According to Mario at Revenge of the Fans, Warner Bros. requested digital mock-ups of Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington as Batman back in June 2018. Of course, Harington’s reps debunked the rumour because everyone in Hollywood is a liar, and they have to until anything is confirmed. (In case you forgot, Affleck also said he’d be an “ape on the floor” for Reeves before doing the most unsurprising U-turn). But could he be a good choice for the role in the DCU?
Speculation Surrounding The Next Batman
We know what you’re thinking. This is another speculative article about who’ll be the next Batman. Get used to it because you’ll see many of these until Warner Bros. and James Gunn eventually announce which actor will portray the Caped Crusader in the DCU. Ever since it was finally confirmed that James Gunn would be recasting most of the DCEU characters, the question on everyone’s lips is, who’s replacing him in the DCU? David Boreanaz, Winston Duke, Jim Caviezel, Jake Gyllenhaal, Gabriel Macht, and Alan Ritchson are all great options.
When the news of Affleck’s departure became official after Justice League, Harington’s name was thrown into the mix again by several high-profile scoopers. Make no mistake about it: he’s definitely an actor who should be considered for the part—whether he gets it or not is a different story.
Why Kit Harington?
What gives Kit Harington a considerable edge is that he’s in the well-known-enough-but-still-not-mega-celebrity bracket, and he is fairly young (an apparent requirement for James Gunn’s DCU characters). Most audiences know him as the fan-favourite Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, but that’s it. It’s his biggest role to date, and, after all these years, he is still looking for something new after the popular fantasy series ended. Perhaps a franchise like Batman could catapult him into the A-list territory.
It’s pretty obvious that DC is going to need some star power to attract fans to the theatres, perhaps a well-known actor who is in their mid-20s to early 30s? Well, Harington fits the spec. Plus, he’s available. If you take a look at his IMDb and Wikipedia pages, you’ll notice that there’s not a lot pencilled in for 2023 (not even the rumoured Jon Snow spin-off series).
Concerns and Comparisons
Undoubtedly, there are those concerned that Kit Harington isn’t “big enough” to play Batman in the DCU. It’s an argument that formed since the internet inaccurately stated that the 193cm Affleck is the only actor true to the comic book version of the hero. Actually, no. The only actor who actually matched the real height of the comic book Batman was Adam West at 188cm.
Remember that Michael Keaton was the shortest Dark Knight at 175cm, but he’s still ranked as one of the most popular actors to portray the character. Tom Hardy isn’t a massive man, either, yet he looked hulking as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. The point is, it’s called movie magic for a reason. As long as Harington bulks up, his height can be manipulated with camera shots and practical effects.
Of course, there’s a chance that Kit Harington isn’t even interested in being Batman in the DCU. Perhaps he is happy playing Jon Snow for the rest of his life.
Tell us, would you like to see Kit Harington as the new Batman in the DCU?
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