Who will play Batman next? Top actors after Ben Affleck's exit from The Batman

Ben Affleck has left The Batman never to don the cape again, so who could replace him? Here DC World look at the top options


10:46, 5 FEB 2019Updated10:56, 5 FEB 2019


Following the news that Ben Affleck has officially stepped down from playing Batman the hunt begins for the next Caped Crusader.

With Matt Reeves writing and directing the 2021 movie The Batman, the rumour mill has already started with who he would like to play the part of the Dark Knight.

Although people close to the Reeves camp have reported he is looking for a younger actor nothing has officially been released.

The age of the actor who eventually lands the role may give us a clue to the story. A younger actor could provide more flexibility to story development over multiple films but could send us down another origin route. An older actor could easily stay within the existing continuity of the DC extended universe we have seen with Batman V Superman and Justice League.

Whoever ends up in the cowl here are a few strong candidates that we believe have what it takes to be the Dark Knight.


Armie Hammer

After bursting onto the scene in 2010 by playing the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network Armie Hammer's name has been linked to almost every major role going. Jack Reacher, James Bond, Han Solo and even Batman himself in the abandoned George Miller Justice League Dark movie.

Hammer certainly has the physique and look of Bruce Wayne while standing 6'4 tall he would have quite the on screen presence in the cape and Cowl. However, Hammer is not just the right man for Batman because of his look. A relatively young career for the 32 year old has brought a lot of attention his way due to his charismatic performances in The Social Network and J Edgar. It was his Golden Globe nominated performance in Call me by your name that showed the world his acting range in an engaging and heart warming display.

Some believed by landing the role as The Lone Ranger along side Johnny Depp Hammer had found his big break, unfortunately it wasn't to be. Deemed a critical and box office failure people have been waiting for that next big opportunity to come along. Some would say redemption was found along side Henry Cavill in The Man from Uncle, but he's still looking for that major solo role -could Batman be it?


David Mazouz

David Mazouz has been playing young Bruce Wayne since 2014 on Warner Bros television show Gotham. Each season he has proved that as an actor he has crafted the character and because we will see him as ‘The Batman’ in the final ever episode of Gotham this is a transition over to the film world I feel would be perfect.


Scott Eastwood

If we had to choose anyone who already is a established actor in the film world, as we think you need to be given the chance to commit to the role fully, we think of Scott Eastwood. We have only seen him in Suicide Squad but he has that stature and the right kind of stare you expect from a Batman.


Richard Armitage

We vote for Richard Armitage as the next Batman. Before Ben Affleck got the role in Batman V Superman, he was being considered for the role and we were very much intrigued with the idea. We think he would make a great Batman! He has the looks, he’s charismatic, he’s a great actor, and he plays an undercover CIA agent in Berlin Station! He’s the perfect person to become the next Dark Knight!!


Stephen Amell

Ok, so we know that he is tied up with Arrow and that a role as Batman would see him being typecast, but he does have all the attributes needed; the look, the fighting skills, the ability to show such humanity in his current role that would easily be transferred to Batman, and he goes on to prove this week after week as the Green Arrow. Oh, on another note, he is great with a grappling hook.


Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be a prime candidate to don the bat suit. All the ingredients that are required, he possesses. He has the smouldering intense looks that suit an interpretation of Bruce Wayne, and certainly knows his way around an American accent. Action scenes are not a problem, as his turns in Godzilla, Kick Ass and Avengers: Age of Ultron have shown that he can cope with on-screen physicality with ease. The last two films mentioned also give him some comic book cachet with genre fans. Aged just 28, he is the prime age to play the character on-screen for a decade or more, and is many people’s choice to be the next Dark Knight. A versatile actor capable of carrying a heavy dramatic load, WB must have him on their shortlist!


Oscar Isaac

Oscar's performance as the titular villain in 'X-Men: Apocalypse' was excellent, even if the look of the character was way off. This proves that he can handle a comic-book role.

He is a terrific actor, and nowhere is his range of emotion and versatility - or his ability to depict a dark and tormented character - more evident than in his stellar performance as Will in 'Life Itself'

He has huge fandom credibility due to playing Poe Dameron in the 'Star Wars' sequels 'The Force Awakens' and 'The Last Jedi'. If you also consider that he also looks like a grown up version of David Mazouz, then that works in his favour too.

Fan artist and web legend Boss Logic has even created a terrific mock-up of the actor as Batman, which has me sold. Oscar Isaac is a great actor with a ton of fans... works for us!


