There is no shortage of names mooted to portray the Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Armie Hammer is the latest to generate buzz before any concrete talks but, believe it or not, a former Blossom star might have that news beat.
Joey (sometimes Joseph) Lawrence, who rose to fame playing Joey Russo on the sitcom that starred Mayim Bialik (and was the last project for Bill Bixby before he died), is lobbying hard to be the next Batman. He expressed interest on social media, proclaiming it a dream of his, back in January when the first signs emerged Affleck was hanging it up.
In an update from a few weeks back, Lawrence — again tagging DC and Warner Bros. Pictures on Instagram — compared himself to Chris Pratt and Pratt’s casting as Starlord, an “outside the box” choice.
He would reiterate that statement in a follow-up post.
A change.org petition was launched by one fan named Rhonda L. It’s picked up 840 signatures so far. The petition objective reads:
Joey Lawrence is not only an extremely talented actor and has a wider acting range than most people are aware of, but the guy is a beast. He is laser focused and super committed. If he gets this part I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed. The other great thing about Joey Lawrence that people may not realize is that he is in better physical shape (and more agile) than guys 15 years younger than him. So their excuse of wanting to go with a younger actor is stupid. Joey is more than capable. He could crush the competition. Joey Lawrence will make an amazing Batman!!
Last week, he posted his approval and support for the petition, thanking his fans.
You can admire their zeal but Matt Reeves and his criteria will work against Lawrence and his “angels.” Reeves wants a younger actor, reportedly a “rookie.” Lawrence is 42. He’s younger than Affleck’s 46 but still out of the desired age range that suits a Robert Pattinson or Jack O’Connell. Maybe if Warner Bros. goes with another Frank Miller version of the Dark Knight or focuses on the playboy aspects of Bruce Wayne, they’ll give old Joey Russo a call.
It’s quite possible that Lawrence is engaging in a publicity stunt to keep his name out there. The actor/performer began as a child actor and evolved into a teen idol. His star faded slightly in the last few years. Recently, he fell on hard times, declaring he was broke and selling his assets. Batman could be his hope for a comeback.
What did you think about that? Is Joey Lawrence trolling us? Would he be a good Batman?