Ben Affleck’s relationship with Batman has been shaky to say the least. To begin with, nerds across the globe had meltdowns when it was first announced that he would be inheriting the coveted cape and cowl from British actor Christian Bale — whose tenure in the role was acclaimed by fans and critics alike (despite that weird growling voice thing he did). Not only that, but the two movies in which Affleck has appeared as the Dark Knight have not been warmly received.
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#JusticeLeague is currently #Rotten at 39% on the #Tomatometer, with 228 reviews: https://t.co/wUWGlprlW5 pic.twitter.com/6FedBjkPyu
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) November 17, 2017
Affleck is apparently signed on for five DC movies, But when asked by Extra TV if he intended to fulfill his contractual obligations, he un-enthusiastically responded with “I don’t know about that… we’ll see what the future holds.”
The actor further got the rumor mill spinning even more when, in a recent USA Today profile, he revealed that he hasn’t actually committed to appearing in the upcoming standalone Batman movie, ingeniously titled “The Batman,” adding that he’s still contemplating if the movie is right for him. He also hinted that he’s considering going out with some dignity, despite only appearing as the caped crusader in two poorly-received movies: “[It’s] something I’m contemplating,” Affleck said. “You don’t do it forever, so I want to find a graceful and cool way to segue out of it.”
So with rumors abound that Affleck is about the hang up the cape for good, the internet’s greatest minds began speculating about who his successor will be. And boy, did they have some wacky suggestions:
“I wonder what that boring dude from ‘The Matrix’ would look like in a cowl,” said literally nobody ever aside from this Twitter user:
petition for keanu reeves to be the new batman
— sky (@oatmilkdickwad) November 19, 2017
How about a womanizing advertising executive Batman? Or… Who’s that other guy?
https://twitter.com/amiIynholdo/status/931264942724075526
Michael Cera as Batman? Imagine it. Good thing Conner here is clearly trolling. Well played, sir.
https://twitter.com/ConnerWS/status/931604857080881152
Okay this one’s actually not so bad. We could live in a world where Idris Elba is Batman.
Idris Elba for Batman, please.
— Josh Busker (@JoshBusker) November 18, 2017
The kid at Meg’s pool has some lofty aspirations:
A kid at my local pool just stood up in front of everyone and yelled "I AM THE NEW BATMAN" and frankly, I'm on board.
— Meg Watson (@msmegwatson) November 19, 2017
Curious about what Jake Gyllenhaal would look like in the cape an cowl? Well you’re in luck, because BossLogic did some mock-ups:
Just a quick fix for now – Jake Batman, might add more to it. pic.twitter.com/nXMHVaZvWw
— BossLogic (@Bosslogic) November 18, 2017
Not everyone is on board with a Gyllenhaal Batman though. Some people were baffled by the mere suggestion:
Stop it. Nobody needs a new Batman. Literally nobody. Not Jake Gyllenhaal, not audiences, not even the studio who should take a lesson from Justice League and know when to quit. Let the character rest.
— Glenn Dunks (@glenndunks) November 19, 2017
And this guy just really likes Oscar Issac. Who doesn’t?!
https://twitter.com/elite_gz/status/932452167667015680