Matt Reeves' The Batman Actor Shortlist Reportedly Surfaces

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RUMOR: Matt Reeves' The Batman Actor Shortlist Reportedly Surfaces

By Tom Chapman

Published Mar 6, 2019

The latest rumors surrounding The Batman lists five young actors who may play the Caped Crusader in the reboot movie.

A new list of potential names for Matt Reeves’ The Batman has surface, listing five young stars who are purportedly candidates to suit up as the new Dark Knight.

Only recently, departing Batman actor Ben Affleck confirmed the longstanding rumor that Reeves and Warner Bros. are shifting focus to a younger version of the masked vigilante. For months, reports have suggested the studio is looking for a younger, “familiar face” to replace Affleck as the iconic superhero.

Although the below list should be taken with a large grain of salt, and hasn't been confirmed by anyone close to Warner Bros., the next Caped Crusader may potentially be here. According to Geeks WorldWide, Jack Reynor, Alexander Ludwig, Jack O’Connell, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Nicholas Hoult have all made it to the final stages.

Reynor is best known for his role as Shane Dyson in Transformers: Age of Extinction, Ludwig for playing Björn Ironside in Vikings, and O’Connell for his breakout role in Skins. Taylor-Johnson famously portrayed Quicksilver (albeit briefly) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Hoult is due to reprise his role as Hank McCoy/Beast in Fox's Dark Phoenix.

Although most of these names have been doing the rounds for a while, it's interesting to note they all have a similar age, height and build. The list, if genuine, also confirms reports that Hollywood A-listers like Armie Hammer, Jon Hamm, and Jake Gyllenhaal are out of the running, and that Robert Pattinson being linked to the role might've been exaggerated.

The five men listed also have enough credentials to fill the "familiar face" brief.

There’s been a recent flurry of news surrounding the delayed Batman standalone, from Affleck admitting he never felt his version of The Batman was ever good enough, to the suggestion Reeves’ movie may get a change of name, include up to four Batman villains, and start filming later this year.

Just like so many superhero roles these days, recasting Batman is one of Hollywood’s biggest challenges. While O'Connell is a name that has repeatedly cropped up, fans will have to wait and see if any of these men are really the new Batman. But if The Batman stays on track to hit its filming schedule, audiences should expect to hear which lucky star gets to don the cape and cowl in the near future.