Jake Gyllenhaal Could Be the Next Batman, If Ben Affleck Wants Out
Rumor has it that the studio is “sour” on Affleck reprising the role.
After the Justice League was deemed a critical disappointment, Ben Affleck‘s future as Batman appeared to be on shaky ground.
The actor is still under contract, but he recently told USA Today that he was looking for a “cool way” to “segue out of” the DC Universe.
Now, word has surfaced from the comic-fanboy rumor mill that Jake Gyllenhaal, not Affleck, is being eyed for the forthcoming standalone film by director Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes), called The Batman.
“Gyllenhaal is probably Batman. Affleck is not out of it yet,” an unidentified source told Revenge of the Fans.
More shocking is that Warner Bros. is allegedly none to keen on Affleck returning either. This corroborates a similar rumor published in The Hollywood Reporter.
“That’s the thing, he still has a contract. But the studio is sour on him,” the source added. “If Ben rolls, Jake is in. Kind of a weird web. These guys both know they control each other’s destiny.”
It could all be Hollywood hearsay, but Revenge of the Fans has proven to have unparalleled intel before. The blog previously reported that Justice League had undergone extensive reshoots and creative overhauls during troubled production, which was eventually borne out by the end product.
Affleck was originally meant to direct and co-write The Batman, but he ceded responsibilities to Matt Reeves, which was announced in January.
In the aforementioned USA Today profile, Affleck professed interest in working with Reeves but indicated he was looking for an exit strategy.
The new Batman movie being developed by Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes) is “something I’m contemplating,” says Affleck, who originally was tapped to direct. “You don’t do it forever, so I want to find a graceful and cool way to segue out of it.”
Affleck is slated to appear in the upcoming Flashpoint, centered on Ezra Miller as The Flash and featuring Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Another rumor claims it could be Affleck’s “last hurrah” as the Caped Crusader.
Cue the “Sad Affleck” memes!