Should Jake Gyllenhaal Be Considered For The Brave and The Bold?

Jake Gyllenhaal just revealed some interesting news: he was heavily considered for playing Batman in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. During his appearance on The Howard Stern Show, The Oscar nominee discussed the conversation he had with Nolan over the role and why they opted to go in a different direction. Obviously, that direction ended up being Christian Bale. It’s interesting what could’ve been if Gyllenhaal was hired to play Nolan’s Dark Knight.

The Oscar nominee is certainly a gifted actor. Before Batman Begins, Gyllenhaal had Donnie Darko under his belt. He was still relatively new in the movie scene as Gyllenhaal’s roles wouldn’t expand until Brokeback Mountain happened. Considering how far the actor has come since Nolan’s trilogy, should the Oscar nominee be considered for The Brave and The Bold?

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Incredible Pedigree As An Actor

Credit: Nightcrawler

It’s understandable why Gyllenhaal wasn’t chosen for the role in 2005. It has nothing to do with the fact that he’s an unknown. Gyllenhaal has also shown plenty of times that he can bulk up with ease. But the diversity in his acting ability wasn’t on full display at that time. Gyllenhaal has grown massively as a performer since then. The reason he is one of the best modern actors is due to the fact that he doesn’t play the same role each and every time.

Compare his work from Nightcrawler, Brokeback Mountain, and Southpaw: These characters command a different performance from the actor, and it seems to come natural for the long-time veteran. His performances never feel phoned in, and his natural charisma elevates every role he’s in. He understands how to dive deep into any role he’s given and embraces the quirks of being a protagonist or antagonist.

It’s rare that Jake has a bad film. Even rarer is that he has a bad performance. The only knock against Gyllenhaal is that he doesn’t particularly have the playboy look. This isn’t to say that he’s not attractive, but he’s more on the gritty side, which would’ve been perfect for the Batman aspect. Then again, he likely would’ve knocked the character out of the park if he was chosen.

Should Jake Gyllenhaal Be Considered For The Brave and The Bold

credit: The Batman

Matt Reeves did something interesting with Bruce Wayne. He took out the playboy aspects of his character, which actually did wonders in exploring a new side of Bruce without changing much of Batman’s lore. James Gunn‘s version can’t be the same as Robert Pattinson‘s. That’s why the inclusion of Damian Wayne is perfect. That allows The Brave and The Bold to focus more on the humanity of Bruce Wayne, namely the family dynamic overall. It’s doubtful that he’ll be the rich playboy that he portrayed in past films.

To be clear, this is pure speculation as Damian Wayne has been only the thing confirmed for The Brave and The Bold. But given how Wayne is a murderous assassin, it would be strange if the family dynamic wasn’t one of the centerpieces of the story. Jake Gyllenhaal looks the part as a father figure. Plus, he’s proven in films like Southpaw or Roadhouse that he’s down to get in action shape for a film.

The Oscar nominee has the acting chops to help showcase the dimension in Bruce Wayne’s character, yet there’s a tough grit about him that makes it believable that he’s kicking ass left and right. Jake Gyllenhaal should definitely be considered for Bruce Wayne/Batman, even though there’s one role that he would be better in.

Jake Gyllenhaal Would Be Better As Hush

Some of Gyllenhaal’s best work is when he plays villains or anti-heroes. Again, there’s been no confirmation that Hush will be in The Brave and The Bold, but hopefully he is. Hush is a great character in the comics and the perfect foil for the Bruce Wayne/Damian Wayne dynamic.

A corrupted neurosurgeon who despises his former childhood friend. Gyllenhaal would be able to better display the depths of Hush beyond what’s on the surface. There’s so much rich history between Bruce and Hush (Thomas Elliot) that it would be a shame if Hush never made a live-action appearance. Either way, Jake Gyllenhaal would be great as a Batman hero or villain, though at the same time, it’s not a must that the Oscar nominee jump into the world of the dark knight.