There are bat-signals everywhere that Ben Affleck is out as the DCEU's Batman.
So based on the information we've got and all those Bat-rumors let's take a look at
the three best, and three worst, actors that could replace him in the role.
When Ben Affleck stepped down as writer/director of The Batman, Warner Bros. handed off those
duties to Matt Reeves, whose credits include multiple chapters in the Planet of the Apes
reboot trilogy.
It's been speculated that Reeves is adapting the comic book arc Batman: Year One.
He's denied that his script focuses on that story, but there are indications that a younger,
rawer version of Batman is on deck.
28-year-old English actor Jack O'Connell got his big break when he starred in 2014's Unbroken,
and since then, his name has been on many a shortlist for notable starring roles.
He would be an unconventional choice for this project, considering his lack of tentpole
experience and name recognition, but that's just the point.
If talk of the "younger Batman" is true, then DC should take a nontraditional approach when
casting.
Armie Hammer checks a lot of boxes.
He has experience in action films like The Lone Ranger and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
He's delivered incredible performances in films like The Social Network and Call Me
by Your Name.
At 32, he's relatively young.
He's also got the stature: 6'5", athletic build, and square jaw.
On paper, the guy can be Batman — in fact, on paper, he was Batman, albeit briefly, in
George Miller's scuttled Justice League.
But he shouldn't be on anyone's shortlist for the reboot.
"We're gonna push these DC people further than they’ve ever been comfortable with.
And the DC people showed up, looked around, and were like, this is farther than we're
comfortable with."
Affleck's possible departure gives Warner Bros. the opportunity to boldly take the DCEU
in a new and exciting creative direction.
Casting Armie Hammer as the new Batman would feel like more of the same a little too traditional,
a little too on the nose, a little too boring.
Mainstream viewers became aware of Riz Ahmed when he landed a breakout role on the HBO
miniseries The Night Of.
As the show unfolded, Ahmed displayed a startling ability to reveal new, profound layers of
his character in each episode.
and he's since gone on to be recognized
as one of the most unique young talents working in Hollywood today.
Ahmed has also totally nailed roles in such various films as Nightcrawler, Rogue One,
and Venom.
He's got leading man looks and he's proven that he has the acting chops to play the Caped
Crusader.
Casting this rising talent would be a great move in forging a new onscreen identity for
Bruce Wayne.
Jake Gyllenhaal is a gifted actor who has gotten close to superhero roles in the past.
He was rumored to be in consideration for the lead role in Spider-Man 2 when it looked
like Tobey Maguire's "back problems" would preclude him from returning for the sequel.
He was also reportedly in the running for Batman Begins.
More than anyone else on this list, Gyllenhaal has been the the subject of "replacing Affleck"
rumors, with some industry insiders assuming it was all but a done deal.
However, to the disappointment of his legions of fans, he has denied the rumors.
In an interview with China News Asia, when asked if he was taking on the Batman role,
he said point blank,
"The answer to that question is no."
"No, like, if you're hanging a guy by a string…right, and you’re hanging him upside down by a
string, and you’re in a batsuit, I’d be like ‘who are you?”
I’d be like, I'm f---- Batman.
Are you kidding me?"
With critically acclaimed roles in character studies like Inside Llewyn Davis, A Most Violent
Year, and a little space opera called Star Wars, Oscar Isaac has proven himself to be
a bankable talent.
It's been reported that Isaac has already met with Warner Bros. to discuss a "mystery"
role in The Batman.
It's unlikely that this mystery role is the lead, because if this reboot is focusing on
a younger crimefighter, Isaac wouldn't fit the bill.
However, the storyline probably hasn't been set in stone by the studio just yet.
Since Matt Reeves has publicly stated that his film won't focus on any one story, it's
possible that the new Bruce Wayne won't have to be the young crimefighter from the Year
One comic.
He has also mentioned that he wants to make this film a "noir-driven definitive Batman
story" and that he went on a "deep dive" revisiting all of his favorite comics.
This could leave the door open for an older actor, and in that case, Isaac would be a
casting home run.
Reigning Sexiest Man Alive Idris Elba is the same age as Ben Affleck.
If Warner Bros. truly wants to take their DC properties in a new creative direction,
they're going to need somebody who can make a long-term commitment, and that means casting
somebody younger than Affleck.
Elba has appeared in many high-profile films, including Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbusters
as Heimdall . In every one of his movie and TV appearances, he brings charisma and intensity
that can't be ignored.
For the role of Batman, however, with the DCEU where it is at this particular moment,
Elba simply isn't a fit.