Matt Damon once said the only superhero he would ever consider playing was Marvel’s Daredevil, and only if Christopher Nolan agreed to direct. But that was before best pal Ben Affleck was handed the keys to the Batmobile.
Speaking at the UK premiere of Jason Bourne, Damon revealed he would consider pulling on the spandex provided Affleck made the offer, and didn’t go snagging the best role for himself. Which got us thinking about how the 45-year-old Oscar-winner would fit into the all-new DC expanded universe if his friend ever makes the call. Here are five colourful comic book titans that might just suit Damon down to the ground.
Superman
If Affleck wanted to bring the man of steel to Gotham, who better to step into Kal-El’s red and blue spandex than his old pal Matt? Damon certainly has the right combination of musclebound brawn and plain old ultra-decency to play the big blue boy scout. And the Bourne star surely isn’t going to sign up for a bit part: he’ll want to play the main man, the big cheese, the boss daddy of the DC megaverse. Anything less would be an insult.
Chances: 1/10. Despite the appalling critical response to Batman v Superman: Yawn of Justice, Henry Cavill surely has his fingers firmly on the role for a while yet. And at 5 ft 10in, Damon is just too tiny to play Superman opposite 6 ft 4in Affleck without the aid of serious CGI. Or stilts. Casting him as the last son of Krypton would be like handing the role to Nicolas Cage, or choosing Bill Murray to play Batman. What’s that you say?
Green Arrow
Now we’re talking. Oliver McQueen is a perennial comrade of Batman in the comics, but has the spunk and standing to tell the caped crusader when his Batcave stinks, so Damon and Affleck would meet as relative equals. If Warner Bros chose to stick with the golden age take on the superhero, Matt might even get to rock up with his own Arrowcar, Arrowcave and Robin-style teenaged sidekick.
Chances: 7/10. Green Arrow isn’t lined up to appear in next year’s Justice League, even though he often plays a vital part in the superhero ensemble in the comics. And there is little or no chance of Warner Bros parachuting in Stephen Amell from the middling The CW TV show Arrow, so the job’s up for grabs.
Nightwing
If Damon really wants to be Robin to Affleck’s Batman, this is probably the closest he’s ever going to get. Zack Snyder may have essentially killed off the boy wonder in Yawn of Justice, but if we’re following the comic book source material it’s pretty clear the Jason Todd iteration was the one who got copped by the Joker. The first Robin, Dick Grayson, might well be running around Gotham as Nightwing doing his independent, Batman-inspired crimefighting thing by this point.
Chances: 4/10. Nightwing has become well established over the decades as one of DC’s top superheroes, and even doubled for his former partner when Batman’s back was broken by Bane. But Grayson was once Bruce Wayne’s ward, and the pair are often painted as having a father-son style relationship, which for Affleck and Damon might prove a little awkward to say the least.
The Martian Manhunter
Here’s another perennial stalwart of the Justice League conspicuous by his absence from the upcoming Warner/DC slate. The green-skinned alien has been described by Superman as the most powerful being on Earth, and has often stood in for the man of steel when he’s been about other business. Surely Damon would enjoy picking up a skillset that includes telepathy, super-strength and speed, telekinesis, invisibility and shapeshifting just for starters? But would he really be up for spending all those hours in the make-up chair?
Chances: 6/10. Only if they let Damon do it by motion capture.
Green Lantern
A superhero that even Ryan Reynolds couldn’t make look cool is a tough sell indeed, so it’s no wonder DC Films has pushed the intergalactic space cop so far to the rear of its superhero slate that it will probably take us light years to get there (well, at least until 2020). But if Marvel can make the cosmic freaks of Guardians of the Galaxy into A-list heroes, Warner ought to be able to do something similar with Hal Jordan and his magic power ring. Damon has the comic gifts to help elevate the sometime Justice League member to the top ranks of big screen superheroes, and he and Batman have always had an entertaining rivalry.
Chances: 6/10. Green Lantern’s not the most obvious hero to appear in a Batman movie, and power rings are essentially deeply silly. So much so that the original 1940s Lantern was invulnerable to all weapons, bar those made from wood. Which makes us think it’s a good thing he rarely comes up against Green Arrow.
