Matt Reeves is planning to reboot Batman for a new standalone franchise. Ben Affleck has been playing Batman in the last few movies but is “unlikely” to return to the role. For months Affleck has been saying that he is working on a Batman movie and was even the director, but things have continued to change. The movies Affleck has appeared in have underperformed, and DC may need a new star to bring audiences back to the DC universe.
Who replaces Affleck
Ben Affleck looks like the classic Batman character, but DC may be looking to go in a different direction completely, and a few names have already been considered. Jake Gyllenhaal is the one actor that has continuously been attached to the role. His name has been in consideration since early 2017.
However, Gyllenhaal has tended to stay away from franchises. In recent years, the Oscar-nominated actor has stayed away from blockbusters and favored more niche role. He’s also been connected to the next Spider-Man movie, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
Jon Hamm is another name being considered and fits the classic image of Batman. Despite not having a ton of blockbusters to his credit he’s still beloved for playing Don Draper on AMC’s “Mad Men.” However, Hamm’s age might be a problem.
Hamm is only 47 years-old, and most actors who have played Batman have been middle-aged. But Reeves wants to go younger and break the traditional image. It’s unclear how Reeves would make age part of the story, but age could take a lot of actors out of consideration.
What else does DC do?
DC has been pumping out movies in the last few years with mixed results. For every smash hit like “Wonder Woman,” there’s been a disappointment like “Suicide Squad.” But DC has a ton of projects coming up and plan on moving forward with all of them.
A “Wonder Woman” sequel has been given the green light, and other ideas have been thrown around. Recently it was revealed that Jared Leto’s version of the Joker would get his own movie. DC is doing everything it can to keep pace with Marvel.
