Batman: All the Actors Rumored to Take Ben Affleck’s Place

Ben Affleck has exited his role as Batman in the DC Extended Universe, and in doing so, left a massive hole in the franchise that will need to be filled by the casting of a new Batman.

With Matt Reeves upcoming solo film The Batman headed for production soon, DC Films and Warner Bros. don’t have a lot of time left before the new Batman will have to be announced. Of course, an extensive search for a new Batman may not be the problem it initially seems – in fact, based on the sheer amount of rumors we’ve heard, the studio may already have its new Batman!

Scroll below for the list of all the actors currently rumored (read: “rumored,” not just on some fan wish-list), for the role of the new Batman/Bruce Wayne. We’ll breakdown for you just how likely (or not) each candidate is for the role:

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal has ben rumored to replace Ben Affleck for well over a year now – pretty much the most consisted rumor in Batman casting that we’ve gotten. A lot of superhero movie fans probably think that Gyllenhaal’s role as Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home knocked him out of the running for Batman – but that’s not at all true. He wouldn’t be the first actor to play in both camps. 

Jon Hamm

Like Gyllenhaal, Mad Men star Jon Hamm has long been rumored to take over the role of Batman – but then again, Hamm has been rumored to take on just about any and every major superhero role that’s become available. He’s just as capable of playing an older Superman as he is Batman – but he’s definitely a good substitution if Affleck’s older version of the character continues in the DCEU. 

Sott Adkins

For years the martial arts action star has been both a rumored and fan-nominated candidate for a major superhero franchise – and Batman would definitely serve that agenda. Some fans may question Adkins merits as a dramatic actor, but he’s been expanding that range for quite some time. 

Robert Pattinson

The Twilight star is definitely one of the more controversial picks out there – but there’s a growing chorus of those who recognize and endorse his talents as a leading man, outside of the hated YA franchise that’s plagued him for years.  

Kit Harington

The Game of Thrones star is one of the easier choices on the list for a lot of fans, who love him from his role as Jon Snow. GoT has established Harington as both a capable dramatic and action leading man – the only real problem would be getting fans to separate from his Game of Thrones role enough to buy him as Batman. 

Ryan Gosling

Gosling falls into the exact same category as Kit Harington: he’s proven to be an exceptional dramatic actor and action star (when needed) – but viewers may have trouble separating Gosling’s Batman from the actor’s celebrity persona. 

Josh Brolin

Brolin is already a major figure in two Marvel movie franchises, as Avengers archvillain Thanos, and time-travel warrior Cable in the X-Men movies. Adding a major DC superhero role to the mix wouldn’t be surprising given Brolin’s clear ambitions – but it would be a very specific version of Batman that Reeves would have to be going for, to cast Brolin (read: “Bruiser Batman”). 

Matthew Goode

Watchmen star Matthew Goode was reportedly one of the biggest competitors for Ben Affleck in landing the Batman v Superman role of Batman. Now that Affleck is gone, Warner Bros. could take the easy route and go with one of its biggest runner-up choices.

Richard Armitage

The Hobbit star Richard Armitage is another name that’s been rumored for a Batman role for some time, but has never really nabbed it, or any big superhero movie role, for that matter. Armitage definitely has the acting chops and physicality for the Batman role, making him one of the strongest dark horse contenders. 

Josh Hartnett

Like Armitage, Josh Hartnett has been a long time go-to for Batman fans and casting agents ot consider for the role. Hartnett has slowed way down in his career the last few years – just long enough for viewers to forget his status as a 2000s heartthrob, and welcome his roaring comeback as Batman. He’s also probably the best pick to stand opposite Henry Cavill’s Superman. 

Keanu Reeves

The success of the John Wick franchise has made Keanu Reeves a household name with action movie fans, and the actor has since been getting all kinds of superhero movie considerations, for everything from Doctor Strange to the MCU reboot of Wolverine. While it’s fair to nominate him for a role as Batman, this would be another highly-debated DC movie casting choice, due to the uniqueness of Reeves’ mannerisms and delivery. 

Jack O’Connell

The breakout star of Unbroken has been looking for a role and/or franchise to catapult his career to the next level, and the grit he’s displayed in film like Money Monster or the miniseries Godless make some cinephiles think he has the necessary darkness/light balance to be a great Batman. 

Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer was, ironically enough, already cast as Batman – back in Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal movie, which stalled during its production in the late 2000s. Fans have grown more and more comfortable with the idea as Hammer’s career has expanded into projects like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. – a film in which he was an excellent dark foil to Henry Cavill’s charismatic thief. Since we know the two actors already have good chemistry, why not partner them up again? However, so far, Hammer is denying any real involvement with the Batman role… 

Christopher Meloni

The SVU and Happy! star has been a top-notch character actor for years, and those aforementioned projects have really catapulted him to a new level of fandom and exposure. If you remember Meloni’s breakout on HBO’s prison drama Oz, you know he has a dark side worthy of Batman (or The Joker, for that matter). 

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Avengers: Age of Ultron star Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been called one of the best actors of his generation, and thanks to his breakout role in Kick-Ass, fans have already gotten a taste of him being a violent superhero vigilante. However, Taylor-Johnson has been notoriously fickle about taking on any kind of franchise movie roles – even doing a one-and-done appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hard to see him, of all people, taking on the stress of Batman. 

Chris Pratt

Chris Pratt is basically nominated or considered for any blockbuster movie role, these days – so why not Batman? Of course, there’s few who likely want to see Star-Lord’s smarmy charm under the Dark Knight’s cape and cowl.  

Who do you want to see as the next Batman? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

The DC Movie Universe continues with Aquaman in theaters now, Shazam on April 5th, Joker in theaters on October 4th, Birds of Prey on February 7th, 2020, and Wonder Woman 1984 in theaters on June 5th, 2020.

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