With Warner Bros. in hot development on solo superhero movie The Batman, writer/director Matt Reeves and the studio are currently on the hunt for the next hot young actor to portray The Dark Knight. ComingSoon.net has taken six of the top contenders rumored to be on the studio’s shortlist and set up a poll for our readers to choose which actor they think would be the best to take on the cape and cowl. Make your choice for the next Batman actor in the poll below!
With an official release date set for June 25, 2021, The Batman will focus on a younger Batman/Bruce Wayne, which unfortunately led to Ben Affleck’s departure. Reeves’ script is said to have more of a noir tone than previous Batman movies, emphasizing the character’s abilities as The World’s Greatest Detective.
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Robert Pattinson
PROS: The English actor who made a name for himself in the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises has since branched out into more challenging roles, including an excellent, powerful turn in Good Time.
CONS: His image as the sparkly vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies, as well as a tabloid mainstay, may be too much for fanboys to overcome.
Jack O’Connell
PROS: Another English thesp, O’Connell launched to stardom in Angelina Jolie’s hit WWII drama Unbroken. He has yet to align himself with a major franchise, which would make him a fresh face for wider audiences without all the baggage someone like Ben Affleck carried in with him.
CONS: O’Connell has been very choosey about which roles he has taken since Unbroken, preferring smaller dramas like Money Monster or Tulip Fever over blockbusters. He may not want all the scrutiny and fame that comes with playing Batman.
Lucas Hedges
PROS: The 22-year-old son of director Peter Hedges has made a splash the last few years in indie hits like Manchester by the Sea, Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Boy Erased.
CONS: While Reeves is looking for a younger Bruce Wayne, Hedges may be TOO young, and has no real action experience.
Armie Hammer
PROS: He was already cast as Batman way back in 2007 for George Miller’s cancelled Justice League: Mortal. He has become an audience favorite in indie hits like Call Me By Your Name and Sorry to Bother You, and like Bruce Wayne actually comes from a wealthy family yet struck out on his own through hard work.
CONS: Previous attempts to cast Hammer as the action lead in films like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Lone Ranger did not pay off at the box office.
Henry Golding
PROS: He showed off his suave sophistication (and handsome physique) in the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians, where his character was only a few karate lessons away from being Bruce Wayne.
CONS: Golding is a relatively fresh face, having only appeared in two or three major films. The responsibility of playing the iconic part might require a more seasoned actor, as witnessed by Brandon Routh’s failure to connect in Superman Returns.
Oscar Isaac
PROS: Isaac was reportedly in talks with Warners last year for an unspecified role in The Batman, and the dashing leading man certainly lacks nothing in both the physicality and talent to pull off a truly intense Caped Crusader.
CONS: At age 39 he may be a bit too old to play a young Bruce Wayne, being only 7-years younger than Affleck. Also, while his role as Poe Dameron in the Star Wars series hasn’t typecast him, it could be one franchise too many to truly inhabit Batman in people’s minds. Then again, Harrison Ford could be Han Solo, Indiana Jones AND Jack Ryan, so anything is possible!
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
