Lewis Tan Is Flattered over Batman Fancasting

Deadpool 2 and Into the Badlands star Lewis Tan is flattered by calls for the actor to don the [...]

By Cameron Bonomolo

Deadpool 2 and Into the Badlands star Lewis Tan is flattered by calls for the actor to don the cape and cowl of Batman in the wake of Ben Affleck's departure from the DC Extended Universe.

The actor-slash-martial artist teased a forthcoming appearance in the DCEU last July when he took to Twitter to share a photo of himself posed in front of the DC Comics insignia with a stack of Batman comic books.

"My father started in this business with Tim Burton's Batman, soon will be full circle," Tan wrote of his father, actor and stuntman Philip Tan, who appeared as a goon in the 1989 film that starred Michael Keaton.

"My father came to America, because of Batman and, you know, I definitely want to see that come full circle and give back. I'm not trading in my Marvel roots, because they started me, but DC started my dad, so it would be nice to go over there and play around and find the right thing," Tan said at the time.

"So we're looking for the right thing and there were a lot of different talks and Nightwing was one of those that were mentioned, so we'll see."

Tan later clarified the planned Chris McKay-directed Batman spinoff — centered around Bruce Wayne's former ward Dick Grayson, who ends his tenure as sidekick Robin and operates as the independent vigilante Nightwing — was just one of several potential projects on the table for the actor, who argues his martial arts prowess makes him an easy fit for a high-maintenance superhero role.

"I would put everything into it. I think that, when you're a martial artist and you're doing an action show, you can do so much more," Tan said.

"You don't have to cut around the actor, you don't have to hide the actor and the performance alone is going to show so much more because it's all you and you're all there and you're putting your blood, sweat and physicality into the role which is a big part of these type of films, you know, like Deadpool and Batman and Iron Fist, all those roles that I did, I can put so much more into it and I think it comes across, and when fans see it they go, 'Wow, that was incredible!' Even if it was short they go, 'Wow, that was incredible!' And I think it's because of that effort you put into it."

Studio Warner Bros. is now on the hunt for a "familiar face" to step into the role of a younger Bruce Wayne in the Matt Reeves-directed The Batman, which Reeves said is "a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale" with an emphasis on the Dark Knight's genius as a detective.

The Batman is set for June 25, 2021.

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