When DC Entertainment first announced its streaming service, I expected Titans to become a series and Young Justice to return. But, with the launch of the new streaming app, we got a lot more than that. Before the debut of Titans and Young Justice, DC announced a slew of other series that would follow. That’s when the company started developing live-action adaptations of Swamp Thing and Stargirl, as well as a direct Titans spin-off called Doom Patrol.
Doom Patrol features some the most unlikely heroes ever and I think that’s exactly what superhero TV needs right now. We’re in the kingdom of DC TV as there are currently around 10 DC properties on television, with a majority of them airing on The CW. With the streaming app launching an edgier universe with Titans, Doom Patrol takes advantage of said edginess extremely well.
The story of Doom Patrol is pretty simple to understand. The series follows a team of people granted abilities after they are diagnosed with horrible ailments. Doctor Niles Caulder repairs them to the best of his abilities and keeps them in his home to protect them from what the world could do them — regular humans and evildoers alike. But, when you have a group of people stuck inside for years, there will of course be someone who wants to go outside and that’s what leads this group of unlikely heroes into some deep shit with Alan Tudyk’s Mr. Nobody and his donkey.
The Doom Patrol was introduced in episode five of Titans, which is considered by many to be the best one of the first season. The team members were accurate to their comic book counterparts and the performances involved were pretty fantastic. However, Doom Patrol features a huge casting change, and I think it was for the better. In Titans, Doctor Niles Caulder, a.k.a. The Chief, was played by Bruno Bichir, and in Doom Patrol he’s played by the legendary Timothy Dalton. Dalton, of course, crushes his portrayal of Caulder/ The Chief. I look forward to seeing the former James Bond dive deeper into the role. Brendan Fraser returns to acting as Cliff Steele, a.k.a. Robotman, and he somehow managers to turn this giant, mechanical being human. Frazer gives Robotman this everyman feel. He’s just a relatable character… minus the fact that he murdered his wife in the tragic car accident that turned him into a DC Comics oddball.
Diane Guerrero is the standout of the series. She plays Crazy Jane, a character with multiple personalities that is very similar to James McAvoy’s Kevin Wendell Crumb from Split and Glass. Each personality unveils a new power and that’s the one of the most interesting aspects of the series to explore. Crazy Jane becomes great friends with Fraser’s Robotman and that allows for some interesting things to happen in the series.
Meanwhile, Matt Bomer stars as Negative Man, and the team behind the series gives a very interesting twist to his character that’s very interesting to see the actor play. Bomer is excellent in everything and I look forward to seeing him continue with making this character his own. April Bowlby is also back as Elasti-Woman and there isn’t really much to say other than she’s kind of like the mom of the series and she plays that role well. I just hope we get to dive deeper into her powers in the future. Alan Tudyk’s Mr. Nobody acts as the narrator of the series. He’s psychotic, powerful and has it out for our Doom Patrol, and even more specifically The Chief. I wouldn’t expect much from Tudyk in a villainous role, but he pulls it off and creates an interesting dynamic for the series going forward.
Overall Thoughts: Doom Patrol is gritty, fun and a little gory. It’s so weird and unlike any other hero show I’ve ever seen. The performances on the series are pretty good causing you to believe in this fantastical plot and fall in love with this series about a bunch of weirdos. This is a much-watch for DC fans.
Rating: 8/10
Top Actors To Replace Ben Affleck In Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’
Ben Affleck is officially out as Batman and it's a pretty sad day.
Words cannot describe how sad I am to see Ben Affleck announce that he's no longer Batman. His Batman is why I do what I do. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I fell in love with his comic book-accurate interpretation of the Caped Crusader. It was a breath of fresh air and it felt like we finally had the one true Batman.
Three years have quickly sped by and we're officially going to receive a new Batman for his next movie. Last night, Ben Affleck announced that he will not return as the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves' The Batman and now everyone's attention has moved towards wanting to know who the next Bruce Wayne will be. Matt Reeves is said to want an actor that's around 20 years younger than Affleck while Warner Bros. wants someone older. My guess is that Reeves wants a fresh start while the studio wants an older actor for crossover potential.
In this list, I will discuss the actors I think can replace Ben Affleck as Batman using the parameters that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. want. Hit Next to see our picks to play the Batman.
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an X-Men alum and no stranger to comic book franchises. The actor has shown multiple levels of range and could definitely handle the Batman/Bruce Wayne personality. If they go with the older range for the next Dark Knight, then Fassbender is probably one of the best choices to take over the role.
Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes is out of a job after The Punisher season 2 and he's one of the best actors in that series. The second season tied up Barnes' arc on The Punisher and the actor has already told us that that he'd love to play the Caped Crusader. Barnes definitely has the pretty boy look going on for him and I wonder what his take on Bruce Wayne could be.
Ryan Gosling
I've said this before and I'll say it again: Ryan Gosling needs to star in a superhero movie. I've always thought Gosling would make a great Batman. Every role that he's done has shown us his capability and he could crush it as Bruce Wayne.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm is my top choice for an older Batman. If Warner Bros. wants to cast an older actor for crossover potential, Jon Hamm is the studio's best bet. He has a similar look to Ben Affleck, and c'mon, the guy's look just screams Bruce Wayne.
Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer is 32 years old and was cast as the Caped Crusader in George Miller's Justice League: Mortal. That film will never see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean that Hammer doesn't deserve a second shot at being the Batman. He's charming, broody and will probably give his all for this role. Armie Hammer is a great option because he's young enough for Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. could work in a way for him to crossover with the rest of the DC Extended Universe.
Richard Madden
Game of Thrones alum Richard Madden is my top choice to replace Ben Affleck as Batman. The actor is young, has the look and definitely has the acting chops to play the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Madden just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series for the BBC drama Bodyguard, so Warner Bros. may want to quickly snatch him up.
