Warner Bros Called This Is Us Star 'Too Old' To Be DCU's Batman
"Too old" for the role of Batman? Puh-lease. Warner Bros. might have thought so when it came to This Is Us star Milo Ventimiglia, but we beg to differ.
Ventimiglia, aka Jack Pearson, has a pretty impressive superhero resume. In 2006, he flexed his powers as Peter Petrelli on Heroes and later took on the villainous role of Ogre on Gotham. He's even lent his voice to Wolverine in a few Marvel animated series.
With experience, looks, and a suitably gruff voice, it's no wonder he was in the running to play the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves' comic book adaptation. But unfortunately for Milo, the only thing that didn't fit the bill was his age.
"Do I see myself in a cape and cowl? Warner Bros. didn't... They were looking for a new Batman, and they said, 'Ventimiglia, you're too old," the 42-year-old actor revealed on The Big Ticket podcast.
(Insert eye roll here)
We can't help but note that Ventimiglia, at the time of Pattinson's eventual casting, was actually younger than previous Batman performer Ben Affleck, who made his debut at 46. But being passed over for the role doesn't seem to have fazed Ventimiglia in the slightest:
"It's okay. It doesn't matter. By the way, I'm kind of busy, it's okay. And I'm [still] a fan. I've always been a fan of Batman."
Instead, the role went to 33-year-old Robert Pattinson, and while we can't deny that the Twiligh" star has the brooding, angsty look down pat, the reception from DC fans has been...mixed, to say the least. Even before he stepped foot on set, Pattinson was met with widespread criticism and skepticism. But hey, at least Ventimiglia didn't have to deal with that kind of stress.
In the end, it's Warner Bros. loss, as Ventimiglia would have brought something unique and exciting to the role of Batman. But in any case, we're looking forward to seeing what Pattinson brings to the table as the Dark Knight in the upcoming sequel, while DCU, now James Gunn-led, is still in somewhat of a disarray.