Batman/Bruce Wayne Casting Thread - Part 1

[Tg11]

JG Jake Gyllenhaal replacing Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman...please for all that is good in this world please Ben please leave this role no one will think any less of you if you do and Gyllenhaal can finally play the role he was meant to

 

[C Prometheus]

Whether his scoops are valid or not, he is completely on the money here:



I said as much a few days ago. People may need to prepare for the Affleck uncertainty to continue well into next year.

I mean, at this point, it's pretty clear at least that Affleck isn't going to be Batman in Reeves' trilogy. If we get him back at all, it'll be for Flashpoint and that's it.

 

[Tg11]

Well because Affleck isn't getting any younger the man is 45 going on 46 better to start with a younger Batman anyway

 

[KevTravels]

so why again do people feel Affleck will bow out after 2 films? Is it simply because they feel he will be too old or what?

 

[KevTravels]

Out of all candidates, Gyllenhaal is the best option. But who knows if he wants to do it. Reeves would have to be pretty damn convincing for him.

 

[TheWallCrawler]

I don't think it's worth it to try keep Affleck anymore. He just doesn't look like his heart is in it. He was only the highlight in DCEU because the rest was god-awful, and his performance was passable. Not like people will actually care when he's recast. I for one will be relieved.
Now if only they will cast someone younger I'll be happy. I'm sick of old grizzled Batman. The "in his prime" Batman has been sorely missing from the movies and is a much more interesting direction than the stale "getting too old for this"-shtick

 

[Boom]

so why again do people feel Affleck will bow out after 2 films? Is it simply because they feel he will be too old or what?

-It's been reported by too many outlets over the last year that he wanted out. If it was just one person like John Campea reporting it, that'd be one thing. But it's not. Where there's smoke, there's fire.

-The reception to BvS clearly got in his head. The interview that gave us the "Sad Affleck" meme says it all. The guy looked genuinely shell-shocked, and I don't think he ever really overcame it. The look on his face screamed, "What have I done?" Furthermore, the only reason he signed on in the first place was because he bought in Snyder's specific vision. And that vision is proving to be a dud. I don't think he's particularly invested in playing the kind of Batman we saw in Justice League. It's a far cry from the interpretation that initially appealed to him.

-He went on national television and said he was directing The Batman. Two weeks later he dropped out. He can go on the record all he wants about how he wants to play Batman or how he's going to play Batman. Unfortunately, there is precedent now to doubt his word. We have a clear example of him saying one thing and doing another when it comes to his involvement with Batman. His word simply doesn't mean much anymore. Case in point:

-Back in July, he said playing Batman was the greatest role ever, that he'd be happy to do it as long as the studio would have him, and that he'd play an ape for someone like Matt Reeves. Fast-forward four months, and now he's saying things like, "We'll see," "It's something I'm contemplating," and "I don't know about that." He's promoting Justice League, a film that's meant to blow the DCEU wide open, and he's already talking about trying to find a graceful exit from the role. While promoting Justice League. It's remarkably tone-deaf and speaks volumes.

-His overall demeanor during the Justice League press tour has been lethargic at best and apathetic at worst. If there was ever a time to put on a brave face and fake enthusiasm, this was it. I have seen nothing that suggests he is genuinely interested in staying with the role.

-Taking away all the drama surrounding the DCEU itself, the simple fact of the matter is that Ben Affleck is also a director, producer and screenwriter, and he has other projects that he'd like to work on. A role like Batman is extremely time-consuming and physically-intensive. In terms of logistics alone, he's not going to be able to dedicate himself to the DCEU for the long haul and still be able to do all the other things he'd like to do. That's why his age is a crucial factor at play here. You'd be asking him to give up A LOT if you wanted him to appear in up to three Batman films and a couple of Justice League sequels. At 45-years-old, coming off of an Oscar win, why saddle himself to this?

 

[Tg11]

Exactly and if they go younger the best candidates for Batman are either Gyllenhaal, Hammer, Bomer and or Gosling as Bruce Wayne/Batman

 

[Boom]

When you actually lay things out, the writing really is on the wall here.

 

[Deck Rickard]

What I don’t understand about that El Fanboy report is... why would WB leave the decision up to Affleck on whether he stays or leaves? What has he done that warrants that type of leverage? He’s been in two movies that were panned by critics and underperformed. We can argue all day about how much he is to blame for that, but regardless... he’s the first Batman actor since Clooney whose films have been poorly received and are now losing money for the studio. How WB could possibly leave the decision of whether he stays or goes up to him is beyond me. Even if they have a contract with him for another film, they could probably just buy him out. And my guess is, that contract isn’t really ironclad anyway since he was supposed to direct a Batman film and later dropped out of that.

Hopefully that part of the report isn’t true and WB are done with him. I want to go back to being excited to see Batman on the big screen again.

