Who Is Tom Brittney? Meet the Actor Rumoured to Play Batman in James Gunn's DCU

James Gunn's DC Universe has reportedly cast its Batman, with a new rumour suggesting Grantchesterstar Tom Brittney has landed the coveted role.

Brittney was previously among the finalists to play Superman before the role ultimately went to David Corenswet. Although he did not secure the part, Gunn praised the actor, calling him 'one of my favourite actors.'

So, who is the actor rumoured to be the DCU's next Batman?

Who Is Tom Brittney? Career and Background

Tom Brittney is a 35-year-old English actor from Gravesend, Kent. He is the son of novelist and playwright Lynn Brittney, best known for writing the Mayfair 100 series of period murder mysteries.

Brittney has wanted to be an actor since childhood and had the full support of his parents. His mother was his first drama teacher and coached him for his drama school auditions.

He studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London before beginning his professional acting career around 2013. His early screen credits include Doctors, Call the Midwife and Pramface.

Brittney is best known for playing Reverend Will Davenport in Grantchester, appearing in 34 episodes of the ITV detective drama. Viewers may also recognise him from Outlander, where he portrayed Lieutenant Jeremy Foster. He has also starred in the 2020 film Make Me Famous and the television series unREAL.

Away from acting, Brittney is an avid photographer and regularly shares his work on Instagram.

'One of my favourite things is photography. It is my second love apart from acting. The fact that you can capture a story in a single image excites me,' the actor told The Protagonist Magazine.

Who Is Tom Brittney Dating?

The actor generally keeps his personal life private, although it was reported in 2024 that he had become engaged to his girlfriend. In an interview with Country & Townhouse, Brittney revealed that his fiancée works in the art department.

'My fiancé is in the art department, so I have happily allowed her to decorate and design the entire flat. She's made it look incredible and like our perfect home. I've never had the skill to interior design so my places have always looked like a standard bachelor pad. Now we're going for Japandi sort of style (that's Japanese/Scandi fusion design for those who don't know. I didn't.) I love it!,' he said.

Before that, Brittney was reportedly in a relationship with illustrator Katie Tweddle, with the pair believed to have separated in 2021.

Batman Rumours

Industry commentator John Campea recently claimed Batman had been cast, teasing that 'it's not a name I would have guessed.'

Another insider, MyTimeToShineHello, later posted on X: 'It's true, it's Tom.'

Gunn has also praised Brittney on more than one occasion.

In 2024, he responded to a fan asking whether Brittney had worn Henry Cavill's Man of Steel suit during his Superman audition. Gunn confirmed that he had and wrote on Threads: 'BTW, Tom is truly one of my favorite actors. Incredibly talented guy.'

On another occasion, Gunn responded to a Threads post featuring Brittney and referring to him as 'Bruce', writing: 'That guy is a great f****** actor.'

Additionally, another Superman finalist, Nicholas Hoult, was later cast as Lex Luthor, leading some fans to speculate that Brittney could similarly be in line for another major DCU role.

For now, however, Brittney's casting remains purely speculative, and DC Studios has not officially announced who will play Batman in the DC Universe.