The Batman Reboot Casting Thread - Part 5

[RedIsNotBlue]

For older Batman, I will always go back to Jon Hamm.

I know right? Jon Hamm 10 years younger? Hell yes for Batman.

 

[regwec]

Meathead? How does the size of his body make him look stupid? He looks like Batman.

The videogame Batman does not have human proportions. Each bicep is twice as thick as his skull. If a human being looked like that, unkind people would call him a freak. It is no commendation of an actor who might prospectively play Bruce Wayne that they look anything like that.

How can you not buy this guy as being a billionaire just because he looks muscular without a shirt?

Well, there are three things to consider here.

Firstly, there is more to Bruce Wayne than being "a billionaire". Wealth does not in itself connote any particular qualities or attributes. Kanye West is obscenely rich, but is entirely devoid of any class. Bruce Wayne is the last scion of an ancient, quasi-aristocratic European ancestry. His persona is that of a frivolous playboy, but effortless sophistication should be something he exudes. Further, behind all of that, must lie the haunted little boy with a deadly secret. Whilst I acknowledge that your guy was not exactly trying to exhibit all of that while he is standing there grinning with his shirt off, that image in itself doesn't inform any expectation that he can command the sensitivity and intelligence in his face and manner that is required to play the part.

Secondly, it is not just a matter of him 'looking muscular'. Any actor who wants to sell himself as a more traditional Bruce Wayne (as opposed to a Keaton-esque interpretation) is going to be pretty strong and fit. The thing is that we have seen dozens of pictures of your guy now- mostly with his shirt off, admittedly- and I am developing an impression that he looks a bit thick. That is probably just a result of the kind of 'look- abs' pose he strikes in most of the pictures, but it is that subjectivity alone on which I am commenting. But, for me, he doesn't seem to have that crucial 'intelligence' in his face that made Bale so right.

Thirdly, to restate the point, we are only commenting on the guy's appearance. We don't know if he can or can't nail the part unless we are privy to see him do a screen test or something. So, while I think he looks like a bad choice based on some of your pictures, I am not saying that should be the last word on the matter. I could well be totally wrong.

 

[hafizbat]

Hm, well Magnaniello's True Blood co-star Alexander Skarsgard would seem to have the whole "sophisticated, classy, with a dark secret" look, but I don't think he has the physicality and aggression to play a fearsome Batman. He'd fit into the Keaton style batman, as would Gosling.

He is 6'4 and could pack on the muscle and get his hair color changed. Thoughts?

 

[CinematicESP]

Ezra Miller for the Joker...

If you've seen We Need to Talk About Kevin, you'll know why.

 

[hellblazer103]

since i have seen that movie , yes, i agree. i could see it. he has kind of a "robin " look to him as well though.

 

[Rorschach2012]

Ezra Miller would be my choice for Robin, alongside Manganiello as Batman and Bardem as Joker

 

[EliteF50]

The videogame Batman does not have human proportions. Each bicep is twice as thick as his skull. If a human being looked like that, unkind people would call him a freak. It is no commendation of an actor who might prospectively play Bruce Wayne that they look anything like that.

No, but he should still be very muscular.

Firstly, there is more to Bruce Wayne than being "a billionaire". Wealth does not in itself connote any particular qualities or attributes. Kanye West is obscenely rich, but is entirely devoid of any class. Bruce Wayne is the last scion of an ancient, quasi-aristocratic European ancestry. His persona is that of a frivolous playboy, but effortless sophistication should be something he exudes. Further, behind all of that, must lie the haunted little boy with a deadly secret. Whilst I acknowledge that your guy was not exactly trying to exhibit all of that while he is standing there grinning with his shirt off, that image in itself doesn't inform any expectation that he can command the sensitivity and intelligence in his face and manner that is required to play the part.

Secondly, it is not just a matter of him 'looking muscular'. Any actor who wants to sell himself as a more traditional Bruce Wayne (as opposed to a Keaton-esque interpretation) is going to be pretty strong and fit. The thing is that we have seen dozens of pictures of your guy now- mostly with his shirt off, admittedly- and I am developing an impression that he looks a bit thick. That is probably just a result of the kind of 'look- abs' pose he strikes in most of the pictures, but it is that subjectivity alone on which I am commenting. But, for me, he doesn't seem to have that crucial 'intelligence' in his face that made Bale so right.

