It was announced at Comic-Con 2013 that the sequel to 'Man of Steel' will feature a Batman vs. Superman fight in the vein of Frank Miller's graphic novel 'The Dark Knight Returns,' so the big question is, of course, who will play Batman? The script for Zack Snyder's 'Man of Steel 2' is still being written, so it's a bit early for Warner Bros. to start meeting with prospective actors for the role, but sources claim they have a few ideas.

THR reports that while Zack Snyder has barely just begun looking at actors for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in 'Man of Steel 2' -- and he hasn't even met with anyone for the part yet -- there are already some rumors floating around about who might land the part. Snyder is, as previously hinted at Comic-Con, looking for an older actor in his 30s or 40s for the part of a well-established Batman to go toe to toe with Superman in the film.

Among the names mentioned are Josh Brolin, who has previously starred in 'Gangster Squad' for Warner Bros., and has two more projects -- 'Quasimodo' and 'Crazy for the Storm' -- lined up for the studio. And he stars in the upcoming Frank Miller project 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.'

Ryan Gosling, who also starred in 'Gangster Squad' is also on the list, and though he's younger than many of the other names being tossed about, he definitely has the star power.

Joe Manganiello of 'True Blood' is another rumored name, and Snyder considered him for the part of Superman in 'Man of Steel' before his obligations on the HBO series became an issue. Richard Armitage, star of 'The Hobbit,' is also on the list, along with Matthew Goode ('Stoker'), who starred in Snyder's adaptation of 'Watchmen.'

Of course, all of this is just premature speculation, as a studio source warns that the script isn't close to being finished and it's too early for the casting stage. But the names sure are interesting and seem like plausible choices -- particularly Brolin, whom we think could pull off an old, gruff and jaded Batman.

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