World's Finest: Who should be the next Batman?

The World's Finest logo unveiled at Comic-Con

Batman and Superman are finally going to appear on film together. That's essentially the headline news from Warner Brothers and DC at this year's Comic-Con in California. The film will be a sequel to Man of Steel and will set the World's Finest squarely in the universe that is established in Zack Snyder's first film/ This means much of the same cast set to return from the first film, Henry Cavill as Superman included. Zack will once again direct and it would appear to be involved in the writing process alongside David Goyer who penned the first film. What's not been mentioned yet is who will play Batman. And the casting choice could play a huge part in weather the film will be a success or not, both creatively and financially. If you're going to make a buddy superhero film about the two most famous superheroes, then you better get the right man in to play Batman. Henry Cavill seems to have got the all clear from audiences and critics alike for his portrayal of Clark Kent and there is little doubt he will continue on in the role for at least a couple more films. But what of the Dark Knight?

Many would say (myself included) that we don't need another film about Batman. We've only just finished a trilogy of films by Chris Nolan featuring Christian Bale as Gotham's saviour. Sometimes you just need to let a character rest for a while. With a release date of 2015 for the Man of Steel sequel (don't be shocked if that is pushed back to 2016), there will only be three years between the end of one Batman series and the start of another. That seems too quick for me and it may prove very hard for any actor to replace Christian Bale in such a short time period. Will audiences accept someone else  so quickly? Only time will tell. So what options are available to Snyder, Warner Brothers and DC? Below I've gone over a few of the names that have been linked to the role of the Bruce Wayne in the past and will no doubt be linked again. Of course it's entirely possible that none of these men will get the role but hey, it's fun to speculate.

Who shouldn't/won't play Batman in the Man of Steel sequel:

Christian Bale
It's best I just make this point quickly and move on. Christian Bale doesn't want to come back (or at least not without Chris Nolan directing) so it's very unlikely we will see him don the black cowl again. Which for me is a good thing. As far as I'm concerned Christian Bale is the Batman of the big screen. For my generation he is what we think of when we see someone wearing the Bat suit (well apart from Kevin Conroy). But there is no need for him to return. He and Warner Brothers should accept that his trilogy is a stand alone set of films and shouldn't be brought into this new DC universe. And they couldn't put Bale in the role of Batman within the Man of Steel universe and let this Dark Knight have a different back story to the one we've seen over the past few years. That would just be too confusing.So we need a new Batman (well we don't since we're getting one we better pick a new actor).

Armie Hammer

Great name. Excellent jaw line. Very good in The Social Network. But he's not right to be the next Batman, at least for me. In many ways he is the perfect choice. Young, good looking, tall and with an excellent physical build. However his name has been attached to previous DC projects that have fallen through (he was set to play Batman in a Justice League film that was never made) and he has recently talked openly about his reservations on how DC could match Marvel and release a successful group film and this would point towards the ship sailing on him being the new Dark Knight. Combine that with his recent box office failings with the Lone Ranger and mixed reviews for his performance in J. Edgar and it seems increasingly unlikely that Armie will be the next caped crusader. But you just never know.

Jon Hamm

As a massive Mad Men fan, I can confirm that Jon Hamm is the man. Not only has he helped to create one of the coolest characters ever on the small screen in Don Draper, but he's also helped to tear that character down & show the many mental fractures that scar a successful business with a troubled past. So really, he should be perfect to play Batman. And in different circumstances he would be. However Jon will be 44 when the film gets made & while still in great shape, Warner Brothers are likely to want a younger actor to play Batman. With a Justice League film set for 2017, it seems likely that Warner Brothers & DC will go for a younger man to play opposite Cavill. If this really was an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns then he might have been perfect. As it is, it seems unlikely.

Ryan Gosling 
I just can't see this one happening. An actor who has earned very impressive reviews over the past few years and with a broad appeal with both sexes due to playing a variety of roles, he could make a physically impressive & darkly brooding Bruce Wayne who would be a hit at the box office. But here's the thing, he simply won't tale the role. Gosling has been very public in his refusal to be drawn into big mainstream Hollywood films & this just doesn't seem on the cards. He also recently announced he will be moving away from being in front of the camera and work is well under way on his directing debut How to Catch a Monster. This would all point towards Gosling not being the man to play Batman or any other superhero.


Michael Fassbender

A fantastic actor who fits the bill in every way possible. Except, like Gosling, he is unlikely to accept the role, especially as he is set to star and produce in the adaptation of Assassin’s Creed which is set for release in 2015, the same year as the Man of Steel sequel. Fassbender has built an impressive career around dark and tortured characters and while not a massive name, much like Bale before Batman Begins, he's a true actor who can transform himself for the role needed. He would provide the perfect foil for Cavill's headstrong young Superman and could provide depth to a character who will struggle to get the kind of extensive back story that Bale enjoyed as Bruce Wayne. If Warner Brothers were able to get him on board, he would be an astute choice.


Who I'd select for Batman (from the likely available options)

Joe Manganiello

Manganiello is impossibly good looking and is a fine actor in his own right, to me he should be the next Batman. While he may not have the critical acclaim of a Gosling or a Fassbender, he has a solid acting career behind him that includes appearing in two of the original Spider-Man films and has shown good comic and dramatic skills in a variety of roles on both TV and film. He's 6'5, in fantastic physical shape, a very big comic book fan and would provide his own unique and interesting take on the role of Batman. He had previously been linked to play Superman before Cavill got the role and he would seem a great choice to play opposite Clark Kent in the upcoming film. Some may question casting a relatively low profile actor as Batman, but for me that is not a negative. After all this is a new take on the character of Batman, it would be set in a different DC universe to the one built by Nolan in his Dark Knight series and I believe Manganiello could carve out his own Bruce Wayne over the course of future DC movies.

So that's my thoughts on who should play the next Batman. With so many details about the film up in the air, it's impossible to know right now which direction Warner Brothers and DC will go in for the Man of Steel sequel. With a Flash film set for 2016 and a Justice League film set for 2017, there would appear a lot of work available for whoever gets cast as Bruce Wayne and the tone and style of the next film may have a big impact on those future films. If we really do need a new Batman film and if it does have to be directed by Zack Snyder, then I think Joe Manganiello would be the perfect choice.