Jake Gyllenhaal as the ninth incarnation of Gotham’s Dark Knight?
That’s the rumor currently doing the rounds online, after one report claimed Matt Reeves, writer-director on The Batman, has hand-picked Gyllenhaal to be his Caped Crusader, and the one who would eventually succeed Ben Affleck in the title role.
Keep in mind that many of DC’s bigwigs have since voiced their support of Affleck’s costumed crusader on the belief that he will indeed reprise the part in time for The Batman in 2018, despite all of those conflicting reports swirling online. So, until we have something official from the studio, it’d be best to treat this all just as a rumor for now. Still, that hasn’t stopped fan artist extraordinaire Boss Logic from putting together a quick design of how the Stronger star may appear should he indeed take over the role, and you can see what his vision looks like in the gallery down below.
Channeling a bit of Michael Keaton’s suit from Batman and Batman Returns, this is certainly an interesting, and slightly rough look for Gyllenhaal. It’ll take some getting used to as well, should the actor end up stepping into the DCEU to replace Ben Affleck, but it could work. Superhero roles have been recast before, of course – just look at Marvel’s decision to replace Terrence Howard with Don Cheadle in time for Iron Man 2 – but none quite on this level.
Still, unless Affleck’s Batman is scheduled to appear in Aquaman late next year, it’s looking likely that the actor will bow out after only three appearances in the cape and cowl: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Justice League. Which means that Warner Bros. will need a replacement very soon. In our opinion, Gyllenhaal is certainly capable of taking the job and you won’t hear us complaining if he ends up being selected to play the next Dark Knight.
The Batman is said to be targeting a production start in the summer of 2018, by which time we’ll surely have a definitive answer to this whole Batfleck saga. Closer to home though, Justice League is now in theaters and word is that Warner’s tentpole needs to clear $600 million in ticket sales alone if it’s to turn a profit.