Armie Hammer On Nearly Playing Batman And Abandoned Justice League Movie

Megan Gale In 2007 Warner Bros announced plans to make a Justice League movie, a project which eventually found a director in George Miller, the man behind ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’.

Miller wanted to cast younger actors as DC Comics’ a-list stars, hoping they would grow into the characters and the man set to play Batman was a young Armie Hammer.

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Hammer went on to be a star thanks to a breakout performance (or performances if you wish) in ‘The Social Network’ and now in 60s spy caper ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E’.

While promoting the film Hammer spoke to film critic Robbie Collin, who was filling in for Mark Kermode on BBC Five Live’s flagship film programme. Collin asked Hammer what happened.

“We had done camera test and were, I think, a week away from starting to shoot when the Australian writers strike happened,” he said. “Then there was a change in government policy in Australia where they changed their tax rebate system, so I think we were supposed to get 40% back of what was then going to be, I think, about a $300 million movie - it was going to be one of the largest movies Warner Bros ever made.

“So the Australian government changed their tax structure and we weren’t going to get the 40% rebate, which when its $300 million is enough to make them [WB] go: ‘Maybe we should just pump the breaks on this’. They pumped the breaks and brought it to a screeching halt.”

Collin then asked about Hammer’s feelings about not getting to don and cape and cowl.

“To be honest I’m so relieved that I didn’t have to take on the role of Batman at 19-years-old knowing now how little I knew at 19. I wasn’t ready for anything like that, it was a crazy thing and I don’t think people were ready to see a 19-year-old Batman. It’s too young I think.”

Hammer was actually 20/21 in 2007, but that’s not to say talks didn’t begin the year prior.

The rest of the film would have seen now-unknown actors D.J. Cotrona and Megan Gale cast as Superman and Wonder Woman. The three characters will finally share the screen in next year’s ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ with Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.

The three will star in Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League: Part One’ in 2017.

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Picture Credits: Sony Pictures / DC Comics.