Armie Hammer to star in non-Batman movie “The Dark Knight”, marking first lead role since sex abuse scandal

In his first lead role since his acting career was upended by allegations of sexual abuse four years ago, Armie Hammer is set to play a crime-fighting vigilante in a new film titled The Dark Knight — but this one doesn't involve Batman or Christopher Nolan.

According to a Variety report, Hammer will star in the Uwe Boll-directed film as Sanders, a man who turns to vigilantism, becomes a folk hero on social media, and infuriates the local police chief. While that all sounds a lot like the Batman mythos and Nolan's 2008 comic book classic bearing the same title, executive producer Michael Roesch insisted that this Dark Knight is "very different… so there is no danger of confusion."

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Hammer, Boll, and Roesch for comment.

Related: Armie Hammer lands first movie role since sex abuse allegations

Boll, a prolific German filmmaker whose previous credits include In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale and BloodRayne, told Variety, "The story of The Dark Knight couldn't be a more current topic, and I'm excited to bring it to life with this excellent cast." (Boll also wrote the script.)

Roesch added, "With Armie Hammer in the lead role and more great actors to be announced soon, and with an outstanding script, we are excited to build up on the great response we got for [our previous films] First Shift and Run, and will have another strong movie soon."

Hammer recently returned to film acting via a supporting role in the upcoming Western Frontier Crucible, which will also star Thomas Jane (The Punisher), Myles Clohessy (Love the Way You Lie), and Eli Brown (Gossip Girl).

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Incidentally, Hammer was once tapped to play Batman in Justice League Mortal, a superhero team-up from Mad Max filmmaker George Miller that never came to fruition.

Related: Armie Hammer's mom got him a vasectomy for his birthday

Once a rising star in Hollywood with credits including The Social Network, The Lone Ranger, and Call Me by Your Name, Hammer became engulfed in controversy in early 2021 when accusations against him went viral on social media, claiming that he sent multiple women messages suggesting violent BDSM kinks and a desire for erotic cannibalism. The actor dismissed the allegations as "bulls---" as he exited the Jennifer Lopez rom-com Shotgun Wedding. (Josh Duhamel replaced him in the film.)

Related: Armie Hammer cameos as 'Kannibal Ken' in new music video nearly 4 years after scandal

After leaving multiple acting projects and being dropped by his agent and publicist, Hammer was accused of raping a woman in 2017. He denied the accusation, claiming that his encounter with the woman was completely consensual, though he later admitted that "the power dynamics were off" in their relationship.

The Los Angeles Police Department launched an investigation into Hammer, but the L.A. County District Attorney's Office ultimately declined to file charges against him, citing "insufficient evidence" after conducting "thorough review."

Related: Armie Hammer likens scandal to kink-shaming, talks deluge of bad press and living in a 'tiny-ass apartment'

Hammer launched a podcast in October and reflected on the scandal in his inaugural episode. At one point he quipped, "I'm not gonna lie, I kinda like the cannibal stuff now."

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly