Recently, Ben Affleck officially confirmed that he was retiring from his role as Batman in the DC Extended Universe after portraying the Caped Crusader in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Justice League. During his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, the Academy Award-winner explained that he felt that he couldn’t get a crack on a version that he would’ve directed.
However, the script for the Ben Affleck version of The Batman was read by numerous people, including animation director and storyboard artist Jay Oliva who has worked on numerous DCEU project. A few months ago, Oliva claimed that the Ben Affleck script was the best he ever read:
Hi Bill! The original Affleck script was the best Batman script I’ve ever read. Ben had a kick ass story and I believe that the audience and fans would have loved it.
— Jay Oliva (@jayoliva1) September 4, 2018
In fact, Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello replied to Oliva’s tweet as a ringing endorsement of what the Ben Affleck version of The Batman could have been:
✔️
— JOE MANGANIELLO (@JoeManganiello) September 5, 2018
Earlier this month, details about the scrapped Ben Affleck Batman script were revealed, hinting that the film was taking influence from the David Fincher film, The Game. Now that Ben Affleck has officially passed the writer/director’s torch to War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves as well as a younger actor now set to don the cape and cowl, his version of The Batman now joins the likes of Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man and the numerous versions of the DCEU’s long-gestating Flash movie as versions of comic book storytelling that will remain in our imaginations.
Although plot details remain under wraps, Matt Reeves’ project has been long rumored to feature a younger Caped Crusader, even prior to Ben Affleck exiting the role. A rogues gallery of Batman villains are rumored to appear, including The Penguin which could be the film’s main villain. While the film’s inspiration remains unclear, the director himself has confirmed the film will not be based on Frank Miller’s Year One comic directly and will focus on Batman as the World’s Greatest Detective much more than the previous films ever have before.
In the meantime, DCEU fans looking to get their latest big screen fix can still check out Aquaman.
Directed by James Wan, Aquaman stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Patrick Wilson as Orm / Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Ludi Lin as Captain Murk, and Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry.
From Warner Bros. Pictures and director, James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, “Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be… a king.
Aquaman is now playing. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on the future of the current DC cinematic universe as we learn it.
Source: Twitter
Top Actors To Replace Ben Affleck In Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’
Ben Affleck is officially out as Batman and it's a pretty sad day.
Words cannot describe how sad I am to see Ben Affleck announce that he's no longer Batman. His Batman is why I do what I do. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I fell in love with his comic book-accurate interpretation of the Caped Crusader. It was a breath of fresh air and it felt like we finally had the one true Batman.
Three years have quickly sped by and we're officially going to receive a new Batman for his next movie. Last night, Ben Affleck announced that he will not return as the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves' The Batman and now everyone's attention has moved towards wanting to know who the next Bruce Wayne will be. Matt Reeves is said to want an actor that's around 20 years younger than Affleck while Warner Bros. wants someone older. My guess is that Reeves wants a fresh start while the studio wants an older actor for crossover potential.
In this list, I will discuss the actors I think can replace Ben Affleck as Batman using the parameters that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. want. Hit Next to see our picks to play the Batman.
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an X-Men alum and no stranger to comic book franchises. The actor has shown multiple levels of range and could definitely handle the Batman/Bruce Wayne personality. If they go with the older range for the next Dark Knight, then Fassbender is probably one of the best choices to take over the role.
Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes is out of a job after The Punisher season 2 and he's one of the best actors in that series. The second season tied up Barnes' arc on The Punisher and the actor has already told us that that he'd love to play the Caped Crusader. Barnes definitely has the pretty boy look going on for him and I wonder what his take on Bruce Wayne could be.
Ryan Gosling
I've said this before and I'll say it again: Ryan Gosling needs to star in a superhero movie. I've always thought Gosling would make a great Batman. Every role that he's done has shown us his capability and he could crush it as Bruce Wayne.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm is my top choice for an older Batman. If Warner Bros. wants to cast an older actor for crossover potential, Jon Hamm is the studio's best bet. He has a similar look to Ben Affleck, and c'mon, the guy's look just screams Bruce Wayne.
Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer is 32 years old and was cast as the Caped Crusader in George Miller's Justice League: Mortal. That film will never see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean that Hammer doesn't deserve a second shot at being the Batman. He's charming, broody and will probably give his all for this role. Armie Hammer is a great option because he's young enough for Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. could work in a way for him to crossover with the rest of the DC Extended Universe.
Richard Madden
Game of Thrones alum Richard Madden is my top choice to replace Ben Affleck as Batman. The actor is young, has the look and definitely has the acting chops to play the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Madden just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series for the BBC drama Bodyguard, so Warner Bros. may want to quickly snatch him up.
