‘The Batman’: What Mystery Role Could Oscar Isaac Play?

The Batman is in the early stages of coming together, and there’s a chance that one fan-favorite actor could factor into things.

According to a recent report, Oscar Isaac has met with Warner Bros. for “an undisclosed role” in the upcoming DC Extended Universe film. While an offer reportedly hasn’t been made, there’s talk that Isaac is “very interested” in being involved in the project.

Looking at Isaac’s filmography, it certainly makes a lot of sense that he could hop on over to the DC Films world. While he is best known for portraying Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, his credits also include plenty of critically-acclaimed movies, including Ex Machina, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Annihilation. He also has the benefit of recently co-starring with Ben Affleck in Triple Frontier, an upcoming action-thriller movie on Netflix. And with Star Wars: Episode IX currently in the middle of production, Isaac would theoretically be able to be available when The Batman starts production sometime next year.

So, what The Batman role could Isaac possibly be in the running for? We have a few ideas in mind.

Batman

Okay, let’s at least address the possibility that Oscar Isaac could very well be up for Batman itself.

Previous reporting has suggested that The Batman could be following a younger version of the Caped Crusader, telling a story of Batman investigating a particular case in his earlier years, without having to step on Ben Affleck’s tenure as the character in the present-day DC Extended Universe. If that really does end up being the case, Isaac would be a pretty inspired choice to put on the cowl.

Starring in The Batman would give Isaac a chance to be the genuine face of a franchise, differently from his (significant, but still essentially supporting) role in the Star Wars trilogy, and his (honestly unrecognizable) stint in X-Men: Apocalypse. But at the same time, the film’s unique position within the DCEU would keep the role essentially self-contained, while Affleck’s Batman theoretically focuses on crosses over with other DC franchises in the present day. Combining that with The Batman‘s noir-driven story and Isaac’s established following could make things really, really interesting. 

Hugo Strange

But even if Isaac doesn’t end up playing Batman, there still are a slew of established DC Comics characters that he could end up playing — including Dr. Hugo Strange.

A scientist with an act to grind against Batman, the character is often regarded as one of the hero’s first major villains, tormenting him in an array of ways over the years. Strange becomes responsible for creating the Monster Men, briefly tries to become Batman on several different occasions, and ultimately teams up with other DC Comics villains.

While Strange was rumored to be a part of Suicide Squad, his most recent live-action portrayal was on Gotham, and it’s clear that there’s more storytelling potential for the character. Setting The Batman in the early days of the DCEU, and putting Isaac in the role, would allow Strange and Batman’s feud to really come to fruition, and possibly evolve further over Matt Reeves’ possible trilogy of films.

Two-Face

Another interesting possibility for Isaac – and one that fans have already begun to suggest – is none other than Harvey Dent/Two-Face.

DC fans are surely familiar with some sort version of Harvey Dent’s origin – starting out as Gotham City’s district attorney (and an ally of Bruce Wayne), Harvey was driven insane and severely scarred on half of his face when a mob boss threw acid at him during a trial. This led him to become obsessed with the duality of man and the whole nature of chance, and to ultimately commit some sadistic acts against Gotham City.

Isaac absolutely has the charisma and notoriety to pull off Harvey Dent in any stage of his character arc, while differentiating from the previous actors who have played the character. Sure, it can be argued that Reeves might not want to retread territory that was somewhat crossed in the Dark Knight trilogy, but there’d surely be some way to pave new ground with it.

Hush

Another villain with a weird tie to Batman’s past — one that absolutely has enough material for a prequel film – is Tommy Elliot/Hush.

Tommy Elliot debuted in the comics in 2003, as a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne’s who attempts to kill his parents in a car accident. To Tommy’s dismay, his mother is saved by Thomas Wayne, something that makes him resent Bruce for “getting everything he wanted.” As an adult, Tommy adopts the persona of Hush, which he uses to manipulate various other DC villains (and even some heroes) into terrorizing Batman.

If Isaac certainly has all of the qualifications to play Batman, the same can be applied to him playing Hush, and it would be fascinating to see him take on that maniacal of a role. Sure, Reeves has said that The Batman isn’t inspired by any one DC Comics arc, but it still isn’t out of the realm of possibility at this point.

Calendar Man

Reeves has mentioned that The Batman will follow one specific criminal case, and it certainly doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility that that could involve Calendar Man.

Also known as Julian Gregory Day, Calendar Man is a serial killer whose crimes correspond with certain dates and holidays. Despite his often-ridiculous costume and his unique sensibilities, he becomes quite an adversary of Batman, especially in the The Long Halloween arc.

Yes, Calendar Man would be an absolutely off-the-wall choice for Oscar Isaac to play — but that could be why it would end up working. If Reeves wanted to lean into the creepier tendencies of the character, it could thematically be effective, especially depending on how Isaac decided to play it. And outside of a throwaway joke in The Lego Batman Movie, Calendar Man has yet to really be introduced to mainstream audiences, meaning that it’s a role that Isaac could make all his own.

Alberto Falcone

On that note, it certainly wouldn’t be out of the question for the film to center around some iteration of The Long Halloween, and possibly include an appearance by Alberto Falcone.

The son of Gotham crime lord Carmine Falcone, Alberto feels cast out by his family, and begins to retaliate by committing murders as The Holiday Killer. Alberto eventually takes credit for the murders, which happen to rival crime families on various holidays. 

Having Falcone play a role in The Batman would definitely “take us out into the world of Gotham” as Reeves intends to, while also keeping up a sense of unpredictability and mystery for some more casual viewers. It also feels like a unique twist on the sort of mobster role that Isaac has already played in the past, most notably in A Most Violent Year.

Prometheus

Sure, most people know Prometheus from the version that appeared on Season 5 of Arrow, but his DC Comics counterpart has a lot of untapped potential.

The main comic iteration of Prometheus is an unnamed man, who is sent on a lifelong vendetta against “the forces of justice” after his parents are gunned down by the police. Prometheus then uses his parents’ money to become a highly-skilled criminal mastermind, ultimately going toe-to-toe with Batman and the other members of the JLA. Later versions of Prometheus – most notably Chad Graham – had a bit of a tie to Batman as well.

To an extent, having Prometheus be a bonafide Batman villain is territory not primarily explored in the comics, which would fit Reeves’ description of the story. In the process, it also would pay homage to multiple eras of DC Comics, give Batman a pretty interesting foil, and give Oscar Isaac a compelling role to play (even if it does involve him wearing a mask).

Onomatopoeia

Okay, just hear us out on this one.

Created by Kevin Smith and Phil Hester in 2002, Onomatopoeia technically debuted as a Green Arrow villain, a mysterious serial killer who targets non-superpowered heroes. He gets his code name from the fact that he “imitates” the noises around him. After being defeated by Green Arrow and Black Canary, Onomatopoeia ends up crossing paths with Batman, even impersonating another superhero as a way to earn Batman’s trust.

Onomatopoeia would be enough of a dark and visually-interesting villain to fit into the world Reeves is creating, while giving the script of The Batman its own unique flavor. It’d certainly be a weird choice for Oscar Isaac to play, but it could end up being really really effective.

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Who would you like to see Oscar Isaac possibly play in The Batman? Let us know what you think in the comments below.