Slow down, internet. A widespread rumor that Armie Hammer is the leading contender to play Bruce Wayne/Batman in Matt Reeves’ upcoming Warner Bros. tentpole “The Batman” has been denied by the actor himself. Speaking to Yahoo Movies UK during the European press tour for “On the Basis of Sex,” Hammer was asked about the rumor.
“No one who can actually give me the job has asked me if I’m interested,” Hammer said. “I don’t even know if they are done–they are still working on a script.”
The Hammer-as-Batman rumor went viral February 18 after a report titled “Armie Hammer Is In Final Talks To Be THE BATMAN” was published as an exclusive by Revenge of the Fans. The website reported it had “received word that Warner Bros. and Armie Hammer had entered advanced talks about him being the star” of Matt Reeves’ upcoming tentpole. The Batman casting has been one of the biggest question marks for the DCEU now that Ben Affleck has stepped down from playing the role after “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League.”
Despite the rumor being reported as fact by some other publications, Hammer said his casting is nowhere close to being official, especially as he’s not even been asked about his interest in the role. Perhaps one of the reasons the rumor went viral is because Hammer already has a history with the Caped Crusader. George Miller cast Hammer as Bruce Wayne/Batman in his “Justice League” movie, which tried and failed to get off the ground in 2007.
Following box office duds “The Lone Ranger” and “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” Hammer has mostly avoided studio tentpole fare in recent years. Matt Reeves is retooling the script for “The Batman,” and is reportedly eyeing a younger version of Bruce Wayne to lead the story. Warner Bros. will release “The Batman” in theaters June 21, 2021.