Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin in running for Batman role

The next Superman adventure, directed by Zack Snyder, will see the superhero face Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. Six names have already been mentioned as possible casting choices for the Caped Crusader, including Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Joe Manganiello.

While Zack Snyder hasn't yet finished the script, a list published by The Hollywood Reporter already unveils the names of six potential actors Warner Bros. is considering for the role of Bruce Wayne in "Superman vs. Batman".

Among them is Josh Brolin, whom we will soon see in Robert Rodriguez's "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For." The tougher looks of the 46-year-old could fit the profile set by the production, which would be an actor in his 40s in the same vein as Christian Bale.

Ryan Gosling, Nicolas Winding Refn's protégé and former accomplice of Josh Brolin in "Gangster Squad," is on the list as well, even though he seems a bit young for the part. Other stars being considered to play opposite Clark Kent/Henry Cavill are "True Blood" star Joe Manganiello, Richard Armitage (Thorin in "The Hobbit"), Matthew Goode, who already worked with Snyder in 2009's "Watchmen," and Max Martini, currently in "Pacific Rim" by Guillermo del Toro.

For the very first time, the two superheroes will end up face to face on the same screen. The shooting of the film could start next spring, for a release in theaters expected in the summer 2015.