Ben Affleck Is Out As Batman: Here’s Who We Reckon Should Take Over
Bye bye Batfleck.
Well, a particularly dark and broody chapter in the Batman cinematic history is over: after months of speculation, Ben Affleck has confirmed that he will no longer play the caped crusader.
Affleck was once down to both star in and direct the newest film in the superhero series, imaginatively titled The Batman. But he dropped out of directing duties a while ago, handing over the reins to Matt Reeves of Cloverfield fame, and now he’s finally left the project for good.
It’s probably for the best, to be honest; Affleck always seemed distinctly disinterested in his role as the caped crusader. Who, after all, can forget the bummed-out press tour that gave us the Sadfleck meme?
Ben Affleck will no longer play Batman, we're in the midst of a Batflexit
— Cam Williams (@MrCamW) January 31, 2019
That means, much to the anticipation of every Hollywood actor under the age of 50, that the role of Batman is once more up for grabs. For a little while now, rumours have been swirling that Jake Gyllenhaal is the man to take the part. But, to be honest, Gylls is having too much fun as an increasingly erratic character actor these days — his turn in Okja is even hammier than that film’s giant hippo-pig, and he does bonkers work in Velvet Buzzsaw.
Nah, as great as Gylls might be, he’s not our choice for the next caped crusader. Here instead, are the six actors that we reckon should take up the mantle next.
Tilda Swinton
What You Know Her From: We Need To Talk About Kevin, A Bigger Splash, generally being one of the most charismatic and influential performers currently working.
Why She’d Work: Every single time there’s any discussion over major casting decisions, Tilda Swinton’s name should be in contention. Every. Single. Time. There’s no role that Swinton couldn’t or shouldn’t play; if she starred in every major Hollywood film for the next ten years, there still wouldn’t be enough Swinton on our screens.
Idris Elba
What You Know Him From: Luther, Pacific Rim, being long rumoured to take over as the next James Bond.
Why He’d Work: Whatever you thought about Affleck as Batman, you’ve got to admit that he didn’t exactly light up the screen with his charisma. Affleck tried to play things close to his chest, swaggering around like a mix between a philosophy major and that stoner you know who’s weirdly into Youtube parkour videos.
Idris Elba, by contrast, is one of the most charming and explosive screen presences we currently have; a dynamic, chiselled, almost obnoxiously handsome performer who can make the most outlandish dialogue (“We’re cancelling the apocalypse!”) work. He’d make Batman fucken’ pop.
Steven Yeun
What You Know Him From: The Walking Dead, Okja, being ridiculously hot.
Why He’d Work: Steven Yeun has already basically played at least one half of the Batman/Bruce Wayne dichotomy: his role as the charming, possibly sociopathic rich dude in the all-time great Burning was only a hop skip and a jump away from Wayne.
But, to be honest, Yeun nails all of the requirements. His turn on The Walking Dead made his quick wit and twinkling humour clear; his muscular work in Mayhem proved he can handle action; and his studied calm in Sorry To Bother You has Batman’s grace written all over it. If Yeun isn’t at least getting a phone call, then Hollywood is irrevocably broken.
Joe Alwyn
What You Know Him From: Getting kicked by the balls by Emma Stone in The Favourite.
Why He’d Work: Joe Alwyn is still probably best known these days as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend; his film career has been short and varied, and his planned ‘breakout’, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk was a colossal failure, both critically and commercially.
But hey, a touch of the mystery man quality is exactly what any actor playing Batman needs — let’s not forget what a strange choice for the role Michael Keaton must have seemed, all those years ago — and Alwyn has the stoic gravitas that the role is begging for.
Lakeith Stanfield
What You Know Him From: Death Note, Sorry To Bother You, being the dude who screams “Get out!” in Get Out.
Why He’d Work: The key to Batman’s power is his unpredictability. The World’s Greatest Detective is almost always one step ahead of his enemies; he’s a rangy, chiselled force of chaos, ready to spring surprises and appear from the shadows, unexpected.
And I ask you: is there a single actor more unpredictable than Lakeith Stanfield? A spiky, dynamic performer, Stanfield is just waiting for a prime leading role to transform him from storied character actor to household name. And Batman is just what the doctor ordered.
Elizabeth Debicki
What You’d Know Her From: Being an aloof master manipulator in Macbeth, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2.
Why She’d Work: The only good kind of casting decision is a bold casting decision, and as far as we’re concerned, nothing’s more bold than casting Australia’s own Elizabeth Debicki. Seriously, the woman has spent the last few years perfecting the art of charismatic remove; she always stands about ten feet back from her characters, but somehow injects them with enough life to keep them consistently compelling.
Oh, also, anyone who saw her transformation in Widows knows that she’s more than capable at mixing the self-possession of Bruce Wayne with the steely badassery of Batman.
The Batman is currently tentatively scheduled for a June 2021 release.