Summary
- Keanu Reeves dreams of playing Batman in live-action, but acknowledges he may be too old for the role.
- Reeves has the franchise experience and acting skills to be the perfect Bruce Wayne as a mentor in a Batman Beyond adaptation.
- DC’s Elseworlds label could make the Keanu Reeves’ Batman dreams a reality.
Keanu Reeves has made his dream live-action DC movie role clear, and there is a way for the actor to make that happen. Reeves has starred in popular films, with the actor’s role in The Matrix franchise making him a household name. With the John Wick franchise, Reeves has been living a career renaissance in the past few years, which has led to the actor being constantly fancast for several superhero roles, both in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and as one of the characters in DC’s slate of releases.
While Reeves has yet to be part of a Marvel movie, the actor has already played in DC’s sandbox. Way before the new DC Universe or even the old DCEU, Reeves gave life to John Constantine in 2005’s Constantine. The R-rated movie brought to life a different version of DC’s Hellblazer. After years of campaigning for a sequel to be made, Constantine 2 is in the works, with Reeves set to reprise his role. However, the actor dreams of playing another DC hero in live-action, and Reeves could do it under one condition.
Every Upcoming Keanu Reeves Movie & TV Show
Keanu Reeves continues to be one of the busiest actors in Hollywood, as he has numerous movies (like John Wick 5) and one series in the works.
Keanu Reeves Wants To Play Batman In Live-Action
The Actor Has Voiced The Dark Knight Before
While Reeves has given life to John Constantine and will once again do so in the future, the actor wants to play another DC hero. Reeves’ dream live-action DC role is Batman. In 2022, the actor revealed his desire to play Bruce Wayne in a movie. However, Reeves noted that it would be hard due to Robert Pattinson’s debut as the character in director Matt Reeves’ The Batman, with the actor becoming the new face of the character. Still, Reeves kept the door open for the role, saying, “Maybe when they need an older Batman.”
Reeves’ live-action Batman dream was revealed after he had already been cast to play the character. However, Reeves’ role as Batman came in animated form, with the actor voicing Batman in 2022’s DC League of Super-Pets. The animated film showed that Reeves has the perfect deep voice for the role, with the potential for a fantastic live-action Batman portrayal. Thanks to Reeves’ past roles, which include major franchises and darker films, and the few serious scenes he appeared as the Dark Knight in DC League of Super-Pets, a compelling picture of what his Batman could be like can be formed.
What The 3 Fan-Favorite DCU Batman Candidates Have Said About The Role
The Brave and the Bold, the DC Universe’s Batman reboot, has seen many actors rumored for Bruce Wayne, and three of them have become popular picks.
A Batman Beyond Movie Would Be Perfect For Keanu Reeves
There Have Been Live-Action Batman Beyond Attempts
At 59, Reeves is likely too old to play the DCU’s Batman; however, the actor would be perfect for Bruce Wayne in a live-action adaptation of Batman Beyond. The animated series told the story of how a young Batman, Terry McGinnis, rose in the future. Although Bruce Wayne was not the focal point of the story, the character played a key role in Batman Beyond, with an older Bruce serving in a mentor role to the young Batman, helping Terry establish himself as Gotham’s protector in the 2040s.
Given how popular the animated series is, a live-action Batman Beyond adaptation seems like only a matter of time. There have been two attempts at bringing such a project to life, with two of Batman Beyond‘s co-creators being involved in a movie attempt that aimed to cast Clint Eastwood as Bruce Wayne after 1997’s Batman & Robin bombed. Recently, Michael Keaton’s Batman almost got to lead his own Batman Beyond movie before the DCU reboot idea came along. Recently, concept art for an animated Batman Beyond film in the vein of Sony’s Spider-Verse franchise made waves.
Reeves has the franchise experience to play such a major role as Batman. The actor’s past action-heavy roles, particularly in the John Wick movies, show he could be believable as an older Bruce Wayne who has seen it all. Reeves is also known for his charisma, with the actor being able to play a broken Bruce who finds himself in helping Terry.
How A Live-Action Batman Beyond Film Could Happen
DC Has The Perfect Label For It
Reeves’ Constantine 2 shows the way for how a live-action Batman Beyond movie could happen. Constantine 2 is part of DC’s Elseworlds label — like Pattinson’s The Batman universe — meaning it exists outside the canon of the DCU. Given how Batman Beyond tells the story of a retired Bruce Wayne mentoring a new Batman in the future, the project would not clash with the DCU’s plans for Batman or what director Matt Reeves is doing in The Batman universe. Due to its uniqueness, a live-action Batman Beyond project would be the perfect way for Keanu Reeves to realize his DC dreams.
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an animated action-adventure television series set twenty years after the events of Batman: The Animated series. Bruce Wayne, now in his twilight years, continues to fight crime with new gadgets, suits, and tech – but his old age has revealed that even the Caped Crusader has limits. Enter Terry McGinnis, a teenager with athletic prowess and a strong sense of justice. When pursued by a gang one night, Terry is helped by the elderly Bruce Wayne – an event that leads to Terry’s training as the new generation Batman.
- Cast
- Will Friedle , Kevin Conroy , Cree Summer , Lauren Tom , Frank Welker , Stockard Channing , Angie Harmon
- Release Date
- January 10, 1999
- Seasons
- 3
- Streaming Service(s)
- Max
- Writers
- Alan Burnett , Paul Dini , Stan Berkowitz , Rich Fogel , Hilary Bader , Bob Goodman , Gerry Conway
Key Release Dates