Richard Madden

Richard Madden has recently won plaudits for his exemplary performance in the BBC drama, Bodyguard. He is also well known for starring in Game of Thrones and Cinderella. He may strike you as a strange choice for Batman, mainly because he is Scottish. Yet, with an American accent, he would make the perfect Bruce Wayne.

He has shown that he can play the dramatic hero in Bodyguard, and although most see this as the perfect transition to Bond, there were a lot of features in this role that also aligned with those of the Dark Crusader. Playing Batman would bring a fresh take on the character, after the brief spell of Ben Affleck and the slightly longer spell of Christian Bale before him.

A lesser known actor might give more focus to the character rather than the star. Madden doesn't just have the ability to act the role, but he looks the part too. The chiseled jaw line is a feature of the Bat and he has this in spades. At a young age, he would also be able to play the Batman across a few films to develop the character in a different light to his predecessors.


Clint Eastwood

Funnily enough this isn't the first time someone has seriously taken Clint as an option for The Bat. It was strongly rumoured that post-Schumacher Hollywood execs considered Eastwood as a possibility to fill the cowl in an adaptation for The Dark Knight Returns. Now? He's pushing 90 and is still acting-directing all the time. Every other "more reasonable" candidate is in their physical prime, sure, but given the right story Batman doesn't need to be at his physical peak. He needs to have a good chin, gruff voice and a take no prisoners (but still keep them alive) attitude to bad guys. Clint ticks all three. Throw in the fact that he could probably direct the thing and get his biological son as a protégé in-film, we don't think he's as outside an option as you might think. Given that WB are having a much more lax attitude to the wider DC Universe, all bets are off.


Jon Hamm

Hamm is a very popular choice on social media and has the backing of Batman super fan Kevin Smith. Hamm prominently rose to fame through his portrayal as Don Draper on the hit TV show Mad Men. Having gone on the prove he is a leading man in such films as Baby Driver, Bad Times and the El Royale and even alongside wonder woman herself Gal Gadot in Keeping Up with the Joneses.

Jon Hamm is a top quality actor who proved over 92 episodes on Mad Men he can deliver intense dramatic performances, but he also went on to demonstrate a lighter side in films like Tag.

Standing over 6ft tall, natural dark hair and a solid jaw line isn't just Hamm's description it's also a pitch perfect representation to the Bruce Wayne we see in the comics every week.


A few other options for Batman...

Other actors who have been popular through social media include Idris Elba who appears to be set on landing James Bond so not likely.

Nick Jonas who is best know for his musical background has officially put his name in the hat with some cryptic social media posts. After appearing in the hugely successful Jumanji reboot we wouldn't write him off yet.

Dylan O'Brian who starred in the Maze Runner movies proved his action calibre in American Assassin as CIA agent Mitch Rapp alongside a former Batman Michael Keaton.

Bill Skarsgard who shot to fame as Pennywise in the recent IT remake but was also out of make up in Castle Rock.

Oliver Jackson-Cohen a British actor from the very popular Netflix show Haunting on Hill house has been mentioned as has Game of thrones star Kit Harrington.

Another actor who gets put forward for every role is Michael B Jordan and being killed of in the Marvel universe he could become a star for DC. However the general opinion is that he would be preferred to fill the role of Superman.

Nick Robinson from Jurassic World, Even Peters of X-Men and American Horror Story fame are two other young actors who could offer a new dynamic to the role.

Batman: All the Actors Rumored to Take Ben Affleck's Place

By Kofi Outlaw - February 19, 2019


Ben Affleck has exited his role as Batman in the DC Extended Universe, and in doing so, left a massive hole in the franchise that will need to be filled by the casting of a new Batman.

With Matt Reeves upcoming solo film The Batman headed for production soon, DC Films and Warner Bros. don't have a lot of time left before the new Batman will have to be announced. Of course, an extensive search for a new Batman may not be the problem it initially seems - in fact, based on the sheer amount of rumors we've heard, the studio may already have its new Batman!

Scroll below for the list of all the actors currently rumored (read: "rumored," not just on some fan wish-list), for the role of the new Batman/Bruce Wayne. We'll breakdown for you just how likely (or not) each candidate is for the role:

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal has ben rumored to replace Ben Affleck for well over a year now - pretty much the most consisted rumor in Batman casting that we've gotten. A lot of superhero movie fans probably think that Gyllenhaal's role as Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home knocked him out of the running for Batman - but that's not at all true. He wouldn't be the first actor to play in both camps.


