Nobody is quite sure what the future of Batman really is on the big screen, which means that it's possible anybody could be the next Batman. However, if you were holding out hope that Ryan Gosling might be looking to take on the cape and cowl, you might what to put your expectations in check. The actor was recently asked if he would be interested in playing Batman and...it didn't go well. It's hard to describe just how awkward this gets. Just watch.
For a guy who makes a living delivering lines, Ryan Gosling is oddly speechless here. He just repeats "I don't know" a couple times before dumping the question off to his First Man director Damian Chazelle in order to avoid having to go on. He seems simply at a loss as to how to actually answer the question. Even after Variety expands the topic to superheroes in general, rather than just Batman specifically, Gosling can't seem to say whether he'd be interested in getting involved in the popular film genre.
It's a little odd if only because the "superhero question" has to be the single most popular one asked of any actor that isn't currently involved in making superhero movies. Ryan Gosling had to have been asked this question before, you'd expect he'd have a stock answer, even if it was a non-committal one. Being asked about playing Batman specifically, it's understandable if Gosling doesn't really want to say anything, considering it's not entirely clear if that role is actually available or not, but when it comes to superheroes in general, one would think he has a feeling. Either he'd like to do it, or he's happy doing other things.
One certainly wonders if Gosling may have been, or may currently be, in talks for a role in a superhero movie. It would be one explanation for his inability to answer. He can't talk about something that's in the middle of negotiations and saying the wrong thing could potentially jeopardize those talks. I feel like that's a long shot, but it's one explanation.
In the past, some actors, like Zoe Saldana, have called out the parts of Hollywood that look down on the blockbuster movies like the superhero genre. There is clearly a corner of that world that doesn't think much of those sorts of movies. Since Ryan Gosling, especially recently, has been making the "other" type of movies a lot, perhaps there's a bit of conflict there. If he says he wants to make a superhero movie then some might think less of him. If he says he doesn't, then he's one of those snobby Hollywood guys. It's a no-win scenario.
Could we ever see Ryan Gosling in a superhero movie? I don't know. It's not clear if he knows.
