Comic book movie fans are often fascinated to know about the superheroes that could have been, such as the actors that very nearly played iconic Marvel and DC characters on the big screen. One of the most intriguing examples from recent years is that Josh Brolin was in the running to play Bruce Wayne in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Of course, the part eventually went to Ben Affleck, but what does Brolin think about the fact that he could have portrayed one of the most famous fictional characters ever?
The subject was broached with the actor in an interview with Empire and it turns out Brolin doesn’t think he was actually that close to nabbing the role, as he believes he wasn’t exactly what director Zack Snyder was looking for. He doesn’t hold any grudges, either, as he’s happily moved forward with his career.
“We indirectly talked about it, but we never got to the point because I wasn’t the guy for him. I’m really glad it didn’t happen. I haven’t thought twice about it.”
Brolin’s probably right that it’s for the best he didn’t get to play Batman. While we’d be fascinated to see him portray the Caped Crusader, particularly BvS‘ more mature, gone-to-seed version, Ben Affleck’s turn in the movie is one of the few things that fans and critics could agree worked.
Likewise, it’s not as if that was Brolin’s one shot at starring in a superhero franchise. He’s since joined both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the X-Men universe as Thanos the Mad Titan and Cable, respectively, who’s set to make his debut in the upcoming Deadpool 2.
That said, Brolin might have a second opportunity to become Batman if all those reports that Affleck’s looking to back out of the franchise are true. So far, his name hasn’t come up in the rumour mill, but he would fit nicely alongside other candidates such as Jake Gyllenhaal and Jon Hamm, don’t you think?