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Milo Ventimiglia says Warner Bros thought he was 'too old' to play Batman

Actor was speaking ahead of the 2019 Emmy Awards, where he is nominated for the third time for his performance in This is Us

Roisin O'Connor
Sunday 04 August 2019 11:26 BST
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Ventimiglia said his name was put forward for the role as the Caped Crusader but producers felt he was 'too old' for the part
Ventimiglia said his name was put forward for the role as the Caped Crusader but producers felt he was 'too old' for the part (Rex)

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Milo Ventimiglia has revealed that he threw his hat into the ring for the role of Batman, only for Warner Bros to say he was “too old” for the part.

The This Is Us star was speaking to Variety and iHeart’s podcast The Big Ticket, when he spoke about whether he’d like to play the role.

“Do I see myself in a cape and cowl? Warner Bros. didn’t… They were looking for a new Batman, and they said, 'Ventimiglia, you're too old’,” he said.

The 42-year-old actor, who achieved his breakthrough role as bad boy Jess on the hit series Gilmore Girls before starring as Peter Petrelli on Heroes, has since garnered critical acclaim (and three Emmy nominations) as Jack Pearson on This Is Us.

“It’s okay,” Ventimiglia reassured the interviewer upon his shocked reaction. “It doesn’t matter. By the way, I’m kind of busy, it's okay. And I'm [still] a fan. I've always been a fan of Batman.”

Ventimiglia is a few years younger than Ben Affleck, who stepped down from his role as Batman aged 46.

Warner Bros went with 33-year-old Robert Pattinson for the forthcoming Matt Reeves film, after early reports indicated they were looking for a younger Bruce Wayne.

Ventimiglia has just begun filming for the fourth season of This Is Us. He is nominated for Lead Actor in a Drama Series at this year’s Emmy Awards, alongside co-star Sterling K Brown, Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington, Jason Bateman (Ozark), Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk, and Billy Porter (Pose).

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