Rumor is circulating that WB is looking another set of actors for screen tests and that one of them is Wes Bentley, whom was recommended by Dark Knight trilogy creator, Christopher Nolan. Click the jump to see more.
Not a day goes by that someone else’s name is thrown into the ring to play the brand new Batman. It’s tiring nowadays to sift through the myriad names, known and unknown, being suggested by practically every website on the Internet. I guess this is a testament to the power of a live-action Batman. Remember that source who gave me hope by telling the world that the rumors of an old Batman were false? Well, they’ve returned and this time they’ve brought along their own list of actors that WB is supposedly readying for a screen test (which they will be using a spare Batsuit from the Dark Knight trilogy). Ready for those actors?
Wes Bentley – Apparently, the source is saying that he’s the one that Chris Nolan is recommending. For those of you unfamiliar with the name, his most memorable role was in American Beauty, while comic book geeks will probably remember him as Blackheart from Ghost Rider. He’s also got a role in Nolan’s upcoming Interstellar. The guy’s been pretty hit-or-miss with me and I have no inclination towards him as Batman after his horrendous performance as Blackheart. But… Nolan has a knack for picking ’em after he silenced me with Heath Ledger and impressed the hell out of me with Tom Hardy. Really, setting aside all the flaws of Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy’s Bane was pretty cool.
Jake Gyllenhaal – This guy’s a bit of a wild card for me because he’s shown himself to be very versatile, 
but I’m not quite sure that he can handle somebody as complex as Batman/Bruce Wayne. He’s surprised me before in flicks like Zodiac and Brothers, so who knows. He doesn’t particularly look the part though.
Luke Evans – This guy’s a relative unknown. He’s one of those character actors that’s more than likely been in a movie you’ve seen, but you can’t quite pinpoint who he was because he did his job and didn’t quite stand out. The tentpole flicks he’s been in include the Clash of the Titans remake, The Three Musketeers remake, Immortals, and Fast and Furious 6. He’s also got a big part in the upcoming The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Nope, I’ve got nothing on this guy. So judging on looks alone, I’d say he’s not too far off from Bruce.
Ben Affleck – I’m sure this guy’s name will invoke very mixed feelings. Love him or hate him, the guy’s 
a hell of a director. According to the source, WB is definitely thinking of offering him the role, though they fully expect him to decline it. To be honest, even though I’m a fan of the guy, I’m not particularly fond of him putting on the cowl.
That ends the list of names that that source provided. However, we’ve got another source claiming that this next name is also being considered for the screen test.
Ethan Hawke – It’s being said that this guy was seen speaking with Zack Snyder and Thomas Tull (executive producer and founder of Legendary entertainment) prior to the Legendary/WB split. If you don’t recognize his name, he has a pretty extensive resume, but his most known flicks include Training Day with Denzel Washington, Dead Poets Society, and Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy. I’ve only ever seen him in the recent thriller, The Purge. He was pretty good in it too. It’s interesting to note that the website who got the tip believes that Hawke will probably screen test, but is not so convinced that it’s for Batman.
The source also debunks the rumor that Scott Adkins already auditioned because auditions have not yet started.
Please remember that none of this news has been officially confirmed by anyone in the WB camp. As usual, put some salt on it.
Who among these names do you find would work best? Let me know.
Source – CosmicBookNews.com, DCWarnerBros.com