Jon Hamm

Like Gyllenhaal, Mad Men star Jon Hamm has long been rumored to take over the role of Batman - but then again, Hamm has been rumored to take on just about any and every major superhero role that's become available. He's just as capable of playing an older Superman as he is Batman - but he's definitely a good substitution if Affleck's older version of the character continues in the DCEU.


Sott Adkins

For years the martial arts action star has been both a rumored and fan-nominated candidate for a major superhero franchise - and Batman would definitely serve that agenda. Some fans may question Adkins merits as a dramatic actor, but he's been expanding that range for quite some time.


Robert Pattinson

The Twilight star is definitely one of the more controversial picks out there - but there's a growing chorus of those who recognize and endorse his talents as a leading man, outside of the hated YA franchise that's plagued


Kit Harington

The Game of Thrones star is one of the easier choices on the list for a lot of fans, who love him from his role as Jon Snow. GoT has established Harington as both a capable dramatic and action leading man - the only real problem would be getting fans to separate from his Game of Thrones role enough to buy him as Batman.


Ryan Gosling

Gosling falls into the exact same category as Kit Harington: he's proven to be an exceptional dramatic actor and action star (when needed) - but viewers may have trouble separating Gosling's Batman from the actor's celebrity persona.


Josh Brolin

Brolin is already a major figure in two Marvel movie franchises, as Avengers archvillain Thanos, and time-travel warrior Cable in the X-Men movies. Adding a major DC superhero role to the mix wouldn't be surprising given Brolin's clear ambitions - but it would be a very specific version of Batman that Reeves would have to be going for, to cast Brolin (read: "Bruiser Batman").


Matthew Goode

Watchmen star Matthew Goode was reportedly one of the biggest competitors for Ben Affleck in landing the Batman v Superman role of Batman. Now that Affleck is gone, Warner Bros. could take the easy route and go with one of its biggest runner-up choices.


Richard Armitage

The Hobbit star Richard Armitage is another name that's been rumored for a Batman role for some time, but has never really nabbed it, or any big superhero movie role, for that matter. Armitage definitely has the acting chops and physicality for the Batman role, making him one of the strongest dark horse contenders.


Josh Hartnett

Like Armitage, Josh Hartnett has been a long time go-to for Batman fans and casting agents ot consider for the role. Hartnett has slowed way down in his career the last few years - just long enough for viewers to forget his status as a 2000s heartthrob, and welcome his roaring comeback as Batman. He's also probably the best pick to stand opposite Henry Cavill's Superman.


Keanu Reeves

The success of the John Wick franchise has made Keanu Reeves a household name with action movie fans, and the actor has since been getting all kinds of superhero movie considerations, for everything from Doctor Strange to the MCU reboot of Wolverine. While it's fair to nominate him for a role as Batman, this would be another highly-debated DC movie casting choice, due to the uniqueness of Reeves' mannerisms and delivery.


Jack O'Connell

The breakout star of Unbroken has been looking for a role and/or franchise to catapult his career to the next level, and the grit he's displayed in film like Money Monster or the miniseries Godless make some cinephiles think he has the necessary darkness/light balance to be a great Batman.


Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer was, ironically enough, already cast as Batman - back in Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller's Justice League: Mortal movie, which stalled during its production in the late 2000s. Fans have grown more and more comfortable with the idea as Hammer's career has expanded into projects like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - a film in which he was an excellent dark foil to Henry Cavill's charismatic thief. Since we know the two actors already have good chemistry, why not partner them up again? However, so far, Hammer is denying any real involvement with the Batman role...


Christopher Meloni

The SVU and Happy! star has been a top-notch character actor for years, and those aforementioned projects have really catapulted him to a new level of fandom and exposure. If you remember Meloni's breakout on HBO's prison drama Oz, you know he has a dark side worthy of Batman (or The Joker, for that matter).


Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Avengers: Age of Ultron star Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been called one of the best actors of his generation, and thanks to his breakout role in Kick-Ass, fans have already gotten a taste of him being a violent superhero vigilante. However, Taylor-Johnson has been notoriously fickle about taking on any kind of franchise movie roles - even doing a one-and-done appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hard to see him, of all people, taking on the stress of Batman.


Chris Pratt

Chris Pratt is basically nominated or considered for any blockbuster movie role, these days - so why not Batman? Of course, there's few who likely want to see Star-Lord's smarmy charm under the Dark Knight's cape and cowl.

Who do you want to see as the next Batman? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!