Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Mike Redmond | News | February 26, 2026
It’s safe to say that Paul Anthony Kelly’s career is taking off like a bat out of hell. The model/actor came out of nowhere to land the role of JFK Jr. in Ryan Murphy’s Love Story, and almost immediately after the premiere, the internet went buck wild with thirst (of course) and demands to make him the new Batman in James Gunn’s DCU.
To be fair, it’s uncanny how Kelly matches the part while dappered up as Kennedy. My man looks like Bruce Wayne stepped directly off a comic book page. Superman made it clear that Gunn wants his DCU to look like the source material. If Gunn goes the classic blue and grey costume route for his Batman, Kelly would not only capture the thinner Batman of the 70s and 80s, but he’d probably be the most gorgeous Dark Knight this side of Robert Pattinson.
Naturally, Kelly’s on board. I mentioned he was plucked out of nowhere, right? So, he’s not going to look this gift horse in the mouth. Here’s what he told GQ after hearing about the rampant Batman discourse:
Kelly has made the smart decision to largely stay off social media and not get in the weeds of what people are saying about him. So for today, I’m his trusty social media manager, running down all the Paul Anthony Kelly-related discourse on the feeds.First, there’s the passionate fancasting of him as the next Bruce Wayne, with fans citing his Batman-appropriate jaw and the way he looks in a suit. “If that’s what they say, then who am I to say no?” he says. “I mean, that would be a dream come true.”
As of this writing, James Gunn hasn’t addressed Kelly in any of his frequent Q&A sessions with fans, but give him a minute. In the meantime, if I’m Brandon Sklenar, I’m getting very nervous right about now. Not only is my currently white-hot competition handsome enough to play America’s prince, but he’s probably way cheaper. Kelly won’t be walking into negotiations with a Taylor Sheridan show and The Housemaid under his belt.
The dude truly is the perfect package, but I’ll let you folks be the judge.
