With Ben Affleck officially hanging up the cape and cowl, the question of who’s next to inherit the title of Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves’ The Batman has been a subject of continuous rumor and speculation, and one name that repeatedly arises in the discussions is Armie Hammer.
But while we’ve yet to receive any official confirmation that the Call Me by Your Name star is attached to the project, a new report from Revenge of the Fans alleges that Hammer is in final talks to be the next Dark Knight. Though the report mentions that the actor “has yet to sign on the dotted line,” the article states that “Barring any major setbacks, Hammer is expected to become this generation’s Batman.”
Needless to say, this bold claim should be taken with the usual grain of salt, but as the intended Batman of George Miller’s ultimately canceled Justice League: Mortal, Hammer certainly has the track record to suggest that Warner Bros. could be keen to see him in the role.
To some extent, this latest claim contradicts previous reports that Warner is looking for the part to be played by an actor in his 20s, though at the age of 32, Hammer would still serve as a significantly younger Bruce Wayne than his predecessor.
In any case, the recent talk would suggest that Reeves’ film will be taking us back to an earlier point in Bruce’s life, and will see the character cross paths with a “Rogues Gallery” of villains, consisting of the Penguin and various other familiar foes. With filming expected to commence later this year, hopefully we’ll get some clarification on all we’ve heard in the next few months, but either way, we’ve still got a long wait ahead of us before The Batman hits theaters on June 25th, 2021.
