Ever since Matt Reeves replaced Ben Affleck as director of The Batman, reports and rumors have persisted about the actor’s impending departure from the DCEU — fueled, in part, by Affleck himself, who recently said that he’s looking for a “cool way to segue out” of the franchise. According to the latest rumor, Reeves has his eye on another actor to potentially take on the role of the Dark Knight, should Affleck bow out after Justice League.

On his podcast, John Campea revealed that Matt Reeves is eyeing Jake Gyllenhaal to play the title role in The Batman. Campea cautions that a deal is far from done or even close to definite, but it is being discussed at Warner Bros. He also says that, per his source, Affleck’s decision to exit the DCEU was finalized earlier this year; if true, it’s not particularly surprising as the departure has been rumored and reported many times in the last several months.

Neither Affleck’s exit nor the casting search for a new Batman have been confirmed by Warner Bros., but it wouldn’t be shocking if we see developments on either front relatively soon.

As a massive longtime Batman fan, I’m definitely into the idea of Jake Gyllenhaal donning the iconic cowl — especially if it’s for a film (or trilogy of films) directed by Matt Reeves. Gyllenhaal can get ripped (see Southpaw), he can totally do the brooding thing (see at least half of his recent filmography), and though he brings a real depth of character to his roles, he’s also got an excellent sense of humor. He’s the whole package.

Will it actually happen, though? Time will tell, but even if Gyllenhaal doesn’t sign on for The Batman, it’s safe to assume Ben Affleck won’t be sticking around for much longer.

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