Hey guys! Just want to let you know that this is my first ever article here on this site. I've been following the news here for awhile, and finally decided to sit down and finally write out one of these things. So here it is, my explanation on who I think should be the new Batman.
When The Dark Knight Rises came and went, it left a lot of questions in its wake. Rumors about what would happen to Batman began and many of them seemed plausable, and others not so much. This concerned what would happen to Batman’s standalone movies, and what would happen in the planned Justice League film. As of now, we know of two rumors that seem to be the ones to follow for now. One being that Christopher Nolans universe will continue beyond its structured trilogy, and that Jospeh Gordon Levitt will be playing Johnathan Blake donning the cowl as Batman. This included mainly that he will appear in the Justice League, which was met with wide criticism from fans. The other main rumor is that Batman will be again getting the reboot treatment, and will be starting fresh with a brand new cast and tales to tell. As someone who loved what Nolan has done for Batman, it was bittersweet to hear that the possiblity of continuing the franchise. I was thankful that we could get more of Nolans style of Batman, but I was skeptical that the character of Batman would not be Bruce Wayne, but a completely new character. The idea of that left an uncomfortable feeling with me, and with many fans I suspect, because if the JLA movie is ever made, we would all rather the character to be Bruce Wayne, rather than a rookie.
So within my head, I began to warm myself up to the idea of someone else being Batman, having seen Christian Bale in the role for so long. I began to think and question who could ever take on the responsibility of such a role that has already been handled so well before by his predecessor. Of course, like many fancasts begin, I thought of actors that I could see handling the role. I had a list gathered of actors that I could see doing the character justice, but as I continued to think on this list, the more I realized I was drawn to one actor in particular. Finally, after much inner debate, I realized that this one actor is the only man I could see at this point and time playing Bruce Wayne and completely owning the role. That actor is Jeffrey Donovan.
Many of you may know him from playing the lead role of Michael Westen in USA’s hit series Burn Notice. If any of you follow the show as closely as I do, you know that Jeffrey has amazing talent. He’s not shy to being on the big screen though as well, starring opposite big names like Angelina Jolie in The Changeling and Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar. In the following paragraphs, I will give you my reasons as to why I believe Jeffrey Donovan is the right choice for the role of one of the most beloved superheroes of all time.
Age and Appearance
As with most actors, a lot of the time casting comes right down to the persons look. Donovan is 44 years old, but you wouldn’t know by looing at him. I didn’t know that until I began to seriously look at him as my choice, I believed him to be in his mid to late 30’s. I believe that if they do go the reboot route for the future of Batman, we will see the character has already established himself, and has some experience in fighting crime, much like Michael Keatons Batman from the 80s. We will not see a younger, inexperianced Batman like what we saw in Batman Begins, and we will not see an older, slowed down one like what we saw in The Dark Knight Rises. That will require an actor who looks like he has been through a lot, yet still has much to see. I believe that Donovan can channel this perfectly. He looks like a man who is not to the point of feeling pain from battles ages ago, but also looks like he can be taken seriously as an established hero. Along with his look, there is something very different, almost exotic, about him that sets him apart from every other pretty face actor out there. He is still an attractive man, but looks like he has been through life aching struggles to survive. His eyes give off an intensity that I feel is crucial for Batman, since that is one of the key things you see as human about him in these films when he wears the mask.
Athletism, Martial Arts, and Philanthroy
Another reason why I believe Jeffrey to be the right choice for Batman is his athletism, his background in martial arts, and his philanthropy. Donovan is in excellent shape due to his role on Burn Notice. He has more lean muscle than just pure muscle mass, but that is due mostly to the fact that his character on the show does a lot more running than fighting and heavy lifting. This would require him to bulk up for the role, which wouldn’t be a challenge for a man of his athletism. Another perk of Jeffery is that he has over 20 years of martial arts training. He earned his black belt in Karate and has also studied aikido and Brazilin jujitsu. There is a story out there that Donovan was in a bar talking to a girl, and that a man walked over and began to get rough with him. He brought the man to his knees by squeezing his larynx. Sounds like Bruce Wayne to me. He can perfectly pull off the ability to be a playboy, but also turn around and kick some ass on top of it. On top of his physical prowess, he has a long history with philanthropy. He has helped with everything from scholarships to foundations helping with spinal cord injuries, and women and children at risk. All of Donovan’s personal achievements I believe would help him bring the character to life even more than we’ve seen already.
Characters within Characters
My final reason is the one that really gets me on why I think Jeffrey Donovan is the right pick for Batman. As all comic book fans know, Batman isn’t really just one character, it’s three. We have the playboy Bruce Wayne, the one the press and the general public sees. Then there’s the core Bruce Wayne, the one we see when he’s alone or with Alfred in the cave and talking to possible sidekicks or other side characters. Of course, on top of that, there’s the Dark Knight himself. It is impossible to talk about Jeffrey Donovan without speaking of Michael Westen, since it is his longest standing role and the main source of what we see of him as an actor. On the show Burn Notice, Jeffrey has to constantly balance multiple characters at a time in many episodes. Due to his character being a spy, he has to be able to adapt into a cover identity and take on a whole other personality. The way Donovan does this brilliant. He moves, talks, and even has ticks and quirks that come and go when he takes on another persona that set his main character apart from his cover identities. His ability to go in and out of different characters within one role is phenomenal, and what makes him an outstanding and unique choice for the role of Batman.
What we know is certain, Batman will return to the screen again. Whether it be in the Justice League first or his own solo movie, or whether it’ll be Jonathan Blake is left to be seen. With such a high chance of a reboot on the way, Batman will need a new face under the mask. Many suggestions have been made, and this is mine. Jeffrey Donovan should be the new Batman. He is an amazing actor with the right skill set and look to be Batman. He is more of an unknown than some of the actors suggested, like Ryan Gosling or Armie Hammer. Honestly though, would you rather have a young, pretty face actor take on the role? Or a gruffer, more sophisticated looking man with a background in martial arts and the acting chops to back up the role? I say it again, and I will continue to say it, Jeffrey Donovan should be the new Batman.