With the news now officially confirmed, the world can start looking forward to seeing Robert Pattinson don the cape and cowl to play Batman in Matt Reeves upcoming The Batman. While some fans are still having a hard time picturing the Twilight actor as the iconic crime fighter, many have looked at Pattinson's more recent work in independent films as evidence he can be great in the role.
Pattinson may be an interesting choice for the part, but he clearly wasn't the only actor considered. There have been countless rumors and speculations about potential actors who are up for the role. Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, along with up-and-coming talents, have been linked to the film. Here are some of the rumored actors who we would've loved to see in the iconic role.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal has been one of Hollywood's top leading men for years. He'll be making his debut in the superhero genre in this summer's Spider-Man: Far From Home, but Gyllenhaal was initially one of the earliest actors rumored to play Matt Reeves' Batman.
It's hard not to imagine that Gyllenhaal would have crushed it in this role. He continues to prove that he is far more than a movie star and is a legitimately fantastic actor. He has proven he can play the dark and tortured detective in movies like Prisoners as well as show his immense dark side in movies like Nightcrawler.
Aaron Taylor Johnson
Aaron Taylor Johnson has had his fair share of comic book movie roles to date. He got his big break as the star of the violent and hilarious Kick-Ass and played the MCU's version of Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Johnson has since focused more on smaller projects, but he was briefly linked to play Batman.
Johnson is another actor that has shown to be just as effective in the hero roles as well as the darker, more complex roles. As Bruce Wayne/Batman fits well into both categories, there's no doubt Johnson would shine in the part. But maybe he's just had enough of the superhero world.
Jack O’Connell
Jack O'Connell is not the biggest star on this list, but he was gradually been building a stellar filmography filled with great performances. He got his start on the British series Skins before taking on highly acclaimed film roles in Starred Up, '71, and Unbroken. It seems like just a matter of time before O'Connell becomes a star, and there were talks that Batman might be that big role for him.
While O'Connell will have to wait for another opportunity to break out in Hollywood, he's shown he could handle a role like Batman exceptionally well. It would be very interesting to see the young actor explore the early years of the Dark Knight and see what he could bring to the character.
Armie Hammer
Since coming into prominence with his breakout role in The Social Network, Armie Hammer has seemingly been linked to every superhero role. In fact, Hammer was actually cast as Batman in George Miller’s canceled version of Justice League. So it makes sense that Hammer’s name would be thrown around with this new Batman film.
Hammer proved to be too old for this latest take on Batman, but he does seem like an ideal actor for the part and has shown a great deal of range. He might be better suited to play the Bruce Wayne side of the role, but it would have been interesting to see him don the costume.
Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac is one of the most exciting actors working today. He has consistently been giving great performances in interesting films like Ex Machina, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Drive. He also, of course, plays Poe Dameron in the latest Star Wars trilogy. Isaac became an early name linked to Batman, but nothing came of those rumors.
Isaac is always a strong and compelling presence on film. He could take a complex character like Batman and really have fun with the role. He seems the perfect fit for tackling the strong, tragic, and tortured aspects of the character.