Glen Powell Already Explained Why His DC Dream Role Would Not Work For The Dark Knight 4

Glen Powell has a DC character that he would love to play, but if The Dark Knight franchise were to be brought back for another movie, it would not work there. Powell has quickly become one of the fastest-rising movie stars in Hollywood. The actor’s popularity comes from a string of successful high-profile projects, which include key roles in Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone but You, Hit Man, and Twisters. The actor has plenty of major roles lined up, though none of them are currently set to be in upcoming DC movies or series, though that could change.

Long before he became well-known worldwide, Powell was part of one of the biggest superhero movies ever. The actor played a stock trader in The Dark Knight Rises. Powell had a couple of scenes in the film, with his most memorable moment coming when Tom Hardy’s Bane slams his head against a desk. The role stands as Powell’s sole contribution to DC. However, the actor has become a popular fancast for several major DC characters, with Powell even revealing the DC hero that he would love to play, and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight franchise would not be involved.

Glen Powell’s DC Dream Role Is To Play Batman

The Actor Loves His Small Role In The Batman Movie Franchise

Powell wants to take his history with the Batman franchise a step further. While the actor only got to play a stock trader in a couple of scenes in The Dark Knight Rises, he is grateful to have been part of the project. Recently, Glen Powell explained how important The Dark Knight Rises is to him. According to the star, the role came at a time in his life when Powell was not seeing much success. However, being cast in a massive movie and getting to work with director Christopher Nolan felt like a validation of his skills.

Powell even went on to say that Nolan is happy that he cast the actor before he became famous, telling so to Powell when they met recently. As for a return to DC, Powell has been fancast as some major heroes over the past few years. At Marvel, Cyclops has been the leading fancast for the actor, who even dressed as him one Halloween, while Powell’s most suggested DC roles are Booster Gold, who the actor has said is fun, Green Arrow, and Batman. While GQ UK shared in May that “Powell has no interest in playing a superhero,” there is an exception.

Glen Powell would consider playing Batman if he was ever asked. According to the actor, he has always been a Batman fan. Adding to it, Powell has revealed that he would like to bring a wild take to the Dark Knight, with a Batman that would be more in line with Michael Keaton’s portrayal than Robert Pattinson’s. There are going to be at least two live-action versions of Batman going forward, one of them being Pattinson in Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe and the other coming from James Gunn’s DCU. Check out Glen Powell’s full Batman quote below:

“I was always a Batman guy. I would have a wild take on Batman. It definitely would not be like a Matt Reeves tone – it’d probably be closer to Keaton.”

Why Glen Powell’s Batman Would Not Work In The Dark Knight 4

Christian Bale Is Not The Only Reason

While The Batman universe and the DCU are the two confirmed live-action Batman franchises being worked on, many fans have asked for director Christopher Nolan to return for The Dark Knight 4 over the years. Based on how Nolan is happy to have cast Powell in his DC franchise, it seems like the actor would be a possible candidate for a return of the franchise with a new Batman. However, Glen Powell playing Batman in The Dark Knight 4 would not work for a few reasons. The first and biggest is the Christian Bale of it all.

Bale’s Batman is a fundamental part of The Dark Knight franchise, so recasting Bruce Wayne with Powell in the role would likely rub fans the wrong way. Even if the actor were to play a new character who became Batman after Bruce retired, similar to Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake, or perhaps a recast as the character, it would still not work. The reason for that comes from Powell’s comments about which kind of Batman he would like to play. The actor said that his Batman would not be like Pattinson’s. As Bale’s Batman was also grounded, Powell would not fit.

Could The Dark Knight 4 Happen?

Nolan’s Batman movies are some of the best superhero entries of all time. As the director has recently won his first Oscar with Oppenheimer, which also grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide, Nolan continues to prove himself as one of the most talented and popular directors around. As such, despite its many plans for live-action versions of Batman, DC would likely listen to whatever ideas Nolan has for how to continue the franchise if the director chose to do so. The problem is, Nolan has made The Dark Knight 4 nearly impossible after a 2023 interview.

Speaking with HugoDécrypte (via Culture Crave), Christopher Nolan revealed that he does not want to direct another superhero movie. Previously, Christian Bale said that he would be open to returning as Batman if Nolan told him he had a new idea for the character and The Dark Knight franchise. However, it seems both of them are not returning. That said, Jonathan Nolan, Chris’ brother and a writer on his Batman franchise, wants to return to that universe. Jonathan would “absolutely” love to work on it again “if [he] had the chance,” so The Dark Knight 4 could happen with him.

Glen Powell Has A Better Chance At Playing Batman Elsewhere

A New DC Universe Is Starting

While Powell would not fit The Dark Knight franchise’s version of Batman even if a fourth movie were to be made, the actor would make for an excellent Bruce Wayne in James Gunn’s DCU. The animated Creature Commandos series will debut the Batman villain Clayface, and Gunn has already confirmed that the Bat-Family will appear in the DCU, with the franchise as a whole being more in line with the comics than the DCEU was. As such, the setup is laid for a more fantastical version of Batman to be in the DCU, while Robert Pattinson’s remains grounded.

At 36, Powell is at a great age to play a version of Bruce that has a developed Bat-Family since Batman’s The Brave and the Bold movie will feature the Damian Wayne version of Robin. The actor’s roles in Top Gun: Maverick and other projects show that Powell has what it takes to make Bruce Wayne’s billionaire persona extremely charismatic. The actor also has performances in movies like Hit Man that show the full scope of Powell’s skills, allowing him to play the darker, brooding Batman. Glen Powell‘s desire to play Batman is better outside of The Dark Knight franchise.

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight franchise, also known as The Dark Knight Trilogy, is a critically acclaimed and commercially successful film series directed by Christopher Nolan. It is a darker and more realistic take on the Batman character, exploring themes of justice, chaos, and redemption. The trilogy revitalized the Batman film series and is often credited with raising the bar for superhero films, particularly through its exploration of complex moral dilemmas and the iconic portrayal of villains like the Joker.

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