 

[shauner111]

You're right. It makes no sense. This whole "Reeves wants Gyllenhaal unless Affleck stays" is weird as hell. WHO CARES about Ben Affleck.

 

[C Prometheus]

You're right. It makes no sense. This whole "Reeves wants Gyllenhaal unless Affleck stays" is weird as hell. WHO CARES about Ben Affleck.

Yeah, I don't fully buy that line myself. Rob Keyes said almost a month ago already that Reeves just doesn't want Affleck anymore, something Variety seemed to back up with the recent article too.

At this point I think it's more a matter of whether or not Warner Bros bother to bring Affleck back or not for Flashpoint, and whether or not they want to come out and officially state that he's being replaced by Jake Gyllenhaal or another actor for the solo Batman trilogy.

 

[MbJ]

Right of first refusal is still a thing in many films contracts. It's entirely possible WB is obligated to offer Affleck the role even if they fully intend to go with someone like Gyllenhaal , even if he has no interest.

 

[Boom]

Yeah, I don't fully buy that line myself. Rob Keyes said almost a month ago already that Reeves just doesn't want Affleck anymore, something Variety seemed to back up with the recent article too.

At this point I think it's more a matter of whether or not Warner Bros bother to bring Affleck back or not for Flashpoint, and whether or not they want to come out and officially state that he's being replaced by Jake Gyllenhaal or another actor for the solo Batman trilogy.

I figure they'll announce Affleck's departure with the press release announcing the new actor.

"Jake Gyllenhaal to Replace Ben Affleck as Batman" sounds like a better headline than "Ben Affleck Drops Out As Batman."

 

[Chip Chipperson]

for some reason, the internet is now talking about Jon Hamm being up for the role without any actual evidence

I'd be down for it, but I doubt it happens

 

[Lobo]

At this point, I don't want to see old Bruce, or origin Bruce. I want to see a Batman in his prime, whose been at it awhile, but not over the hill. I think Jake could own a prime years Batman. I'd also love to eventually see Clayface on screen.

 

[Web-Head]

for some reason, the internet is now talking about Jon Hamm being up for the role without any actual evidence

I'd be down for it, but I doubt it happens

There was an article saying Hamm was going hard after the role, but it's legitimacy is a bit questionable.

I want him to do it, but man, I just wish he was a little bit younger

 

[Chip Chipperson]

they really did screw themselves by starting off with a mid 40s bruce right off the bat

 

[Astro13Zombie]

they really did screw themselves by starting off with a mid 40s bruce right off the bat

True though.

 

[Jekecy]

they really did screw themselves by starting off with a mid 40s bruce right off the bat

Nah, I still think it was an intriguing route to go to, as we never see Batman in his latter years of his career. Had they gone with someone like Brolin, who was the original choice, we probably wouldn't even be having this discussion.

This whole Batman debacle falls squarely on the shoulders of Zack and (mostly) Affleck.

 

[Tg11]

Okay but if Gyllenhaal is not interested who does that leave

 

[dhandler01]

Nah, I still think it was an intriguing route to go to, as we never see Batman in his latter years of his career. Had they gone with someone like Brolin, who was the original choice, we probably wouldn't even be having this discussion.

This whole Batman debacle falls squarely on the shoulders of Zack and (mostly) Affleck.

They couldnt go with Brolin...since you know, he beat Diane Lane when they were married. (yeah yeah allegedly)

I think some of you are overthinking this, and I think the clickbaiters have it wrong. I dont think WB has really put much effort into dealing with the Batman situation yet because it is rather far out and they are dealing with the Justice League fallout. They are in wait and see mode. If the right actor wants the job and Reeves wants him then they will make things official but my guess is they have heard from a few but nothing blew their skirt up. No need to get rid of Affleck officially (though my guess is he is done) until they have further news on his replacement. The news cycle would explode if they did it any other way.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

they really did screw themselves by starting off with a mid 40s bruce right off the bat

Yep. Why would you start a cinematic universe with a middle aged Bruce?

 

[Jekecy]

Yep. Why would you start a cinematic universe with a middle aged Bruce?

Because not every character has to be explored linearly. Most especially with one whose earlier years have already been covered. A middle-aged Bruce still has plenty in the tank of stories to rummage through (as evidenced from the 2000s and on). And having a Batman with a storied career opens up new avenues of lore and storytelling which isn’t really possible without a lengthy run from a young actor.

Regardless of how bad this all turned out, doesn’t mean the concept wasn’t sound. Hell, if they still go along this path (with a fresh team) I’d still be on board.

 

[Bruce Malone]

No, it's just that the guy happened to be Ben Affeck.

RDJ was around the same age when he was cast as Tony Stark and went on the appear in like 15 MCU films since then.

If Jon Hamm for example were the guy they chose there probably wouldn't be talk of re-cast right now.