It's a very exciting time in Oscar Isaac's career. The 40 year-old actor became a household name from his role in the Star Wars franchise, playing smart-mouthed Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. Since then, he's booked a ton of work, appearing in a multitude of movies every year. And with Episode IX ending the current trilogy and Skywalker Saga forever, it should be fascinating to see which projects Isaac signs on for, now that his schedule has opened up a bit.
Fanboy culture obviously has a soft spot for Oscar Isaac, given his role in Star Wars and the ill-fated X-Men: Apocalypse. As such, he's been put on fan lists to possible replace Ben Affleck as the DCEU's Batman. He's not the only name being floated around to play the lead in Matt Reeves' The Batman, and now Isaac has officially responded to the rumors, saying:
No. I have only read it online like everyone else. I haven’t had any conversations about Batman, unfortunately, but I am sure it is going to be great. Matt Reeves is such a great director. Yeah, he can get my number.
While shutting down any possible rumors or reports of talks with Warner Bros., Oscar Isaac did make one thing clear: he'd love to work with Matt Reeves. So perhaps the director could end up giving Isaac the call to play the new Dark Knight after all.
Oscar Isaac's comments come from his interview with Metro, while the actor was on a press tour for his Netflix movie Triple Frontier. Interestingly enough, he's starring in the heist film alongside Ben Affleck himself. So if he ever gets approached to play Batman, he'd be taking on the mantle from a recent friend and colleague. Of course, he clarified that that process hasn't even begun, and there is no truth to rumors about Isaac's involvement in The Batman.
He may have shut down the rumors of his role, but Oscar Isaac's final comment in the statement above is going to get DC fans very excited. He doesn't seem to have ruled out the possibility of playing Batman, expressing his interest in working with Matt Reeves. So the excitement and rumors will likely keep swirling until Reeves finally revealed who is taking the title role in The Batman, now that Ben Affleck is officially out.
Realistically, Oscar Isaac seems like a less likely choice to play Batman, given what we've learned about Matt Reeves' still developing DC project. The Batman will reportedly focus on a younger version of Bruce Wayne, who is more green in his vigilante work. Oscar Isaac is only 6 years younger then 46 year-old Ben Affleck, so that might take him out of the running. Although most Star Wars fans would kill for a chance to see him behind the cowl. After saying goodbye to Poe this coming December, audiences will want another excuse to see him on the big screen.
Even if Oscar Isaac ends up taking the role of Batman, he's going to have some massive shoes to fill. The DC live-action universe had a solid Bruce Wayne with Ben Affleck's iteration, which brought something new to the character, unique from the myriad other adaptations. Skipping an origin story, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice debuted a Batman who was experienced, jaded, and surprisingly violent. He was arguably the best part of an uneven blockbuster, and comic book fans quickly got on board with Batfleck.
Ben Affleck eventually reprised his role in a quick few scenes in Suicide Squad, before taking on a larger role in Justice League. Unfortunately for the filmmaker, those two projects failed to resonate with critics and audiences alike. And after going viral for his Sad Affleck face regarding Dawn of Justice's reviews, Affleck eventually hung up his cowl and cape for good.
Now Matt Reeves has the lofty task of finding an actor to replace Ben Affleck in the DCEU. It's hard to enough to cast the Dark Knight in live-action, but it's especially challenging given the character's tenure in the shared universe. There are bound to be endless comparison to Batfleck, and the new Bruce Wayne will have to try doubly hard to bring something new to the beloved DC hero.
If the reports are to be believed, Matt Reeves will do this by focusing on a younger version of Gotham's Protector. This should be in stark juxtaposition to the last iteration, and there are plenty of moviegoers who would love to see Oscar Isaac step into the suit. Additionally, The Batman will also reportedly focusing on the detective side of the title character's life as a vigilante. This has been sorely missing in the previous iterations, especially considering Bats is known as the World's Greatest Detective.
As for Oscar Isaac's involvement, we probably shouldn't hold our breathe in hopes of him taking on the role of Batman. While he seems like a great candidate due to his star-power and status among the fandom, Matt Reeves' plans for The Batman don't necessarily fit Isaac's talents. But there were rumors that the director was looking for a big name to take on the role. And the Poe Dameron actor is that type of name.
It's also important to note that The Batman has already gone through a ton of changes during its long gestation period. Ben Affleck was originally attached to direct and star in the project, before dropping out of each of those roles on separate occasions. Matt Reeves eventually took over, but it seems like the script and story are still being worked on. So if they manage to bring Oscar Isaac into the fold, the younger Bruce Wayne idea could get the chop. We'll just have to wait and see.
You can catch Oscar Isaac in Triple Frontier streaming not on Netflix, and he will play Poe Dameron one last time in Episode IX on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
