Information continues to trickle out this week about Matt Reeves’ upcoming film The Batman, which is not only bound and determined to exist despite the Bat-agnosticism of Ben Affleck and large swathes of the movie-going public, but which recently made headlines by casting (or coming close to casting, depending on who you listen to) Robert Pattinson in the role of the Batted Man himself. And while Pattinson’s deal is apparently still not quite complete—leaving open the possibility that Nicholas Hoult might swoop in and take the part himself—that hasn’t stopped further information about the film’s prospective villains from also leaking out.
This comes courtesy of Collider, which got it from The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Wave newsletter, which, in turn, notes that Reeves’ script apparently places Catwoman and the Penguin at the center of The Batman’s upcoming troubles—thus trafficking in the famed Bat-Cat-Penguin rivalry that’s long dominated the animal kingdom of crime.
What’s interesting about this pairing—aside from the obvious throwback to Tim Burton’s deeply weird, highly psychological Batman Returns—is that they’re both fairly, let’s say, “low key” as far as Batman villains go. Sure, Penguin might initiate a hostile takeover of the city’s underworld or attempt to murder Gotham’s first-born sons every once in a while, but these two generally focus on making money and stealing stuff, rather than the bomb-throwing, laughing fish-style anarchy that marks some of the bat’s more colorful opponents.
Penguin is also notable for being one of the most “realistic” of the villains skipped over by Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films, where Anne Hathaway ended up taking on the role of the Cat. He was most recently brought to the screen on Fox’s Gotham, where Robin Lord Taylor transformed him into one of Baby Bats’ most consistently entertaining foils and foes.
All of this is, of course, to be taken with at least a minor grain of salt, since Reeves is reportedly still working on his script. In any case, The Batman is currently scheduled for a June 25, 2021 debut.
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If there’s any justice in this world, Robin Lord Taylor will play Penguin in the film
No, they have to bring back Danny Devito.
hoping they can work Batman rescuing him from a rum ham into the budget
But more importantly Anthony Carrigan as Victor Zsasz. Well eventually at least.
They’ve already cast Chris Messina as Zsasz in BoP.
He is wonderfully campy and demented as the Penguin, isn’t he?
The world is a lesser place for not getting to see Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Penguin.
I’d much rather see a feature length adaptation of Heart of Ice from BTAS. Preferably with Christoph Waltz playing Mr. Freeze.
Oh this. He makes even the most absurd dialog sound like the wittiest bon mot. The man could even make the dialog from Batman and Robin work.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not sure “Ice to see you”, even delivered by Waltz, wouldn’t sound laughably, cringing, groan-inducing bad beyond bad.
Oh well it would require his Bavarian spin on it:
“Ladies and gentleman, allow me if you will to interrupt your delicious strudel for a moment, so that I might offer a pun which I personally find quite delightful, and which I say with a full heart and body: ICE TO MEET YOU!
Wait for the cream!
Bavarian?
Like the cream.
Mr. Freeze never says “Ice to see you” in B&R! That’s a McBain original.
If you can’t inflict puns upon people, what even is the point of being a supervillain?
god damn it, the punisher would be an awesome name for a villain armed to the teeth with terrible puns.
Frank Castle doesn’t use enough puns.
I’d rather see a live action of Batman Beyond, if we’re adapting any animated version.
“Give me this thing I already know I like, except make it longer.”
no, werner herzog.
as catwoman
The Batman, The.
Someone who speaks German can’t possibly be evil.
Don’t mention the war!
Me? You started it!
die batman, die.sideshow bob would be the best part of this assuredly terrible movie.
Word on the street is, that this is all being spun out by Pattinson’s team, in order to force the studios hand. Would be hilarious if it pissed them off so much they turned back to Hoult.
That’s definitely what I hear on the street, from the various hobos and prostitutes I rely on for the latest intrigues in Hollywood’s casting wars.Also, we have different definitions of hilarious.
The shoeshine guy from Police Squad! concurs.
All I know is, my gut says maybe.
Ugh, you sound like someone who has a heart full of NEUTRALITY!
Because he’s so beloved by comic fanboys they would demand he be cast? Yeah, makes total sense.
Why would you go with Baby Bat when Li’l Wayne is right there?
8
A recapper once dubbed him Bruce Unmighty, which stuck with me.
Robin Lord Taylor was soooo good. But I want Devito to also be in it. Maybe one can be Penguin and the other can be Emperor Penguin.
Maybe they can do a Penguin family. DeVito as father, Taylor as chick, and… I don’t know, Rhea Perlman? as mother.
Who or what the fuck do I have to do to get a quality Riddler casting in a Batman movie? I’ve had Michael Emerson in the role since two minutes after I walked out of my first screening of The Dark Knight.
No love for 60s Riddler?
I said movie.
You don’t count Batman: the Movie as a movie?
I know it’s sacrilege, but all that campy ‘60s Batman stuff kinda grates on me after a while. It’s fun for a laugh every now and then, but overall, it’s not something I enjoy all that much.I know, pearls clutched, monocles dropped, I’m history’s greatest monster.
There’s no accounting for taste 😛
Frank Gorshin played The Riddler in the 1966 feature film Batman.
I realize that. See my other response. I’m thinking about something a little beyond a dude in a bowler and a bright green suit with question marks all over it.
Funnily enough, I could see Hoult in the role much better than I could see him as Batman.
How about Nicolas Hoult?
