Six actors have reportedly made the early list of contenders for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming “Man of Steel” sequel at Warner Bros. Pictures.

The short list at this stage is Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Joe Manganiello, Richard Armitage, Max Martini and Matthew Goode. All are aged in their thirties or forties, confirming reports the character in the film will be established and rugged (no original story) so will skew older than Bale’s version in the first two “Dark Knight” films.

The studio is reportedly most keen on Brolin, but as the script isn’t yet written there’s still a LONG way to go before any serious casting announcements are made. Sources claim director Zack Snyder is only just beginning to look at actors at this point.

Source: Heat Vision