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Revenger Submission: “The Best Man For THE BATMAN”

By David Galán (@InvasorZim5)

Ever since the first rumours of Ben Affleck’s departure, several names have been thrown out there as potential replacements: Names like Jake Gyllenhaal and Jack Huston. Not to mention the personal fan casts everyone has for the character such as Jon Hamm, Wes Bentley, Armie Hammer, to name a few. However, there’s one name out there that hasn’t been thrown either as a potential choice, or as a fan cast, and that absolutely should as he is the perfect man for the role and the perfect young man for a talented director like Matt Reeves to work with- showing enormous potential, a rising career, and being in the perfect spot between some of the biggest names thrown out there versus some of the most head scratching ones: Jonathan Groff.

Hardly as big of a name as, say, Jake Gyllenhaal, but a promising one, and- most importantly- the right fit for the cowl. A star of Broadway- young, recognized and loved by many young women around the world for his charm and pretty face (much like Noah Centineo) having been one of the stars of Glee, and the voice of Kristoff in Frozen, but also recognized by critics as the protagonist of the most recent David Fincher’s production, a complex psychological heavy thriller, spiritual successor of his previous works like Se7en and Zodiac, Mindhunter. And let’s talk about David Fincher and his ability for casting actors to see why him being cast in such a big role is no small feat.

In his previous work, Fincher has brought some great talent to the forefront, including Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and even Gyllenhaal. Case in point: Few have as great of an eye for talent as David Fincher does, who is a talent all by himself, and a genius in psychological thrillers. So the fact that he got cast by Fincher in a TV show of all places (and just think of how many great actors Fincher could’ve casted otherwise), where he’ll have to work with him for years to come (unlike on a movie, where- at most- he has to work with them for only a couple months), exploring a very nuanced and detailed development of his complex character, should tell you a lot about his potential as an actor; A potential that is just the right fit for The Dark Knight.

Now let’s go back to Matt Reeves, and his vision for the character. Reeves has talked about making this a detective thriller, a character study on the mind of Bruce Wayne like no other film has done before. You can see this in the books he loves, in every interview he makes. Everything. And being the one that directed two Planet of the Apes films that were widely acclaimed and had to make use of some extremely difficult technology that proved very challenging for the director and actors and having to be as focused as possible in every single shot, everything perfectly aligned, it is clear that Reeves is every bit as passionate in his craft and puts as much heart and soul into it like David Fincher does and is a master at directing talented actors in roles that are extremely difficult like he did with Andy Serkis.

Make that equation in your mind for a second. Add that up, and do you have any doubt that Reeves and Groff, an actor that has already proven himself to be equally as capable out there as some of the best names out there in the business to work alongside a mind like Fincher in a critically acclaimed TV show, working alongside a director that has proven himself to be a craftsman that puts his heart and soul into films; Having great interest in the mind of The Dark Knight and the world that surrounds him. It would be a match made in heaven, capable of creating together a great take on Bruce Wayne in a detective thriller that’s also a deep character study into the World’s Greatest Detective.

Now let’s look into technical details. Let’s look at schedules. It has been said that Mindhunter won’t premiere until early 2019. The first episode of the second season has just started filming a few months ago. The first season premiered last year, which means there’s production between seasons before shooting takes quite long. When the Mindhunter shooting for season 2 ends and that long wait between seasons starts again, he’ll be pretty much in time for that Batman summer 2019 shooting. And the best part? He won’t have to make an enormous transformation in his body. He’s already built, he already has a chiseled body that can fit well in a bat costume. And if reshoots ever happen mid-Mindhunter season 3, he’ll be ready to come back on without there being a noticeable difference to his body.

Even his face and hair will be free of any changes as Holden Ford (Groff’s character) has a shaved face and dark hair so we won’t have to worry about any batmustache! And for those executives and PR and marketing people out there… Jonathan Groff is scandal free, regarded by pretty much any actor that has had even the slightest contact with him as one of the nicest people on the planet (and I believe them, just look at his interviews!), he doesn’t have a social media so there’s no chance of him posting something stupid, and onto the marketing stuff- even though he’s awesome for all the reasons previously mentioned, he still has that Glee reputation behind him. And why am i portraying this as a good thing? Well… cast Armie Hammer and you’ll get a bunch of “Meh, okay I guess, cool.” But cast Jonathan Groff and you’ll probably get some debates and controversy online, just like it happened with Gal Gadot, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, and of course, Heath Ledger (and actually, Groff is very similar to Ledger in many ways), which means free publicity in the means of lots of online discussion of the subject and a great rollercoaster ride that’ll keep the cultural presence of the movie very much alive and will keep the fans and many other people excited and talking with every new picture, every new bit of dialogue, every new interview, etc. as they look to discover what it is Reeves saw in him.

Also, a demographic that’d usually be not very invested in comic book movies (that being the same audience that grew up with Glee) would probably fangirl or fanboy and go en masse to see the new film which would facilitate the word-of-mouth publicity when they see it, love it, spread the word, making more people of various demographics see it, along with the other more millions of Bat fans that are seeing this movie and casual audiences. This would also mean a great rise in popularity for Jonathan, acquiring a whole new fanbase, and opportunities. (This point goes more directed towards his managers)

Also, here’s a point for hardcore Batman fans: Jonathan Groff is a star of Broadway with a great talent for singing, he’s also a voice actor that’s able to manipulate his voice. You know what other guy was a Broadway star, a voice actor and had a great talent for manipulating his voice? Kevin Conroy. ‘Nuff said.

Also, he’s a good height for the role. He’s 5’11, so he’s pretty much the perfect height since he isn’t so tall or so small as to limit the amount of actors in the supporting roles that could be cast, and he’ll be able to look all ninja-esque but also imposing. His height will pretty much go unnoticed and you’ll be able to make him look bigger in a scene if you want to.

So…Matt Reeves, sir:

Trust me when I say this. You’ll love every second working with Jonathan Groff, and you’ll feel proud of his performance as he proves himself as The Man worthy of your script and upon this great character, icon you and I love known as Batman. We’ve never met before, and I’m younger than you, but the vision you have for The Dark Knight and the effect he’s had on you based on your interviews is pretty much the same I’ve had. I trust Groff with this character, and I wholeheartedly think you should, too. Pick up the Batphone, and call Groff, the best fit for the cowl!

To DC executives, he’ll make you a boatload of money, he’ll be free of scandals, he’ll give you a very good PR as he’s one of the nicest people on the planet and I have no doubt he’ll love the love that comes with being a superhero, he’ll make your marketing lives easier and this ride more awesome.

And to Batman fans, Jonathan Groff fans, heck even Glee and Frozen fans, every single person out there that loves either Batman or Jonathan Groff: He’s the right fit. Help me make this happen. Tell your friends and family to spread the message so that WB, Matt Reeves, Groff, and so on know he is. Make great fan art (BossLogic I’m looking at you!), share this article, share your love for the Bat, share your love for Groff, and let’s make #BatGroff a thing! Let’s campaign the heck out of this. Insiders, anyone that even has remote contact with any WB guy or guys at the movie industry, tell them about this. Let’s make this a thing.

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