WB Looking for 30-40 Year Old Actor to Play Batman, Early Contenders Revealed

Warner Bros. is looking into casting an older Batman, between his 30’s and 40’s. A list of actors being considered has been unearthed. Click the jump to see more.

After the massive announcement at Comic-Con regarding Man of Steel 2, the Internet has been ablaze with speculation for quite some time regarding this new incarnation of the Bats that will be introduced into this newborn DC cinematic universe. However, I’m the type of person that chooses not to worry over things that are not in my control. I’m taking a wait-and-see approach to the entire thing and letting things come to pass naturally…. but who knew that would come to pass this quickly.

Ever since Zack Snyder had Harry Lennix read out those infamous lines from Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns, it’s been speculated that this movie could possibly adapt that groundbreaking book or at least take some cues from it. Well, today, it’s been discovered that though it’s not a direct adaption, it’s taking a fair amount of influence from it. Sources are saying that this new Batman will have already been established, as WB has no intention of doing yet another origin story, opting instead to have a rougher, more experienced Batman. In fact, they’re looking at a more middle-aged Batman, around his 30’s or 40’s. Also, they intend to infuse the tone of  the tumultuous relationship between Bats and Supes from TDKR.

It’s important to note that the script is currently being written and that Snyder has just recently began looking at actors, so I’d say that it’s imperative that we can’t take this information too seriously.

Regardless, the big news is that sources already have a list of actors they’re considering for the role of Bats. Here are those names:

Josh Brolin – According to sources, he’s the frontrunner for the role, being the right age that they’re looking for and certainly having the acting prowess to pull off Batman. Don’t recognize the name? Well, his most recent role is in WB’s Gangster Squad as well as playing the young Agent K in Men in Black 3. As much as I enjoy this guy’s work, I really don’t see him playing Bruce Wayne. I feel like he doesn’t quite have the look for it.

 

Ryan Gosling – The youngest of this batch of actors at the ripe age of 32. Although, I really loved him in such flicks as Crazy, Stupid, Love, Lars and the Real Girl, and Gangster Squad, I can’t quite see him in the cowl. He’s a fantastic actor, but his face just doesn’t say Bruce Wayne to me.

 

 

Joe Manganiello – Unfortunately, I haven’t seen a single thing he’s acted in, but I know that he was in True Blood, How I Met Your Mother, and Magic Mike. Of the batch of contenders, I think he looks the most like Bruce, but I can’t quite give him my full support as I can’t vouch for his acting at all.

 

 

 

Richard Armitage – This guy has been around for quite some time, mostly playing on British TV, and apparently had a role in Captain America: The First Avenger, but I missed him there. I, and presumably the rest of the world, discovered him as Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit. Having only seen him in one movie, I don’t want to vouch for him, but he definitely looks like Bruce.

 

Max Martini – Another veteran television actor who didn’t quite get everybody’s attention until recently when he starred in Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim. He and Idris Elba were the standouts among the cast of Pacific Rim, so I wouldn’t be too nervous with him in the cowl.

 

 

 

Matthew Goode – Looking over his resume, I’d have to say his biggest role was working alongside Zack Snyder in Watchmen, as the (more or less) antihero Ozymandias. This guy can act, but another one that doesn’t quite look the part to me.

 

 

 

 

There you have it. The list of actors considered for the new incarnation of the Bats. It’s an interesting list and I’m not the least bit disappointed in these choices. But as stated previously, I wouldn’t quite bank on any of these names yet. As far as I know, none of this has been confirmed with WB.

Do any of these actors work for you? Or do you think these actors are all wrong? Who would you prefer? Let me know.

Source – Hollywood Reporter