While the DCEU’s current Caped Crusader, played by Robert Pattinson, has embraced a grittier, noir-inspired tone, actor Glen Powell has a radically different take in mind should he ever suit up as Batman.
In a recent interview with GQ, the Top Gun: Maverick star expressed his lifelong affinity for the iconic DC superhero before revealing his offbeat approach to the role.
“I was always a Batman guy,” Powell stated. “I would have a wild take on Batman. It definitely would not be like a Matt Reeves tone – it’d probably be closer to [Michael] Keaton.”
Powell’s reference to Michael Keaton’s portrayal in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film and its 1992 sequel suggests a much lighter, quirkier interpretation compared to the brooding intensity of Pattinson and Christian Bale’s recent versions.
While admiring Keaton’s cult classic performance, Powell seemed to hint at an even more unconventional, potentially comedic spin on the Caped Crusader.
“Oh, sick! See? This is the era,” Powell remarked upon spotting Keaton’s Batmobile on the Warner Bros. studio lot tour.
The 34-year-old actor already has a connection to the Batman mythos, having played a minor role as “Trader #1” who had his head smashed by Bane in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises.
While Powell’s distinct acting style could lend itself to an entertainingly fresh perspective, his envisioned tone for the Dark Knight may be too far removed from the character’s established grim and gritty roots.
However, with the newly-formed DC Universe under James Gunn and Peter Safran aiming to introduce new takes on iconic heroes, an unconventional Batman iteration isn’t entirely out of the question.
As fans eagerly await details on Gunn’s planned “biggest story ever told” for DC, only time will tell if Powell’s self-described “wild” vision for the World’s Greatest Detective could find a place in future Bat-adventures.
