Since it’s now finally, officially, confirmed that Ben Affleck is no longer Batman, and Warner Bros and DC are moving ahead with a younger version of Bruce Wayne, everyone’s all eager to find out who that might be. Nerds hotlines were blowing up yesterday because of this rumour:

Armie Hammer is often at the top of the list of superhero speculation. A lot of people ended up believing it. Turns out it’s not true. Or…it’s not true…yet? Reporters for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are shutting it down (via Collider): 

 

And Armie himself is shutting it down, via Yahoo UK:

“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.

“I don’t think that they are close to production but I can conclusively tell you that no one has checked my availability, which is a bummer.”

In other words, he’s not Batman because they haven’t asked him yet but … he’s hoping they ask him? Age-wise, I guess, he fits the new profile. Armie is currently 32. By the time they get this going and the movie comes out, he’ll be closer to 35. If they hold him to at least three Batman appearances, it’s at least a decade, and the second one will be out when he’s almost 40 if they release the Batman movies every three years or so, which is how the Christian Bale Batman era worked. Christian Bale was 31 when Batman Begins came out. So, in theory, they’re a little behind on the timeline. Also, does Armie Hammer read older than 32 to you? I was surprised to be reminded that he was 32 in putting together this post. I would have guessed closer to, like, 37. 

The last time there was a Batman rumour was last week with Robert Pattinson. Robert Pattinson and Armie Hammer are the same age! Robert’s actually a few months older. He, however, doesn’t read as old as Armie does. If they’re looking for someone who’ll grow into the role, on age-feel, Robert, I guess, fits the part. From vampire to Batman, can you see it? If he would even want it? Robert Pattinson has been there with the blockbusters. I don’t know that he enjoyed it that much. A superhero blockbuster – THE BATMAN – is a whole different beast. 

That said, he could certainly play the moodiness of Batman. And I’d be curious, if this actually were a thing, how they would work on transforming him into someone who’s that physically imposing. Then there’s the matter of the era. If they are working with a younger Bruce Wayne, someone in his 20s, are we dealing with a millennial Bruce Wayne? Is Robert Pattinson the millennial Bruce Wayne? And does Bruce Wayne have to be a white guy? Because you know who’d be a great Bruce Wayne/Batman? Stephan James. Educate me, comic book scholars.