6 actors who should have been the new Batman

"Batman Returns" Japanese Theatrical Poster

When you think of Ben Affleck, there are a few things that come to mind. To be fair, the top of this list includes recent Oscar success and a generally blossoming reputation as one of the most promising directors in Hollywood (following “The Town” and, more significantly, “Argo“).

But then there’s the old Ben Affleck that comes to mind. The one who’s positively dripping with Boston-ness, Matt Damon’s bum-ish sidekick, picking bad films, and establishing a reputation as a poker player on the side. If you had to guess how Affleck spends his free time, there are two things that would come to mind. One is a seedy bar in the middle of a rundown Boston neighborhood. The other is BetFair Casino, an online arcade and casino destination that allows for real money gambling. Given Affleck’s reputation as a pretty hardcore amateur poker player, it’s not hard to imagine him spending hours on this site’s diverse range of gaming options, gambling away his hard-earned acting cash on high-stakes online games. He might even do it while he’s sitting in the seedy Boston bar that first came to mind! Or on his phone during a Red Sox game…. You get the idea. He somehow comes off as a bit of a bum, despite recent success and the real reputation of being a stand-up, down to Earth guy. He just doesn’t seem like Batman.

Unless, apparently, your name is Zack Snyder. The director in charge of the relatively awful “Man Of Steel” has cast Affleck to carry on the role of the Caped Crusader in the sequel to his Superman film, which will see Batman resurrected whether Christian Bale was going to come back or not. It’s an odd choice, to say the least, but it does inspire some interesting thoughts about who would have been more natural. So without further ado, here are 5 actors who would have made more sense than Ben Affleck!

6. Josh Holloway

Who? Actually, this idea from Screen Rant actually makes a lot of sense. Holloway is Sawyer from Lost – he’s big, imposing, he does a great facial tremble when he’s angry, and he’s generally a badass. Sure he’s blonde, but that can be fixed – Holloway would have been an interesting, if unlikely choice.

5. Luke Evans

This guy’s banging on the door for a major leading role. You may know him best as Zeus from Immortals, or as the villain in the most recent Fast & Furious film. He’s dark, brooding and intense, and this would have been a nice chance for him to break through.

4. Hugh Jackman

Okay, so he’s already Wolverine. That aside, Jackman probably could have done the best Bale impression, keeping the modern Batman alive, to some extent. Jackman may look like a permanent Men’s Health cover model, but he’s actually a hell of an actor as well.

3. Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Um, did we all forget the end of The Dark Knight Rises? SPOILER ALERT – – Joseph Gordon-Levitt was totally set up to be the next Batman. No, not Robin, even if that was his name – he was 100% set up to be Bruce Wayne’s successor. Why not roll with this and do something original?

2. Scott Adkins

A bit of a ‘dark horse’ pick, yes, but when rumors broke that Scott Adkins had been asked to audition for the role of Batman, the hearts of action movie fanboys were sent fluttering. Adkins has spent the last decade steadily proving himself as a martial arts star to be reckoned with, showing off his skills in movies like Ninja and Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. However, it was really 2010’s Undisputed III: Redemption which finally showcased Adkins’ talents as a character actor and displayed that Adkins has the requisite intensity to play the caped crusader.

1. Christian Bale

The bottom line is, it’s too soon for a new man behind the mask. If Bale wasn’t willing to take this role (and he wasn’t, and that was a good thing, because the Batman trilogy was flawless), it shouldn’t have been done. Period. Affleck has become a very talented actor and this is really nothing against him. It’s just too soon.