Finding Batman
Adapting the World’s Finest for the new age.
With Superman Vs. Batman being introduced to fans at Comic-Con 2013, The question for the next 18 months will be: Who is going to play the next batman? First to draw conclusions we have to understand the facts.
Christopher Nolan’s Batman Series
First things first, we have to process the fact that Christopher Nolan’s Batman has been completed. The story has been told. Joseph Gordon Lovett will NOT be the next batman. Nolan retold the Batman mythos in a very complete way to make us believe that this character could very much exist in our world in this day and age. Unfortunately in telling the story completely, Christian Bale is no longer Batman. Also, because of other reasons, Bale will not return as Batman (he has expressed this many times). So it’s safe to say the character of Batman will be rebooted for the sequel of Man of Steel.
Man of Steel Reception
Unfortunately, The Man of Steel was not received well by the populous. With a 50/50 reception (either people hated it or loved it) it wasn’t enough to gain traction for the sequel with a stand alone Superman. So it seems that they are taking this next step to bolster confidence in the franchise and where the D.C. cinematic universe is going. It will be interesting to see if this will lead to the Justice League movie.
DC’s Last Chance
Superman Vs. Batman is basically DC’s last chance to make an impact on the cinematic world and still compete with Marvel’s releases. They have to develop a story that not only successfully continues the events of Man of Steel but also introduces a new Batman without making it too cartoon like.
Main Event: Who will be Batman?
“I want you to remember, Clark, in all your years to come, and all your most private moments, I want you to remember my hand at your throat, I want you to remember the one man who beat you.”– Batman; Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight
The thing that we miss with the previous iterations of the Batman mythos is the fact that he is a human being at the peak of physical perfection. He’s the perfect vision of human athleticism. He’s the most agile and strong by human standards.I’ll give you the list of Batman’s abilities according what has been compiled by wikipedia:
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Genius-level intellect
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Peak physical and mental conditioning
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Master martial artist, acrobat, detective, escapologist, strategist, tactician, and marksman.
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Use of high-tech equipment, weapons, armors & gadgets
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Master of stealth
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Master of disguise
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Proficient with technology
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Access to vast wealth and criminal records
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Trained computer hacker
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Photographic memory
The way most would describe Batman in the environment of the Justice League is a “man among gods.” The question by most is how would Batman exist in the JLA, but I think he’s the brains of the operation as well as being able to handle himself against the super powered foes that he faces. If you’ve seen Justice League: Doom, Batman had contingency plans for every hero in the league. If any one of them went bad, he would be able to take them out. This is a guy that is not to be trifled with. In Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight, he brought Superman to his knees and could have killed him. He was able to do this not just by his physical prowess, not just by his technical aptitude, not just his intellect, but the masterful use of all of these talents along with the mind of a tactician.
The next version of Batman will have to be a portrayal of all of these skills as well as a person that can portray the dichotomy of the Bruce Wayne/Batman character. We need to be able to see this person as both characters because they are two distinctly different energies. So we need someone that is incredibly charming yet has a rigidity with cold execution. Plus…we need a beast of a man to play this role. So, the main event, who can embody all this and be the next Batman? Here’s my list of possible candidates:
Michael Fassbender
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It’s Fassbender (Come on!). He would kill this role. He’s proven he has the chops to tackle a intricate character like Bruce Wayne/Batman.
It’s funny but I’ve heard critics say that I don’t know if he’d be able to physically carry out the demands of the role. To which I reply: “WHAAAAT??!!” Have you not seen 300? Haywire? Fassbender has proven that he could tackle this role and make it look easy. Even with him as Magneto right now I’d still cast him in a heartbeat. |
John Hamm
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John Hamm stars in Mad Men as the very cool Don Draper. Hamm has a look to him that I would say is very 50s 60s style Bruce Wayne. Now that being said I would have no idea where to place as far as what he would be to the role of The Batman, but this casting would be interesting nonetheless. Hamm has clear talent and definitely wouldn’t disappoint. |
Stephen Amell
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Stephen Amell currently stars on the WB’s Aarrow, which, in my opinion, is WB’s answer to The Batman. Since Nolan’s Batman was currently being made it was pointless for the WB to create a Batman Series. You could tell it was on there mind with the success of the Smallville Series.
Stephen Amell has settled into the role of Oliver Queen quite nicely and his portrayal is very similar to the character of batman. I think he would be a perfect fit for this role. He is showing that he can play the complexity of a role that requires him to be two different characters yet the same being. In my opinion, he is a great mix of great acting with physical capability. He has to have that playboy billionaire (because millionaires are so last year, Batman Arkham City), but still be a believable Batman. Amell does that perfectly. |
Jensen Ackles
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Jensen Ackles is another talented actor and I find his work on Supernatural to qualify him as a good candidate for the role of Batman.
His gritty portrayal of Dean Winchester is reminiscent of the Dark Knight of Frank Miller fame. I’d love to see what Ackles would bring to the table.
Ackles has a lot to offer dramatically to this role and he’d beast as a tough and calculated Bruce Wayne/Batman.
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Jason Momoa
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I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about Jason Momoa playing Batman by a lot of people in the industry. It’s an interesting pick for me, because I never saw him as having the dramatic ability. His work on Game of thrones and his role on Stargate Atlantis is slowly convincing that he might be a good pick for the film.
He has already proven that he will be able to fulfill the physical demands of the role since he’s been trained in the martial arts for years. He would be a beefy batman (which would be great for this incarnation of the bat).
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Some Honorable Mentions
Some names that’s I’ve heard dropped as far as casting for this role are:
Matt Bomer, Guy Pierce, Timothy Olyphant, Carl Urban, Ian Somerhalder, Joe Manganiello, Luke Evans, Armie Hammer.
Fassbender all the way!
He´s the best choice so far.
I can´t imagine another actor more perfect for both roles(Bruce and Batman)than him.
I think WB should seriously consider the Fass and go after him. It costs nothing trying.
Exactly! There are no rules that he can’t work for both universes (i.e. D.C. and Marvel).
Well it may seem like a bit of a stretch but I would like to see the dude Scott Adkins Play Batman. He has that “thin line” personality about him which Bruce and Batman has. Especially if you think of Batman in the justice league stuff where he almost seems like he is border line bad guy. He’s not a big name but i think he would do Great.
I actually just found out that there looking for an older batman now. 40s or older. They want him to be a hardened crime fighter more like the Frank Miller “Dark Knight”. I like Adkins though you know what I could see him in? Iron Fist. That would be crazy he’d be beast in that he’s only one that I think can compete with Ray Park.