I see Riddler as some doddering old rich weirdo who spends his time making up riddles and puzzles for Batman, not another pretty boy. Might just be me.
My dream casting for The Riddler has always been Jeffrey Combs dialed all the way up.
I dunno. Personally I’d just like the character to be reinvented as far away from the jumpy little freak stereotype that Jim Carrey made him into as possible. It’s been done to death. I’d like him to be some kind of strategic mastermind holding Gotham hostage with his riddles and puzzles and whatnot. I think that would be a lot of fun.
They tried to make Riddler a more serious villain in that comics storyline where his riddles were making Batman do stuff as part of some ancient Gotham cult’s ritual. It was ok. The truth is Riddler can’t really be taken seriously because his schtick is stupid, that’s why the 60s version is probably the best you’ll get. BTAS made him a computer programmer or some bullshit for like one episode and then gave up on him, because he sucks.
I get that, but the character HAS to be a little OCD. His whole thing is that he thinks he’s smarter than everyone else and has a desperate need to prove it, so he gives Batman riddles that will show him where he’s going to strike next. He’s only in Gotham to match wits with Batman.
I didn’t particularly care for The Dark Knight Rises, so I’ve got an alternate version in my head where there’s a somewhat sketchy but brilliant FBI profiler who is brought in to try to identify Batman (who is still active, but public enemy number one) and he gets obsessed with matching wits with The Bat.
And Jeffrey Combs does “brilliant but unhinged” better than anyone.
Obsessive compulsive is fine. That’s part of the character for sure. I just really hated Carrey’s Riddler, and honestly, I don’t want any bit of it to be part of what they might make Riddler in the future. Leave that shit in the ‘90s where it belongs. I think I have something like the more cerebral aspects of the Zodiac Killer in mind for what I’d like him to be. Sending puzzles and riddles to the newspaper with threats of terrorism and chaos if they don’t solve it. That sort of thing. Nolan kind of did that with Joker in TDK, but in this case, it wouldn’t be nearly as flashy. More ticking clock-style puzzles to solve would be a cool way to bring Bruce’s detective skills into the forefront.
Well, yeah, Carey’s Riddler was a cartoon. Nobody wants to see that again.
But Jeffrey Combs is a whole different kind of twitchy weirdo. And, of course, if you’re looking at Re-Animator era Jeffery Combs, batshit nuts combined with absolute confidence in his own brilliance was kind of his thing. He also did a fantastic job as The Question in Justice League Unlimited.
Okay, Jeffrey Combs’ agent. Nice talking with you.
We had the Riddler for 5 seasons of Gotham and he was magnificent!
But I wanted Killer Moth & Gentleman Ghost!
Is there any Bat-Villain less interesting than Catwoman? Oh, she’s a bad guy but she’s sexy and smooches on the hero, what a fascinating character.
Hush
that ass tho
Damn, Two-Face is rocking that turtleneck there.
The most interesting thing about this is that, not only does Batman takes Polaroids of the villians he defeats, sometimes he takes them upside-down.
Gentleman Ghost sounds like a Venture Brothers villain.
I wonder if Jim Rash would be available to reprise his role as the Marquess of Queensberry to fill in for Gentleman Ghost.
The hell is R-Bats? It’s Battinson. Get on with it, Hughes!
In the words of Michael Bluth, “Let’s try to top that one.”
Obviously it was going to be from an image of Ms. Stewart. I won’t presume to interpret how Ms. Korolev II will respond to being shown an image of the signing of a United States Presidential ‘Kill List’ Order other than to say that my response was dismissive amusement and almost a derisive laugh. The United States of America’s belief in its incompetent and murderous persistence is as irrelevant and absurd as the British Empire’s and the Soviet Union’s was and China’s will be. Fucking idiots.I like the idea of Ms. Steinfeld playing Catwoman though.You don’t look well Ms. Stewart.
Having enjoyed Boardwalk Empire, I wouldn’t mind seeing either Michael Stuhlbarg or Jeffrey Wright as the Penguin. No particular opinion on Catwoman, but I’m hoping it’s a brunette this time.
You know it’s going to be Zoe Saldana.
ok but is she going to be blue or green?
Both. And she’s also Two Face.
“What’s interesting about this pairing—aside from the obvious throwback to Tim Burton’s deeply weird, highly psychological Batman Returns—is that they’re both fairly, let’s say, “low key” as far as Batman villains go.”It’s almost like Reeves is planning a low stakes noir story that focuses more on the detective aspect of the character. Wonder if he’s spoken about this at all?
Is this the Batman that will be going up against Jared Leto or Joaquin Phoenix?
Javier Bardem, with a mustache, in an homage to the great Cesar Romero… Possibly surfing.
Alec Baldwin in full Donald Trump mode as the Penguin… Complete with the wig
If John Hurt were still alive, he would’ve made the definitive Bookworm… Even brought a sense of real menace to the character.
I’ll say it: Kristen Stewart should be in the running for Catwoman.My favorites for the Penguin are Jeffrey Wright and Jesse Plemons. And there are a lot of good Catwoman candidates: Zoe Saldana, Tessa Thompson, Ana de Armas, Gemma Chan, Constance Wu are a few from a long list.But if you’re looking for an actor who, like Pattinson, is proven in big box office fantasy roles, has a pedigree in serious films and additionally has a persona as a rebel and seems legitimately badass? Stewart has to be in your consideration set.