I’ll be honest in saying that while I absolutely love Ben Affleck in the role of Batman, I must be a realist when it comes to the future of the Caped Crusader in cinema. With his first major effort in cape and cowl – Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – having been not too well received amongst critics and general moviegoers, that undoubtedly led to Justice League bombing at the box office, even if it received more positive buzz from those who saw it.
As such, it’s caused many pundits to speculate if indeed there’s a dark cloud cast over some of the major players in the DC Extended Universe, barring Gal Gadot, of course. In other words, it’s very possible that whenever anyone sees a trailer for a DC flick, there exists the chance that they’ll identify certain actors as “that guy from Batman V Superman.”
Perhaps taking this into account, it could be one of many factors leading director Matt Reeves to possibly recast the Dark Knight for his upcoming film, tentatively titled The Batman. And, quite frankly, I could see him doing it so that he’s able to start with a clean slate, thus allowing the sky to be the limit when it comes to box office take.
Believe it or not, one notable actor who’s expressed desire is Jon Hamm, someone whom many fans have supported for some time now. Personally, I’d be all for it if Reeves intends on continuing to give us a Masked Manhunter who’s been in the game for 20 years or so. But if he were to go the prequel or reboot route, it’s probably for the best that he find someone in their early to mid-thirties.
On that note, another actor whose name has been thrown into the mix is that of Jake Gyllenhaal. Having already been in the running for the role in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, one could argue that it’s not too late for this guy to be cast, as he’d be of decent age for at least a three-film run.
But no matter which of these two you favor, artist Messtonio Panderas has given us an idea of what both actors could look like if cast as Batman via his Instagram page. As we can see via the gallery above, Ben Affleck’s costume has been used for both, but the insignia on Gyllenhaal’s chest has a yellow outline that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in Rebirth era comics. Personally, I think it’s time for a blue and grey color scheme to be utilized, but that’s just my opinion.
