behind. It would seem no one can compete with The Dark Knight and his strange methods that make him more of an anti-hero than a superhero.
Considering the popularity of Batman, it makes sense that the market for Batman media is heavily saturated with a never-ending run of films and TV shows, like Batman vs Superman and, most recently, The Batman. While fans have given love and hate to the content put out, one thing that is often thrown to the wind is the fact that white actors have always played Batman. You'd think that after more than 70 years of content creation that somewhere along the line someone would've said, "What if Bruce Wayne wasn't white?" — but that has yet to come to fruition. This raises the question: will we ever get a non-white Bruce Wayne?
Casting History of Batman / Bruce Wayne
Batman has been a staple in cinema since the inception of the character in 1939. Bruce Wayne's first appearance on-screen was portrayed by a young Lewis G. Wilson in 1943, who maintained the cartoony comic book-style of the character. However, Batman didn't truly pick up speed until Adam West portrayed the superhero in the hit ABC series Batman. The role went on to a number of actors from there, including George Clooney, Val Kilmer, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and, most recently, Robert Pattinson in The Batman. Historically, Bruce Wayne has always been portrayed by a white man. This seems to make sense considering that, in the comics, Bruce Wayne is a white man. That being said, perhaps it's time for history to change.
Diverse Representation in Superhero Movies
Over the past decade, those in charge of a movie's creative decisions have been stepping up to increase the level of diverse representation in cinema so that people of all races, creeds, and religions feel seen and heard in film. As such, we have seen traditionally white characters being recast with racialized actors. Examples of this can be seen with Mileena in Mortal Kombat, Zendaya as MJ in the MCU Spider-Man franchise, and so many more. Despite the unnecessary and unreasonable hate from white fans, the racialized community is living for the new level of representation in the media. The question is: could this principle casting apply to Bruce Wayne?
Are We Overdue For a Non-White Batman?
Considering that we are more than two decades into the 21st Century and have yet to see a non-white Batman is a little hard to believe. The biggest arguments that have been made against having Bruce Wayne portrayed by an actor of color is just that it "suits his character" to be white, but in all reality, having a non-white Bruce Wayne is long overdue. In The Batman, for example, Catwoman is portrayed by Zoë Kravitz, and while Catwoman was previously portrayed by Halle Berry in her standalone Catwoman film, it's clear that the creators are not completely opposed to diversifying the cast. This should also apply to Bruce Wayne, who does not actually have to be white in order for him to succeed as The Dark Knight.
The world has come a long way from when Batman was first introduced. Recasting a traditionally white character with a person of color has become a common practice in today's entertainment industry in order for every community to feel seen and heard. Considering that big heroes like Aquaman have been recast, it would only make sense for Batman to finally be portrayed by an actor of color as there is no real reason for him not to be. Overall, DC seems to be a little behind on the representation track and should catch up if they want to compete with other franchises, like the MCU.