20 years after losing Batman to Christian Bale, Jake Gyllenhaal says it would be "an honor" to play the hero in the DCU

Jake Gyllenhaal has said it would be an "honor" to play Batman in the DCU. On the promotion trail for his new movie Road House, the actor had a candid response when asked if he'd consider it. 

Gyllenhaal auditioned to play the Caped Crusader for Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins back in 2005, but ultimately lost the role to Christian Bale. Drawing comparisons from his fights in Road House and Batman, Screen Rant asked the actor if it was a role he was still interested in playing.

"Oh, man. That's a classic. It's an honor," he said before speaking more broadly on roles made famous by others. "I'm going to play Iago in Othello with Denzel Washington, and I think about the history of actors that have played that role throughout time, and I'm intimidated by that. So that's the first level. That's what I'm working on right now. But of course. It would be an honor always. Those types of things and those roles are classics."

The role of Batman is currently up for grabs in James Gunn's new DCU, which kicks off a new live-action era for DC Studios. Along with his co-CEO Peter Safran, the pair have a Batman and Robin film planned called The Brave and the Bold. However, that may be a while off still with Superman and Supergirl planned as the first live-action movies in their universe.

Gyllenhaal is no stranger to superhero movies himself, having played Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Last year, screenwriter David S. Goyer revealed to the Happy Sad Confused podcast that the actor was also considered for Batman Begins, even getting as far as donning the iconic suit for a screen test.

For more, check out all of the new superhero movies on the way, as well as our guide to the how to watch the DC movies in order.