Former Superman actor Tyler Hoechlin says Robert Pattinson is a "fantastic" Batman, but "selfishly" wants DC Studios to "leave the door open" for him to play the role in James Gunn's DCU

Tyler Hoechlin may be most famous for playing Clark Kent AKA Superman in four seasons of CW's Superman and Lois, but he's got his eyes set on a very different DC hero: Batman, as Hoechlin says he "selfishly" wants the role of the Dark Knight for himself (via ScreenRant).

Hoechlin's comments came during Fan Expo Canada's 'Men of Steel' panel, in which the panelists were asked whether they felt that Robert Pattinson's Batman would make a worthy addition to James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe instead of remaining in his own, separate continuity.

"Well, selfishly, I'm going to say no because I still want to play Batman," Hoechlin confesses. "I think and I say that Rob did a fantastic, fantastic job and [with] Matt Reeves it was great. So I'm happy to let them keep doing their thing, and maybe leave the door open…"

The new DCU Batman hasn't debuted yet, though a relatively generic looking version of the character appeared in fleeting glimpses in Creature Commandos, with subsequent references to Gotham City and its inhabitants peppering other official DCU projects.

Batman is scheduled to star in The Brave and the Bold, a film which will focus on Bruce Wayne forging a bond with his son Damian Wayne, who is the current Robin. Other members of the Bat-Family will also be involved, though most details are still under wraps.

At the same time, Robert Pattinson is finally set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne in writer/director Matt Reeves' The Batman Part 2, which exists outside of the interconnected DC Universe.

The Batman Part 2 is scheduled for release in October 2027. The Brave and the Bold does not yet have a planned release date. For more, check out our rundown of all the upcoming DC movies and shows in the works.