Batman vs. Superman: New Batman will be older? Anyone Care?

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  Yahoo! Contributor Network - Will we see an older Batman this time around?

After the upcoming 'Batman vs. Superman' movie was announced back at Comic-Con, we've all been wondering who will play the new Dark Knight… and it looks as though they may be a bit older than we thought.

Ever since DC's incredible announcement, we've been plagued by one question - who will play Batman now that Christian Bale is out of the picture? It's a tough question, and after the success of the 'Dark Knight' trilogy, those are some mighty big shoes to fill. But will Warner Bros. turn to an older actor to take his place? New rumours suggest we're likely to see a Batman in his mid-40s…

According to a sensational report over at Batman On Film, a rumour that has been corroborated by 'several unrelated sources' has revealed that Warner Bros. are looking for a much older Batman.

"According to several unrelated BOF sources, the new Batman that will appear in the Man Of Steel sequel, will be older. Like mid-40s older."

"That tells me that we're definitely not getting a rookie Batman," they explain. "This new Batman will be a grizzled veteran who has been on the job, if you will, for several years."

Of course, if you've been following the news of 'Batman vs. Superman' you'll already know that it's been suggested that this new movie will turn to Frank Miller's 'The Dark Knight Returns' for inspiration - a comic-book series which sees an older, hardened Batman return to a dystopian Gotham City.

Considering the source material, it's no big leap to suggest that this new Batman will be older… especially after it was revealed that Zack Snyder would be meeting with Frank Miller to discuss this new project. But who will they get to play this older Batman?

"I will not confirm or deny whether or not I've heard any names," they explain at Batman On Film… but go on to list a number of possible candidates. "Josh Duhamel, Jude Law, Gerard Butler, Josh Brolin, Bristolian Terry Hooper. Jon Hamm, Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, Jim Caviezel."

This is obviously pure speculation at this point, but let's be honest - there are a number of names on that list that I'm hoping they won't touch with a 10-foot batarang… namely, Jude Law, Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck. And don't get me started on Jim Caviezel.

If you ask me, Warner Bros. would be better off looking for a slightly-less known actor to take over as the new Batman - in the same way that Henry Cavill donned the red cape. But there is one name on that list that would be absolutely perfect, especially if he's meant to be an older version of Christian Bale's Dark Knight… and that's Josh Brolin. With some serious acting chops, he's proved time and again that he can pull off those grittier roles. But will he become the next Batman? For now, we'll have to wait and see… but I can't help feeling this is all pure speculation at this point.