Actress Jayme Lawson just graduated from Juilliard, hasn’t appeared in any films yet and doesn’t even have an IMDB page but you know what she DOES have? A juicy, plum role in Matt Reeves’s The Batman.
That news is according to Collider, who report that Lawson has landed a “notable role” in the upcoming comic book film. We don’t know who she will be playing but Collider makes it a point to say that it’s a major get for the up-and-coming actress. They also remind us of the fact that Warner Bros has recently given a few big breaks to unknown performers like Henry Golding in Crazy Rich Asians and Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman. So while some may guess that Lawson might just be playing a minor part, it’s very likely and very possible that she is in fact playing one of the lead characters. This isn’t just some walk-on role and it’s definitely something that WB and Reeves are secretive about which raises a few eyebrows.
So who the hell is Lawson playing? The mind sees Lawson and immediately thinks of Commissioner Gordon’s daughter and future Batgirl Barbara Gordon. Jim Gordon will be played by the wonderful, gravelly-voiced Jeffrey Wright and Lawson herself is the right age to play Wright’s daughter. Plus Barbara would be a major role that Warner Bros would likely keep a bit hush-hush because of the character’s trajectory in the Batman universe. You’re not just casting someone as Barbara Gordon, you’re potentially casting the lead of a whole other franchise too. I can see them trying to play this one close to the vest.
But there are tons of other characters Lawson could be playing and tons of other reasons why Warner Bros wouldn’t be broadcasting it to the world. Maybe there is a secret villain we don’t know of yet and Lawson is playing her. Or maybe Reeves is just very secretive about his story and won’t be divulging casting choices going forward. We just don’t know yet. What we do know is that this is a big boost to young Jayme Lawson and we wish her luck. Welcome to the completely relaxing, totally-not-overwhelming world of comic book films, Jayme!