Welcome to Badcast! A new way for you to kill time at work or something to read while ignoring your responsibilities! Here we will take a look at past films and reimagine them with a much different cast. This isn’t a reflection on the quality of the film or the talents of specific actors or actresses but instead looking at what could have been.

This week’s film character: Batman.

Here we are yet again. A DC superhero has left the DCEU to pursue bigger and better things. I was happy to never do this again, to let the DCEU work out its issues at it’s own pace, to stay retired. Your DC Fans and politicians look up and shout “Badcast him!” and I’ll look down and whisper “K.”

Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman has blown up since his role in Parks and Recreation. He’s everyone’s “joke answer” on who should be Batman, and I’m no better than anyone else. Let’s see this grumpy human being take out bad guys with a single punch. And I don’t mean a sneak attack punch, full boxing stance punch to the face.

Full disclosure: I’ve had that picture saved on my laptop for months looking for the perfect opportunity to use it and this news would’ve felt like a punch to the scrotum if I didn’t use it.

Ruby Rose

Remember when Bat-fans blew their top over Ruby Rose’s casting as Batwoman on the CW’s Arrowverse? Let’s watch their faces melt Raiders of The Lost Ark style by casting her as “Bryce Wayne.”

It would be pretty easy for her to film her scenes while on hiatus from the upcoming Batwoman TV show. And you want to talk about confusing audiences? Having the same actress portray a similar characters, but different alter-egos on different forms of media would drive the world to madness.

Madness, as you know, is a lot like gravity, all it takes is little badcast.

My Cocaine

“Mastah Wayne, you mean da wold tah me and I cahnt watch you hurt yours-self anymore.”

People who want Christian Bale back are stupid. The man is on to bigger and better things. What has Michael Caine done lately? Starred in a few different movies about elderly people pulling off robberies you definitely didn’t see. Michael Caine has a strong jawline and is crazy intimidating which is really all it takes to be Batman.

With this, I’m going with a MUCH younger Alfred. This isn’t a reimagining or anything, the young Alfred helped raise Michael Caine’s Batman and buttled for the Wayne Parents. I think Freddie Highmore could play the ageless butler.

The Kid From Gotham

How about that Gotham? The popular show about Detective James Gordon’s rise to prominence in Gotham City in the years before Batman’s arrival is now entering its final season. With The Penguin, The Riddler and Joker all making appearances over its 5 seasons. What a wild ride it’s been for all of us fans.

Very excited to see how this show ends.

Charlie Cox

Hmm, a popular show about a masked vigilante fighting crime at night while wrestling with his inner demons and the need to do right over wrong by whatever means necessary. This show was cancelled only months before this news came out. I’m not saying it’s Manifest Destiny but it seems way too coincidental.

Cox can go from one of the most beloved superhero shows of all time to a “hopefully” solid entry in The Caped Crusader’s cinematic legacy. Batman is at 5/4 good-to-bad movie ratio (depending on who you ask) so there’s a decent chance this movie turns out good according to statistics.

Jake Johnson

Now time for my serious choice, and by serious, I mean the least serious choice that I actually want to see happen. Let’s see Jake Johnson take over the cowl and star in a series of films akin to the Adam West (RIP) interpretation. A funny, corny, schlocky bunch of films that focus on the more ridiculous parts of Batman’s persona could be a huge breath of fresh-air. It could easily fit into the tone the DCEU is heading towards and make for some top-notch interactions between Bats and the other heroes.

I will stand by this casting until I die.

No Batman

Has any superhero been as overused as Batman? Spider-Man is a close second but he comes no where near to Batman’s over saturation. A series of popular video games, countless comics, multiple TV shows over the last decade, film spinoffs of Batman characters, two cinematic interpretations over the last 12 years. Let’s give the man a break.

Pivot to other heroes! We’ve seen Aquaman work on his own, Shazam!, Joker and Birds of Prey appear to be fun films and is there any doubt Wonder Woman 1984 will be anything less than perfect? No more Batman (for a while).

 

There you have it! A bunch of Grade-A casting choices that flew by the wayside. I hope you enjoyed reading this! Let us know what your thoughts @superbromovies on Twitter and tweet us any bad casting choices you think should’ve happened! And be sure to check out the previous Badcast right here.

-Kellen Murack