The cast of Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot includes three actors who've previously played Batman, the director has revealed. Due for release later this year, Smith’s latest film follows its eponymous duo as they travel to Hollywood to prevent a reboot of the Bluntman and Chronic movie - from 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back - being made. If the plot of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot sounds suspiciously similar to its predecessor, then don’t worry - that’s exactly what Smith intended. As he explains, it’s “a movie that makes fun of sequels and remakes and reboots while being all three at the same time.”
Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith will be reprising their roles as Jay and Silent Bob, of course. Beyond Smith and Mewes, the huge cast of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is brimming with talent. Chris Hemsworth’s casting was confirmed back in April and Rosario Dawson - who previously worked with Smith on Clerks II - is also appearing in an undisclosed role. Smith’s longtime pal and collaborator Brian O’Halloran - aka Clerks’ Dante Hicks - is also in the cast, as is wrestler Chris Jericho. They’re joined by many other actors, including Joe "Deathstroke" Manganiello, Justin Long, Craig Robinson and Smith’s daughter Harley Quinn Smith.
It would seem that massive cast just got a little bigger after Smith’s reveal that not one, not two, but three former Batman actors are also appearing in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. Speaking with EW, the director stated that there are “three different Batmans in the movie, which is kind of amazing.” When asked whether he’d be willing to reveal exactly which former Batman actors are in the cast, Smith replied with a laugh stating, “No, I can’t.”
Even without confirmation from Smith, we can probably work out who some of those former Batmans are. Diedrich Bader - who voiced the Caped Crusader in Batman: The Brave and the Bold - is reprising his role as security guard Gordon from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, so he’s most likely one of the Batman actors Smith references.
Ben Affleck seems like a safe bet too. He played Holden McNeil - the character who wrote the Bluntman and Chronic comics on which the reboot-within-a-reboot is based - in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, so it would make sense for him to reprise his role. Affleck has also worked with Smith on several of his films, including Chasing Amy (again as Holden McNeil), Dogma, and Mallrats, and recently said he’d be open to appearing in Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. Another possibility is Kevin Conroy, who was in Smith’s comedy horror Yoga Hosers, and has voiced Batman many times in his career.
As for which other Batman actors could be in the movie? The late, great Adam West can be ruled out, and Robert Pattinson seems like a slim possibility. Although he’s the latest actor to play the Caped Crusader, The Batman hasn’t started filming, so technically he hasn’t played Batman yet. That leaves other contenders like Christian Bale, Will Arnett, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer or any of the many other actors who have voiced animated versions of Batman. Perhaps all will be revealed when the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot’s red band trailer debuts at SDCC this week.
UPDATE: The Jay and Silent Bob Reboot trailer confirmed the third Batman is Val Kilmer.
Source: EW