If recent rumors that Jake Gyllenhaal could be our next Batman thrilled you, we have bad news, because that’s apparently not what’s happening.
Just a couple of days after Justice League hit theaters, a rumor began to circulate that Ben Affleck planned to hang up the cape and cowl, and Matt Reeves was looking at Gyllenhaal to replace him in The Batman. There’s been no official announcement of Affleck’s departure from actor, Reeves, or Warner Bros., but the rumor nonetheless gained considerable momentum.
However, Gyllenhaal expressly rejected the notion that he might take on the role during a recent interview with CNA Lifestyle:
Interviewer: So, is Jake Gyllenhaal going to be the next Batman?
Gyllenhaal: Wow, that's a very difficult question! The answer to that question is "no" [laughs].
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Gyllenhaal was deliberately leading us astray. Affleck's exit is in no way official, so talking about taking over the role would be out of the question for another actor, and awkward for all concerned.
It's also possible that the 37-year-old actor simply lost interest in the character. Or maybe Affleck isn’t leaving at all. He once auditioned for the role in Batman Begins, and was apparently David S. Goyer's first choice, but Christopher Nolan chose Christian Bale. If a February rumor had the story straight, Affleck had experienced commitment issues; he was willing to neither vacate nor fully commit. But he could have made a decision since then. Or maybe his procrastination and waffling irked his potential replacement to the point that he decided to just walk away!
It’s also possible that an entirely different actor may have won over both Reeves and the studio. At one point, we heard that Jon Hamm was gunning hard for the role. He's closer to Affleck in age, but he looks like Gyllenhaal. We’ll have to wait for more information to be sure what’s really happening.
Here’s a great fan-art piece of Gyllenhaal as the Batman!
