MovieStillsDB
Published Jun 16, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT
Laura Hurley has been writing about the entertainment industry for more than twelve years, after a decade as a content producer and editor at CinemaBlend after writing for WhatCulture and Examiner. Attending events like SCAD TVfest and San Diego Comic-Con over the course of her career, she has been immersed in the world of network, streaming, and cable TV.
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Jensen Ackles went on a wild ride over the course of 15 seasons of Supernatural, since he had to tackle some of the show's most emotional storylines while also reigning as the one-liner king from start to finish. There are plenty of candidates for Dean's funniest line from all 327 episodes, but there's one that many fans can probably agree on. Now, nearly two decades later, there's a whole other layer to Dean declaring that he's Batman.
Back in episode 3 of season 3, called "Bad Day at Black Rock," the Winchesters faced the task of retrieving a cursed rabbit's foot. The item caused astoundingly good luck for the holder, until they lost it, after which they would die. When Dean had his hands on the rabbit's foot, he pulled off a miraculous rescue that would have made the Caped Crusader proud, including stopping a gun with a pencil and taking down a goon with a remote control. When he lowered his voice and said "I'm Batman!" to his brother, it was easy to see his point.
But the Batman one-liner that started out as a joke on Supernatural back in 2007 started to fit Jensen Ackles' career in the following years. In 2010, he voiced Jason Todd in Batman: Under the Red Hood, which he followed up by donning an elaborate Red Hood costume for Halloween. Starting in 2021, Ackles moved on to play the Dark Knight himself. He voiced Batman (and Bruce Wayne) in Batman: The Long Halloween, followed by Legion of Super-Heroes, Justice League: Warworld, and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Plus, voicing the Caped Crusader in animated projects doesn't necessarily mean that Ackles will never suit up as Batman in live action.
Jensen Ackles Is A Popular Choice For DCU Batman
MovieStillsDBThere have been three actors playing Batman in live action on the big screen since Jensen Ackles' Supernatural one-liner, but none of the performances from Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, or Robert Pattinson over the past 18 years stopped fans from pitching Ackles as the next Dark Knight. Fan art of Ackles as Batman provides a glimpse of how he could look as the superhero, and he could honestly be a good fit for the role.
He has plenty of action experience after his 15 years of Supernatural, and he even played a superhero of sorts in Prime Video's The Boys. It's also not unprecedented for actors from The CW to go on to star in major films. In fact, two of his former Dawson's Creek co-stars made names for themselves on the big screen. Michelle Williams has been nominated for no fewer than five Academy Awards, and Katie Holmes was the female lead in Batman Begins. Ackles himself has even said that Batman is "a dream role."
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Jensen Ackles Doubles Down On Batman Casting Hopes In James Gunn's DC Universe
The Boys star Jensen Ackles has long aspired to play Batman in a live-action film, and the actor is now opening up about his dream role.
At 48, Ackles is admittedly older than Bale, Affleck, and Pattison were when they were cast as Batman for live action movies. Still, with The Brave and the Bold on the way as the next live-action film to feature The World's Greatest Detective, the actor's age might be a good fit. The movie will reportedly feature an older version of the DC Comics superhero. Details are scarce, but the move is expected to include Damian Wayne, Bruce's son.
The real full-circle twist for Ackles would be if he got to play Batman in a live-action adaptation of Under the Hood, after he voiced Jason Todd in the animated version of that iconic comic. In the wake of The Boys ending, Countdown getting cancelled, and Tracker sending his character off on a side quest, only one big project has been confirmed for Ackles in the foreseeable future. Vought Rising is taking The Boys franchise into a new era; perhaps it will also leave enough time for the former Supernatural star to gear up as Batman.
Release Date 2005 - 2020
Showrunner Eric Kripke
Writers Meredith Glynn, Davy Perez, Raelle Tucker, Cathryn Humphris, Brett Matthews, Nancy Won, John Bring, Ben Acker, Daniel Knauf, David Ehrman, James Krieg, Trey Callaway
English (US) ·