Theo James might be suave, brooding, and effortlessly cool, but don’t expect him to don the cape and cowl anytime soon. While promoting The Gentlemen with The Movie Dweeb, the actor responded to fan speculation about him playing the Dark Knight—and let’s just say, he’s not exactly campaigning for the role.

“Everyone loves The Batman,” Theo said. “I feel like there’s been about 70 Batmans. I feel like that’s pretty covered.”

Fair point. With actors like Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson, Michael Keaton, and Ben Affleck all taking a turn as Gotham’s protector, the role has been passed around more times than a Batarang at a Justice League training session.

But while Theo didn’t seem too keen on adding his name to the Bat-roster, he did have some praise for one particular Caped Crusader. “I liked Ben Affleck’s Batman, to be honest. I enjoyed that,” he admitted, referring to Affleck’s performance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Naturally, I couldn’t let Theo off the hook without bringing up one very important piece of evidence: a throwback photo of him dressed as Batman at a house party. His response? He referred to himself as “the gimpiest Batman.” Not exactly the heroic image Gotham needs, but at least he’s self-aware.

Could Theo James Be the Next Batman?

Ever since James Gunn took over as co-CEO of DC Studios, fans have been eagerly awaiting news about who will play Batman in the new DC Universe. Speculation is running wild, and naturally, Theo James’ name has been thrown into the mix.

With his deep voice, action-packed résumé (Divergent, The White Lotus), and undeniable charm, it’s easy to see why fans think he could make a great Bruce Wayne. But, judging by his reaction, it seems like Theo is happy leaving Gotham’s crime-fighting duties to someone else.

Theo James in The Gentlemen

Instead of fighting crime in Gotham, Theo James is taking over London’s criminal underworld in The Gentlemen, Netflix’s new action-packed series from Guy Ritchie. A spin-off of Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name, the show follows Eddie Horniman (James), an aristocrat who unexpectedly inherits a massive estate—only to discover it’s being used as a front for a powerful weed empire.

The series is packed with the signature Guy Ritchie mix of slick dialogue, gritty action, and British humor, with a cast that includes Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Vinnie Jones, and Ray Winstone.

So while Theo James may not be interested in playing Batman, at least fans can still see him bringing his A-game to the world of crime—just on the other side of the law.

Before wrapping up all this Bat-talk, I couldn’t help but reflect on a previous interview I did with the legendary Kevin Conroy, the definitive voice of Batman for over 30 years.

Before his passing, Kevin shared his thoughts on Robert Pattinson’s The Batman and even treated me to a special moment—acting out a scene from the film in his iconic Batman voice.

As the man who brought the Dark Knight to life in Batman: The Animated Series, the Arkham video games, and countless other projects, Kevin’s performance shaped the way generations hear Batman in their heads. Hearing him slip effortlessly into the role one last time was nothing short of magical—a reminder of why he’ll always be the voice of Gotham’s protector.