Ever since rumors began swirling about Ben Affleck stepping down from the role of Batman/ Bruce Wayne in the DCEU (after only playing the character in two movies, and one brief cameo in another, let us not forget), fans have been wondering who the next contender would be to step up and take on the vaunted cape and cowl. One name came bubbling up, the same name that was in contention even back when Affleck was being chosen for the role, and many hoped that maybe this time, it would actually happen: Jack Gyllenhaal. Many thought the man was the right age, had the right temperament, acting chops, and build for the role, and with Matt Reeves, the director of the solo ‘Batman’ movie for the DCEU looking to make things a bit more grittier and realistic, perhaps this could be the film to entice Gyllenhaal to join the franchise. Sadly, it looks like this will not be the case after all.
When asked directly about whether he would be taking on the iconic role during a recent interview with CNA Lifestyle, Gyllenhaal gave the following response:
“…wow, that’s a very difficult question. The answer to that question is ‘no.’”
However, let us not forget that he could be lying here, as announcing he will be the new Batman during a random interview may go against his contract in some way. After all, as the website Batman-News points out, Jason Mamoa had to lie about being cast as Aquaman for over a year before the official announcement was made, so there is still hope that Gyllenhaal might be our Batman, but in hindsight, this still seems like a long-shot. I’m guessing at this point, Warner Bros is going to want to cast younger to bring in the younger crowds, especially if they are moving away from Zack Snyder’s original vision for the DCEU and rebooting Batman with the ‘Flashpoint‘ movie (as rumored). Gyllenhaal only works if they wanted to keep the character as the “older” version like what we got with Affleck. Still though…
What are your thoughts on the matter? Is there another actor you would like to see in the role? Or do you still have your money on Gyllenhaal? Feel free to share your opinions and theories in the comments below!
