After the success of this summer’s somewhat premature Spider-Man reboot, it’s unlikely that Hollywood will wait around too long before bringing a money-spinner like Batman back to our cinema screens, despite Christopher Nolan’s insistence that The Dark Knight Rises is the final instalment of his take on the character.

So who will be following in the footsteps of Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Val Kilmer (shudder) and, of course, Christian Bale to take up the mantle of the caped crusader?

Jon Hamm

As the rich and brooding Don Draper in Mad Men, Hamm’s proved that he can easily pass off as a Bruce Wayne type. Add to that the fact he’s ridiculously good-looking and we have the perfect contender on our hands.

It’d be interesting to see how he fares in a more action-based role, getting into scrapes with baddies and donning the cowl and cape.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Given how The Dark Knight Rises ended, Gordon-Levitt seems the obvious choice to carry on the franchise within Christopher Nolan’s established Gotham, possibly as Robin, sidekick to whoever lands the Batman role.

But remember what Bruce Wayne said – anyone can be Batman…

Ryan Gosling

Ryan can pull of moody, sexy hero already. His stoic character in Drive could not only handle himself in a fight, he even had his own iconic costume in the form of his scorpion jacket.

If a revamped franchise was to follow the story of a younger Bruce Wayne, you could do a lot worse than Gosling. That said, we’re not sure we can imagine lithe, fair Ryan mounting a Batpod and swishing his cape around Gotham.

Idris Elba

There’s no doubt that Idris can act, and his Luther character has become an icon on both sides of the pond. With the gravelly tones, the steely looks and the presence to play a character like Bruce Wayne, he could easily don the famous outfit and look every inch the hero.

He’s even proved his comic book credentials already as the watchful Heimdal in Thor.

What do you think of these potential candidates? Let us know below…

> Buy Batman Begins on Blu-ray on Amazon.

> Buy The Dark Knight on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Watch the trailer for The Dark Knight Rises…