How Josh Brolin Felt About Losing The DCEU Batman Role To Ben Affleck

Few stories of the modern blockbuster landscape are more frustrating than what became of the DC Extended Universe. Warner Bros. bet the Kent family farm on a shared cinematic universe based on the goldmine of DC Comics characters and stories, and while there were a few solid diamonds in the rough to be found, the DCEU's legacy now lives in the Gotham City gutter. 

In the grand scheme of things, many of the problems that cursed the DCEU from the very beginning was based on building the entire foundation of this ambitious cinematic universe under the creative vision of Zack Snyder. (Caveat: This article comes from the POV of someone who enjoyed Snyder's "Man of Steel" and loved "Zack Snyder's Justice League," so before any Snyderverse fans try to throw hands, understand that I consider myself a fan of some of his contributions to the DCEU). While yes, there is a contingent of fans who were pleased with Snyder's initial vision, the polarized reception of "Man of Steel" and especially "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" highlighted that the majority of audiences were not clamoring for more from these specific interpretations of these beloved superheroes.

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," unfortunately, serves as perhaps the biggest culprit regarding the rocky DCEU foundations. But one of the film's notable highlights, and perhaps its best element, was Ben Affleck's portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Initial fan reaction to Affleck's casting was notably skeptical, but the his committed performance shone through despite the weak script. 

Within the Multiverse, there is a world where another actor would have portrayed this middle-aged, cynical, and burnt-out Batman. But the Multiverse had different plans for him.

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" was officially announced during Warner Bros. Pictures' 2013 Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con. Given that Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy concluded the summer prior, this announcement signified that a new actor would take over the mantle after Christian Bale's acclaimed run. Before the role went to Ben Affleck, Academy Award nominee Josh Brolin was considered for the part. Brolin first acknowledged missing out on the role back in 2018, but said he was "really glad it didn't happen" and that he "[hadn't] thought twice about it."

However, Brolin had warmed to the idea by the time of his 2022 appearance on Josh Horowitz's "Happy Sad Confused" podcast. The actor discussed what his approach to the Caped Crusader would have been, and expressed that the prospect of taking on the role interested him, although Zack Snyder ultimately chose Ben Affleck instead:

"It would have been the older, the more raspy, for lack of a better word... That was his [Zack Snyder's] decision, that wasn't my decision. Honestly, that would have been a fun deal. And maybe I'll do it when I'm 80."

Ben Affleck's tenure as the DCEU's Dark Knight was quite tumultuous. Despite his remarkable performance in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," Affleck's performance in the theatrical cut of "Justice League" lacked the same commitment. Affleck was also tapped to direct a standalone "Batman" movie, but eventually dropped the project altogether. Following his departure from the director's chair, Matt Reeves signed on to helm what would become "The Batman," and cast Robert Pattinson as a younger iteration of the World's Greatest Detective. Meanwhile, following the critical and commercial failure of "Justice League," Affleck donned the cape and cowl only once more, briefly, in "The Flash."

In 2010, Josh Brolin portrayed the titular protagonist in "Jonah Hex," which was based on the DC Comics western antihero of the same name. Brolin does not look back fondly on that experience, which certainly speaks for itself, given that the film was a critical and commercial failure. Although booking the role as the DCEU Batman could have potentially served as redemption for him within the legacy of DC films, Brolin was instead cast as Thanos, the ultimate antagonist of the MCU's Infinity Saga.

While playing Batman will always be a notable career highlight, Brolin's casting as Thanos was the more successful call in the long term, given that the Mad Titan is arguably the defining blockbuster antagonist of the 2010s. In fact, summer 2018 was a particularly legendary time for Josh Brolin. Not only did he dominate the pop culture zeitgeist by snapping half of the universe out of existence, but just a little under a month later, he starred as Cable in "Deadpool 2," which was also a huge hit. Ultimately, by missing out on Batman, Brolin ended up with a far more successful run of films.