By Erin Free
“It was like a dream come true,” Brandon Spink tells FilmInk of stepping into the smaller-than-usual shoes of Bruce Wayne, the young boy who eventually becomes Batman. “Batman is my favourite superhero, so it was so cool getting to play the young Bruce Wayne. I’ve never been more excited to play such an iconic character in my life. I dressed up as Batman every year until I was six.” One of the most anticipated – and speculated upon – superhero flicks of the year, Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice will launch Warner’s expansive slate of interconnected DC Comics movies, and while snippets of info have seeped out about the film, it remains largely shrouded in mystery.
And while not another telling of Batman’s famous origin tale, the film does feature a scene showing the inciting incident – namely, the murder of his parents at the hands of a street thug – that prompts Bruce Wayne to reinvent himself as a crime-fighting vigilante. Though Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, The Good Wife) and Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead) are confirmed to be appearing as the doomed Thomas and Martha Wayne, little else is known about how much of young Bruce Wayne will be featured in the film. “I cannot tell you that much, only that I play young Bruce Wayne,” says Brandon Spink. “But yes, I got to work with Zack Snyder, which I really enjoyed. Man Of Steel is one of my favorite movies, so it was cool to be working with the same director. He really helped me to understand what was expected from me with each scene.”
Acting since the age of seven (he already has credits in Atom Egoyan’s Devil’s Knot, and the TV movie, Game Of Your Life), Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is one of just a swirl of projects that the young actor has coming up. Spink will also appear in Miracles From Heaven, co-starring Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah, and will play Jennifer Aniston and Timothy Olyphant’s son in Garry Marshall’s comedic drama, Mother’s Day. Does he get starstruck appearing with such big names on screen? “No, I don’t get starstruck; I would call it excitement,” Spink replies. “I have had great opportunities to work with such amazing people that I have been able to learn from, and to grow as an actor from each experience.”
With a regular role also booked on the TV series, Game Of Silence (which also features Australian actors, David Lyons and Claire Van Der Boom), Brandon Spink is currently enjoying the hectic, exciting life of a young actor. “It can be difficult at times, but I think more for my parents,” Spink laughs. “They have to arrange all the activities for us. I also have a younger brother that also acts and plays sports, so it can be quite busy around my house. Acting is something that I will continue into adulthood. I also hope to be able to direct and produce one day.”
Miracles From Heaven is released in cinemas on March 17. Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is released in cinemas on March 24. Mother’s Day is released in cinemas on April 28.
