Will Jake Gyllenhaal make a better Batman than Ben Affleck? Let’s discuss
By Buckie Wells
As rumors continue to spread that Jake Gyllenhaal will replace Ben Affleck as Batman in future films, let’s discuss whether this would be a good idea.
As soon as it was announced, we all pretty much agreed that the new president of DC Films at Warner Bros., Walter Hamada, had his work cut out for him. Obviously, he will need to figure out the direction of the movies going forward. While there’s plenty of material for him to get into in the future, he needs to focus on what he’s already got.
We know Wonder Woman/Gal Gadot stays, but what’s going on with Batman/Ben Affleck? Fans have been riding this will-he-won’t-he roller coaster since Batman v Superman, and no one, not even Affleck, seems to know where it ends.
Our current rumor appears to be that Jake Gyllenhaal will take over the role next, but there’s little evidence out there to support this idea or even explain how it will be done. Flashpoint seems obvious, but I think there’s a better way to do it besides jumping into a new timeline. I think Gyllenhaal could be a great fit, even if he’s only eight years younger than Affleck.
So let’s discuss why…
An emotional Batman
The greatest range of emotion from Batman we’ve seen so far is that moment in Justice League when he tried to get under Diana’s skin. Otherwise, he always keeps the same expression on his face. It’s just Ben Affleck’s face. You’ve seen it everywhere: Gone Girl, Good Will Hunting, Daredevil, etc.
Gyllenhaal is a better dramatic actor. We’ve tried cold Batman, weary Batman … let’s try a version of Batman who knows how to talk about his feelings. Even if only briefly.
Go back to the younger version
When Zack Snyder brought Affleck aboard, he did it with the intention of having an “older, more broken” version of the character. For the most part, this gave us a slower hermit who killed people, which is fine. I don’t mind it. In fact, I like it better as Bruce Wayne. But it also makes Batman slightly useless.
A younger version of the character means he’ll be ready to spring into action. His hope hasn’t completely died out yet, and as Wonder Woman proved, audiences aren’t particularly overwhelmed by superheroes who become hardened by their loss.
Personal life problems
The call to remove Ben Affleck as Batman got a lot louder when he went back to rehab and his marriage to American Sweetheart Jennifer Garner totally fell apart. Amidst all his personal problems, including the ones that actually belong to his brother, Affleck leaves a bad taste in many people’s mouths. I mean, the memes write themselves.
The DC films need more charismatic and less problematic people leading the franchise. Gyllenhaal appears to be a really low-key guy and the fact that he’s indisputably one of the greatest men to look at can only help.
Opening the door to the rest of the Batfamily
Now, it’s possible that Gyllenhaal could come in and play someone other than Bruce Wayne. Jason Todd has been hinted at, so he could easily come in and be Red Hood. He could be Dick Grayson as Batman, or he could just be someone totally different. Warner Bros. shouldn’t limit themselves to just Bruce Wayne/Batman, just like it doesn’t need to retell his origin story every time we see him.
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As always, I’m rooting for the DCEU, and Jake Gyllenhaal is a Batman I could totally get behind and would be excited to see in action. How about you? Are you Team Batfleck or is it time to move on? Let us know in the comments below!