It Sounds Like Ben Affleck Might Be Out, Jake Gyllenhaal Might Be In as Batman

It looks as if Ben Affleck's days as the caped crusader are nearly at an end. I know we've been hearing that basically since he took the role, but it's feeling more and more like the 45 year old just has no interest in playing Batman ever again. Adding fuel to that fire, there's a bit of a rumor circulating that Jake Gyllenhaal is ready and willing to step in should Affleck decide he's not down to don the cowl again.

Revenge of the Fans put together a fairly comprehensive look at all the various rumors swirling around the production of Matt Reeves' upcoming Batman solo film. There were questions about whether or not the film would take place in the DC Extended Universe alongside Man of Steel, BvS, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, and the upcoming Aquaman, and apparently it does, despite many rumors to the contrary, according to Bill Ramey from Batman-on-Film...

“Batman is DC proper. Reeves’ Batman is connected. Just its own story.”

Alright, so that puts those rumors to bed. Now on to the Affleck/Gyllenhaal quagmire. The RotF article quotes an unnamed source with "intimate knowledge" of the proceedings as saying...

“Gyllenhaal is probably Batman. Affleck is not out of it yet. That’s the thing, he still has a contract. But the studio is sour on him. If Ben rolls, Jake is in. Kind of a weird web. These guys both know they control each other’s destiny.”

So Gyllenhaal is on deck should Affleck decide it's no longer worth his time to finish his contract or the studio decides they don't want him further tainting the franchise. This would make 5' 11" Gyllenhaal the shortest Batman since the similarly heighted George Clooney played the role in 1997. So that's something. 

What do you guys think? You want Affleck out so bad that you're willing to settle on Gyllenhaal as his replacement, or do you want to see Reeves and DC pick someone totally out of left field? I think I'd prefer that. Gyllenhaal's a fine actor, but he always reeks of "trying too hard" syndrome. He acts with a chip on his shoulder that bothers me, and I don't find him to be a natural screen presence in the way many of his contemporaries are. But in fairness, I don't think Affleck's any better of an actor either.