The selection of stars who have played the live-action role of Batman has been kind of an up and down ride throughout the years that a lot of people have seen as an uncertain but exciting prospect that has been fruitful and kind of regretful depending on the results. From Michael Keaton to Robert Pattinson, the role of Batman has been seen as a prized position to one that was almost cursed in some ways since the truth is that a couple of those that have played the role have knocked it out of the park, and others have made people wonder what in the world was going on. But when considering how many men might have taken the role had they been given the chance, it’s fair to wonder what might have happened had different faces been hidden by the cowl. It’s interesting to learn that Josh Brolin was a choice made by Zack Snyder for the role of Batman in the Batman vs. Superman movie, and honestly, it’s fun to imagine what might have happened had this choice been made.
This wouldn’t have been the first time for Brolin to work in the DC camp since he did play the character of Jonah Hex in 2010. Unfortunately, the movie was a rather big flop that was disregarded not long after it came out, but Brolin’s fortunes wouldn’t be affected by this since eventually, he went on to play the part of Cable in Deadpool 2, a role a that a lot of people are hoping to see him return in, and Thanos in the Infinity Saga. To say that he missed out completely as Zack Snyder’s Batman might be accurate, but it’s not as though Brolin didn’t have anywhere else to go. He’s been a great actor for several years, though it does feel fair to mention that between The Goonies and the last decade of his career that it was hard to say that he’d done that much that was worthy of note. One thing that can be said about Brolin though is that whatever role he takes on he’s fully committed from start to finish.
But what would have been like as Batman? He would have been a grizzled version of the character to be certain, which might have been better and fit with the overall story a little more since seeing Batman as an older individual that has finally been able to show the passage of time would be kind of interesting given that heroes don’t always age in the live-action movies unless it’s by design. Way too often the heroes simply don’t show the passage of time as from one movie to the next they’re shown to be fairly youthful. Brolin’s appearance as Snyder’s dark knight would have been fun to see since his growling voice and aged appearance would have lent an element to the story that would have probably been a little more accurate in terms of the comics and would have upped the stakes even further since Affleck’s version might have a bit rough and seasoned, but he still came off as the kind of guy that hadn’t seen decades pass, at least not in the same way that Brolin might have.
It could have been great since it’s easy to see how people change as they grow older, from the way they move about to the way they fight, to the way they live overall. Many older individuals will move differently than younger folks, as time takes a heavy toll on the body after a while, especially if a person is particularly active and has to deal with injuries now and then. It’s well documented that Batman has taken his lumps and bruises over the years, which should have left him nearly crippled by this time no matter how many different ways he keeps himself healthy and capable of healing. Seeing Brolin as Batman would have been a little more realistic since it would have shown that despite everything he’s been through over the years, Batman can’t turn back time to keep looking youthful, and will have to eventually succumb to the one thing that can be messed with but shouldn’t be.
Josh Brolin would have likely played the part of Batman in a way that would have shown him still fully capable of fighting and standing up for what he believed in, but the grizzled look and voice would have been fun to see. His acting style would have no doubt altered the character a bit since it does feel that his overall attitude would have been less brash and more measured. But that could have something to do with age, or with Brolin’s overall personality. However it might have turned out, it’s easy to state that Brolin would have been a great choice for an older Bruce Wayne and Batman.
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