Supergirl’s new villain actor actually almost played Batman in Zack Snyder’s DCEU

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow finally got some new casting news, months after Milly Alcock joined in the title role. Red Sparrow actor Matthias Schoenaerts is set to play the villain in the upcoming movie.

However, you might not realize that the star almost played another major role in the DC universe. When Zack Snyder was casting Batman for his DCEU, Schoenaerts was a frontrunner for the part, which ultimately went to Ben Affleck.

On the Happy Sad Confused podcast back in 2021, Snyder explained: “I was talking to [Schoenaerts] a lot about it. He never got in the suit, but I did do a bunch of mock-ups of him, because Ben was on the fence. And I don’t blame him. Everyone should be on the fence when you’re asked, ‘Do you want to play Batman?'”

While he ultimately didn’t land the role, Schoenaerts joins a list of actors who almost played Batman, which includes Cillian Murphy and Jake Gyllenhaal. He’s also now landed a role in the rebooted DC universe under new DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. 

It’s not yet clear who exactly Schoenaerts is playing in Supergirl, but given it’s following the storyline of the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic by Tom King and Billquis Evely, it seems likely he’ll be Krem of the Yellow Hills. Described as a “killer of men, women, and dogs”, he’s a pretty ruthless bad guy who murders the father of alien girl Ruthye Marye Knoll, which brings him to Supergirl’s attention.

Supergirl is set to release in theaters on June 26, 2026. For more, check out our guides to all the upcoming DC movies and shows, as well our breakdown of DCU Chapter One.