Only a day ago a rumor surfaced that Warner Bros. was seeking an older actor, possibly in his 40s, to play a "grizzled veteran" Bruce Wayne in Zack Snyder's Superman vs. Batman movie. That led to what one would expect, a ton of speculation, dream casting, and even greater rumors. Whoever dons the cape and cowl of Batman is a major decision for the studio because the choice they make is likely to be around for a long time, through the dark knight's solo films and into the inevitable Justice League.
Six names have emerged as contenders for the Batman role according to THR, and they seem to confirm an older actor is being sought. Leading the way as the apparent frontrunner is Josh Brolin, who coincidentally has been at the top of many fan castings for the character, and has a number of connections to the studio and The Dark Knight Returns author Frank Miller, whose graphic novel inspired this particular story. Brolin has worked with WB on Gangster Squad and the unfortunate Jonah Hex, and he's set to star in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, which is based on Miller's comic book. If Brolin is the lead choice WB won't admit to it, dismissing the rumors because casting has yet to begin. Thanks to Poumap at DeviantArt for that image of Bat-Brolin.
At 32 years old, Ryan Gosling is the youngest name on the list but easily the most high profile. While it may not seem like the most obvious move for Gosling to make, he was attached to WB's remake of Logan's Run for a time, and has worked with the studio on Gangster Squad and his upcoming directorial debut, How to Catch a Monster. I have a hard time buying into Gosling as Batman, but after watching how he was able to transform himself in Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines, it would be foolish to write him off.
Perhaps the most interesting name on the list is Joe Manganiello, who at 36 years old fits right in the middle in terms of age, and is reasonably well known thanks to his leading a wolf pack on HBO's True Blood. He began to come into his own a little bit last year in Magic Mike, but what's important to remember is that he was the runner-up to Henry Cavill for Man of Steel. So clearly Snyder likes him, and may be looking at a way to get both of his top guys on screen.
Matthew Goode has worked with Snyder in the past as part of 2009's Watchmen, so he knows a thing or two about superheroes and adapting some of comics' most cherished works. Other names in consideration are Max Martini, who played the Aussie dad in Pacific Rim, but he seems too unknown for a role like this. And lastly, there's Richard Armitage, best known for slaughtering orcs as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit movies.
This is still very early on as David Goyer and Zack Snyder are still working on the script, but to assume they haven't been planning this sequel for months already would be foolish. So it's likely that many of these names and others have been kicked around for awhile. A decision is said to be coming in just a few weeks in order to get ready for an early 2014 start date.
Can you see any of these actors as Batman? Or do you have someone else in mind?
