3. The Casting
As a frequent reader of comments on articles such as this one about the future of the Batman franchise I have read endless appeals for an older Bruce Wayne. Many have suggested that an actor such as Jon Hamm would be perfect for the role and I would be inclined to agree if he added a slightly deranged edge to his usual smooth and suave approach. Unfortunately, with the movie studio system as it currently is, it is unlikely that they would cast an actor such as Hamm in a role as big as this due to the flawed belief that the general audience will not go to see a tent-pole studio film that doesnt feature a Hollywood mega star. While I dont agree with this approach (come on Warner Brothers, Batman is the real draw in this movie!) I do believe that they may be more inclined to cast an actor of Hamms calibre in the Batman role if they could cast a younger, more marketable actor to star in the lead role as Robin. In my opinion, the best way to reboot the franchise with a focus on Robin would be to cast a teen actor, younger than the Chris ODonnell version of the character last seen on screen (let us not speak of this version again). I believe that if Robin were to be the focus it would require an accomplished young actor who could achieve a raw emotional performance in the role alongside a quicker physical presence than Batman usually provides. Off the top of my head, actors such as Logan Lerman and Josh Hutcherson could be considered good choices. They have definitely proved that they have more acting ability than a couple of their more mainstream performances would suggest and they have also been trusted previously with carrying films in a leading role. With the abundance of young talent in Hollywood at the moment Im sure that there are other great young actors out there who could be put into consideration as well. My only request would be for them to resist the temptation of casting Shia LaBeouf. As much as I quite like him as an actor (I know, shoot me for it) I do think he is truly overexposed in Hollywood blockbusters now in both leading roles and as a sidekick. The fan-boy reaction to him being cast would be pretty funny though