5 Actors To Replace Christian Bale As Batman After THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

After The Dark Knight Rises is unleashed on our screens next July, Christopher Nolan will step down as director and Christian Bale will be giving up the cowl and at least for the time being (probably forever… but you can never say never for sure) they are done with the Batman franchise.

Knowing they won’t be tempted to make a fourth film anytime soon, Warner Bros. has expressed interest in rebooting the franchise with a series of films they hope they can convince Nolan to produce, but we have to wonder why all of these reboots are so necessary? Spider-Man, X-Men… we are looking at you!

James Bond has been played by multiple actors over the years, each one continuing the story in a sort of flexible continuity which could be improved upon by simply doing it in The Bourne Legacy fashion. Cast a new actor (though keep the character Bruce Wayne in this case) and wherever Nolan leaves Wayne at the end of The Dark Knight Rises, pick-up from there. There’s plenty of villains in the Batman canon to cause a threat to Gotham and plenty of characters they have used already (and not killed off) that could return for sequels. Just because there’s a new creative team and cast doesn’t mean that everything that’s come before needs to be thrown out. Nolan has said that he intends to bring Bruce Wayne’s story to a close in this last installment, so perhaps there won’t be anything left to continue… but we would be surprised if he gave our Caped Crusader such a definite ending.

However, whether the next Batman film is a hard reboot or a softer relaunch, one thing is for certain: there will be another Batman movie sooner than later. There’s no way Warner Bros. will want the lucrative Bat-franchise collecting dust for too long. When they do start working on the next movie, two of the most important questions will be: who will be directing (we will cover that later) and who is playing the new Batman?

The more dependable and recognizable action movie stars are all either balding or dead and while there are some younger, up and coming action heroes, they don’t have a substantial track record of hit movies. They might choose to go with an unknown, but if they decide to dip into the well of Hollywood, here are some of the names we think would fit if they decide to carry on Nolan’s story…

Michael Fassbender

Pros: In the last two years, Michael Fassbender has thrusted himself into the mainstream with his British Nazi spy in Inglourious Basterds and his tortured turn as Magneto X-Men: First Class, showcasing his considerable acting talent that we all knew was present from his earlier, lesser seen works of Eden Lake and Hunger. As Magneto particularly, we saw him go from a vengeful and angry young man to a calculating, controlled leader; he expressed darkness, but his fierce dedication related to a childhood trauma. Sound familiar?
He is a credible leading man and has the inner depth and darkness to portray Batman and the charm to pull off Bruce Wayne.
Cons: He may be threatening, but he’s not very tough. He definitely has the acting chops, but it might be hard to accept him pulverizing street thugs ten at a time without the aid of magnetic powers. Maybe he would have to go through a training regime just like Batman to get to the physical shape required. Plus, as we normally have a rule of one comic book character per actor, it would be tough to see him as Magneto and Batman in two ongoing franchises.

Jon Hamm

Pros: From Mad Men to Bat Man? Anyone who watches Mad Men knows that Don Draper is practically Bruce Wayne already. He’s smooth, he always knows what to say and he tends to get exactly what he wants in the end. His deep voice could be flexed ever so slightly to make a truly menacing Batman voice (hopefully better than Bale’s custom rasp) and he’s got tall, dark and handsome written all over his face. Everybody wanted him as Superman but he’s got a dark side to him that perfectly suits Bats.
Cons: Turning 41 next year, Hamm might be too old for the type of stunts they have in mind, but seen as Nolan has fast forwarded the franchise to where Wayne will now be in his early 40′s (we are told eight years has spanned between the conclusion of The Dark Knight and where we find Batman in The Dark Knight Rises) that would actually make him the perfect age for a continuation of the series.

Mark Wahlberg

Pros: Physicality is not a question with Wahlberg, if he isn’t buff enough already to play the part he can get into shape anytime he likes with the sports complex he calls a home. The man’s had an amazing physique for the past twenty years or so. We’ve seen him play tough, mysterious leads before and his turns in movies like The Departed, Shooter and Max Payne show that he understands both the action side and dramatic aspect as well. He also has very expressive eyebrows and a good angry stare. He is a credible blockbuster lead, just the times he has found himself in them (Planet of the Apes) it hasn’t worked out because of a bad production rather than anything he did.
Cons: Two words: Marky Mark. Wahlberg’s past as an underwear model and rapper along with his past comedic roles might shatter his credibility as Batman, but Michael Keaton came from a primarily comedic background as well when he was cast and many think he’ll go down as the best Batman, ever. It may need to go in a more action orientated direction but Wahlberg could do this.

Jake Gyllenhaal

Pros: At age 30, Gyllenhaal is still young enough to star in multiple films and return the character to where he was at with Batman Begins, if so called for. We’ve seen him as an action star in Prince of Persia and know he has the physicality necessary for the role and his appearances in Zodiac show he has the obsessive acting range to handle Batman. We’ve already gotten Heath Ledger from Brokeback Mountain, why not another star?
Cons: His youth may be a disadvantage here, since he’s almost baby faced and could probably pull off Peter Parker still if Sony came calling.

Idris Elba

Pros: Anyone who’s seen Luther knows this man is a beast. He literally explodes on screen. He can slam his hand on a desk and make your television shake. The experience he has playing a detective could go toward making a very convincing and refreshing take on the character, one unlike any we’ve seen before. He has the charm nailed down, the eyes that struggle to disguise the inner pain and turmoil. He is obviously an impressive physical specimen and would be intimidating under the mask. Forty next year, he is also at the perfect age to carry on the character where Nolan and Bale leave him.
Cons: Yes, Bruce Wayne is not and has never been black, but in Thor this summer Elba played Heimdall, a character that has always been portrayed as white. Hell, if he can play a Norse god he should certainly be allowed a crack at Batman. Everything about him makes him the perfect candidate.
Bale and Nolan are going to be hard to follow, regardless how many people want to take take over from them. But those above are our top five candidates to play Bruce Wayne/Batman in the next movie at this stage. What are your ideas for the next Batman?