To quote Heidi Klum, “One day you’re in, the next day you’re out.” Just after rumors surfaced that Jack O’Connell (‘Godless’, ‘Unbroken’) was under consideration for the lead in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’, which is believed to be a prequel of sorts, focusing on a young Bruce Wayne during the early days of his crime fighting career, Warner Brothers states that they are not at the casting stage yet and are more focused on getting the script to where it needs to be. This is after reports that Ben Affleck himself, who is still attached to produce ‘The Batman’ had met with the studio and even O’Connell himself.
The casting of Affleck as DC’s Dark Knight, was met with a flurry of reactions, both positive and wildly negative. But the actor seemed all in, helping fine tune the ‘Batman V Superman’ script during filming. He made an uncredited cameo appearance in ‘Suicide Squad’ and was set to not only star in, but direct ‘The Batman’. Though the exact circumstances remain hush-hush, Affleck stepped down from directing. Then, after Reeves became attached, word soon emerged that the script called for a younger Bruce Wayne and that Affleck was out. ‘Justice League’ poor reception didn’t help matters.
Then it was announced that Todd Phillips was helming next year’s ‘Joker’ origin movie. This movie was not going to connect to the larger DC shared universe of movies at all, but word started to emerge that if the film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as the man who would become Batman’s arch enemy, did well, that ‘The Batman’ would likewise be removed from the other DC movies and would instead take place in the world of ‘Joker’.
O’Connell is definitely a star on the rise. He was nominated for for Best Actor in a limited series by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association for the acclaimed miniseries ‘Godless’. He costarred with George Clooney and Julia Roberts in the Jodie Foster-directed ‘Money Monster’ and starred in ‘Unbroken’ directed by Angelina Jolie, and Edward Zwick’s ‘Trial By Fire’ which recently premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.
He could have been an asset to the DC Universe, and who knows? He may get his shot at a later time. Stay tuned for more updates as they emerge.
Source: Heroic Hollywood