Eh, a photo for a health magazine is hardly enough to prove that. Hell, even footage of him playing a werewolf isn't enough, because he isn't playing a classy guy, he's playing a werewolf. Joe's a good actor, and I do believe he can adapt and play a sophisticated character.

Thirdly, to restate the point, we are only commenting on the guy's appearance. We don't know if he can or can't nail the part unless we are privy to see him do a screen test or something. So, while I think he looks like a bad choice based on some of your pictures, I am not saying that should be the last word on the matter. I could well be totally wrong.

That's true. Based off Bale's pre-BB work, I would've said he'd make a perfect Batman. But it turned out to be the opposite, unfortunately.

 

[EliteF50]

What do you guys think of Andrew Lincoln as Batman?

 

[cin0]

Hmmm

 

[Rodrigo90]

Looks like David Duchovny

 

[EliteF50]

Holy crap, he kinda does.

But I can see him as Batman. Walking Dead has become a pretty terrible show, but he's a good actor. He's pretty much the only reason I'm still watching.

 

[DeGenerate10]

What do you guys think of Andrew Lincoln as Batman?

I suggested him a long time ago. I think he would be a good choice if he'd bulk up and work on the accent.

 

[terry78]

If he can pull off anything but a southern drawl, maybe.

 

[Sawyer]

I actually do want to hear him try another American accent than southern, since his always sounds so exaggerated on TWD.

 

[terry78]

You have to be able to master that flat neutral American accent. The deep south and the east coast are not the only places in fictional America, contrary to popular belief.

 

[Sawyer]

They are literally the only American accents that register to me. Anytime I hear someone say "California accent" or something, I'm like... how is how we talk any different than anywhere else?

 

[cin0]

I know alotta dudes from LA pronounce their R's really hard.

 

[spiderral]

I think Andrew Lincoln would be a great choice for Bruce Wayne/Bats and like others have pointed out, he would just have to bulk up for the role and get the American accent right. After spending years doing his Southern accent though on The Walking Dead, it would be hard moving to a different accent for him but being an actor, I'm sure he can figure it out.
You can just imagine Bruce going to some sort of event here in this pic.

 

[Majik1387]

Not a fan for him as Batman/Bruce.

And Ezra is Terry McGinnis dammit!

 

[NosfeRomas]

While i like him a lot as an actor (frankly one of the two reasons im still watching TWD, the other being David Morrissey) i can't see him as Batman. He does have a serious, badass, elegant vibe to him but he is still pretty far from my Batman.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

i like Lincoln but i am afraid he falls in the same boat as Jon Hamm as they are both pretty old for Batman, especially if WB are going for a Batman early on in his career

 

[regwec]

I like Lincoln but, for me and others of my generation, he is forever Egg from 'This Life'.

 

[spiderral]

i like Lincoln but i am afraid he falls in the same boat as Jon Hamm as they are both pretty old for Batman, especially if WB are going for a Batman early on in his career

Yeah, I do agree that they are both quite old but if we're getting a Batman that's meant to tie in with the DCU set in Man of Steel than I guess he has to be a little experienced if there are plans for making a World's Finest film and then maybe a Justice League one but I suppose Andrew Lincoln would be quite old by the time those films are made.
Still, I don't think WB should go for a Batman early on in his career because we already sort of saw that in Nolan's trilogy.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Goyer said Bruce wasn't Batman during MOS. Bruce was a vigilante though.

So what we're getting is sort of the Keaton treatment. A Bruce Wayne who is in his 30's when he becomes Batman. I'm assuming this because Clark is 33 in MOS, and we know Bruce is a few years older.

So I'm thinking an actor in perhaps his early to mid 30's will be chosen. Late 30's is a possibility, but an actor around 40 or over might not happen.

 

[Steve Holt]

Ezra for Jason Todd
Lerman for Tim Drake