Believe it or not, there’s a new interview with Zack Snyder where he talks about DC superhero films! Shocking, I know. But in the new episode of Happy. Sad. Confused., Syder does mention a bit of DCEU trivia that was previously unknown, as he talks about an actor he had in mind for Batman if Ben Affleck passed on the role.
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As we all know, Ben Affleck played the role of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, in Snyder’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League” (both cuts). Most fans grew to appreciate his cross-fit Batman even if the films weren’t necessarily award-winning. But according to the director, there was a time when Affleck was on the fence about playing Batman, and because of that, Snyder had to begin talks with someone else as a possible backup plan if the Affleck thing fell through.
Snyder explained that he spoke to actor Matthias Schoenaerts “a lot” about the role of Batman. Obviously, with Affleck eventually signing on, Schoenaerts was eliminated from contention, but in an alternate Earth-2 scenario, there might exist a universe where the Belgian actor took over the role as the new Dark Knight.
“I was talking to [Schoenaerts] a lot about it,” said Snyder. “He never got in the suit, but I did a bunch of mock-ups with him because Ben [Affleck] was on the fence. I don’t blame him. Everyone should be on the fence when you’re asked to play Batman.”
For those unaware of Schoenaerts’ career, the acclaimed actor is probably most well known for starring in international films such as “Bullhead” and “Rust and Bone.” American audiences will recognize him from roles in “The Danish Girl,” “Red Sparrow,” and “The Old Guard.” He might not be the actor that a ton of DC fans had in their fantasy casts, but he’s one of the best actors working today and has that cold, determined look that would fit perfectly in the Batman mythos.
You can hear the entire discussion with Snyder below: