The immediate aftermath of the Batman/ Superman mash-up announcement at Comic-Con was filled with a lot of high fives and frenzied excitement. Within about ten minutes, however, that disorganized excitement was replaced by a sea of wild speculation with one question getting way more play than any other: who the hell is going to play Batman? Up to this point, most of the theories have been little more than combinations of opinions, biases and common sense, but this morning, the world finally got its first list of actors that are allegedly in the running.
The list comes courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, and it’s accompanied by a slew of cautions, qualifiers and statements from anonymous sources allegedly close to the process. Without a completed script and without a one hundred percent, line in the sand decision from Christian Bale, the entire casting search could potentially change in an instant, but as of right now, Zack Snyder is allegedly looking for his Bruce Wayne to be in his late 30s or 40s. Consequently, he’ll need to be able to play a distinguished man of respect but also have the chiseled physique needed to be a Batman still capable of kicking some ass.
At this early stage, the frontrunner is apparently Josh Brolin. He’s set to star in the upcoming Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, and he’s generally considered a man capable of pulling off both brutish and sophisticated. At forty-six, he’s a little on the older side, but he can certainly be made to look a little younger. Beyond Brolin, the next crop of potential Dark Knights reportedly include True Blood’s Joe Manganiello and critical darling Ryan Gosling. The former is a known Snyder favorite, and he was considered heavily for the role of Superman. He also already has the body to pull off Batman. The latter, on the other hand, could play Bruce Wayne in his sleep, but he’ll have to both put on weight and make himself appear a bit older. There’s something about The Caped Crusader that’s a little harder and more aggressive than some of his superhero counterparts, and his boyish good looks wouldn’t really jive with that. As for the some of the dark horses being considered, the outlet has heard rumblings about Strike Back’s Richard Armitage, Revenge’s Max Martini and Stoker’s Matthew Goode, all of whom offer their own set of strengths and weaknesses.
The budget for Batman vs Superman or whatever it might be called will be gigantic. Consequently, every single stone will be overturned to find the perfect replacement for Bale. If there’s even a remote chance someone would nail the character and win over America, I’m sure Snyder and company will bring them in to audition. Consequently, this list will evolve until the moment the movie is cast. That being said, I like Brolin’s chances better than say David Spade’s.
We’ll keep you updated and provide more in-depth analysis of the casting search moving forward. Until then, if you’re a muscular thirty or forty-something and can rock the shit out of a black cape, you should consider seeking Hollywood representation.
