Fans of Batman have been wondering for a while now if Ben Affleck is going to continue playing the character, or if someone new is going to take on the role. Conflicting reports for either side of the saga have been coming out since 2017, but we have yet to get a set answer on the subject. Today is no different, but it’s being reported who The Batman director Matt Reeves recently had his eye on for the character. Actor Jack Huston.
According to Revenge of the Fans, actor Huston has met with Reeves – along with Jake Gyllenhaal:
…one of the other men that Matt Reeves met with about the role of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, is Jack Huston.
The report then adds:
He and Gyllenhaal share a couple of common characteristics, which indicate what kind of guy Reeves was thinking about for Batman last year. They’re both in a similar age range, with Gyllenhaal being 37 and Huston being 35, and they’re both almost identical in height. Gyllenhaal is 5’11, and Huston is 6’.
This indicates Reeves would be perfectly fine casting an actor with an average build, which harks back to when Tim Burton cast Michael Keaton as the iconic crime fighter. And it’s also clear that he’s looking for a serious actor, as both Gyllenhaal and Huston are known for their acting chops and aren’t merely pretty faces or prototypical action hero types.
In investigating this Huston lead, I discovered much more about The Batman, and where things stand today. Because Huston no longer seems to be in the running, just like Gyllenhaal is out of the picture, and it’s because Reeves’ thoughts on the setting for his film have changed quite a bit since last fall.
For now, it would appear that Reeves isn’t looking for a Batman with the build of Ben Affleck, so it’s possible that this movie could be a fresh start for the character. A reboot was rumored a couple of months back, so it’s definitely looking that way. The report also says the movie could heavily take from the Batman: Year One storyline.
The synopsis of the 2011 animated film for Year One reads:
Following the origin story of Batman, a young Bruce Wayne and James Gordon move to Gotham City and quickly become acquainted with the violence and corruption of the city. Wayne transforms into Batman and begins his fight against crime and evil.
Hopefully, we get an update on this very soon, as fans would like to know what to expect in regards to the iconic character.