The Batman: Dream Casting Matt Reeves' New Trilogy
From Batfleck to Waynsling?
No matter how long the rumours of Ben Afflck still playing Batman in a stand-alone movie might rumble on, it seems inevitable now that Matt Reeves' The Batman is going to be completely separate from the DCEU. And that's a good thing.
No disrespect to Affleck, but casting a younger actor - which has been widely mooted - will allow the director to tell his own story, and crucially, it means he can reset the timeline to before the point where all of Batman's major enemis had already been caught and dealt with. As fans, we want to see Batman in the midst of his crime-fighting career, not in its twilight.
Of course, recasting Batman and setting the film in its own universe also means every other major character will need new actors and assuming Reeves goes with some old favourites, there are some great opportunities out there to cast absolutely perfect actors...
9. Jim Gordon - Brian Cranston
The Breaking Bad star has been at the top of most fan casting wishlists ever since the AMC show launched him into the stratosphere and for good reason. He proved in that role that he's cut from the same sort of performative cloth as Gary Oldman, who played Jim Gordon for Christopher Nolan's trilogy.
His performance as Walter White marries the necessary authority (both in terms of him as a teacher and as a fearsome druglord) with a humanist vulnerability and (initially at least) moral convictions that would work incredibly well for Gordon. He also has the advantage of actually looking like Gordon from the comics, which is always a nice bonus.
His casting would also ensure Gordon wouldn't be pushed into the background as he has been in the DCEU so far. Or you'd hope so anyway.