“The Batman” is full steam ahead from DC and Warner Bros. From director Matt Reeves, known for “Cloverfield” and “War for the Planet of the Apes” with actor Robert Pattinson, known for “Good Time” and the upcoming critically acclaimed “The Lighthouse,” in the coveted role of Batman/Bruce Wayne.
They’re all set to go.
And now Jonah Hill is in talks to join “The Batman” in a secret role but here’s what it could be.
“Joker” is the talk of Hollywood right now due to the rave reviews it got at the Venice Film Festival particularly because of Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in the titular role. Critics not only say “Joker” is a huge game-changer for superhero films but also because of how incredibly dark it is.
Take “The Dark Knight” or “Logan” and multiply the darkness by ten.
But Warner Bros and director Todd Phillips have already confirmed that this “Joker” will be a standalone in the DC universe, which means that Joaquin Phoenix’s character will not crossover with the upcoming “The Batman.”
According to Variety, when asked if Phoenix’s Joker would ever meet Robert Pattinson’s Batman in a future film, Phillips said flat out, “No, definitely not.”
Phillips referred to it like Shakespeare’s Hamlet where many actors can take on the role but it’ll be a different production. It makes sense to put it like that.
“The Batman” is expected June 25th, 2021.
On top of Robert Pattinson as Batman, African American actor Jeffrey Wright, known for “Westworld” and “Casino Royale,” is deep in talks to play Commissioner Gordon, a role that Gary Oldman took over in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.
But the biggest shock is that two-time Academy Award nominee Jonah Hill, known for “Wolf of Wall Street” and “Moneyball,” is also in talks for a mysterious secret role.
Now, what character could he possibly play?
The most obvious and almost offensive considering it’s Jonah Hill – an overweight funnyman – would be The Penguin. In “Batman Returns” comedic actor Danny DeVito donned the penguin suit, but don’t you think that would be a little too obvious?
What about The Riddler?
For all intents and purposes, it’s important to point out that Hill has lost a massive amount of weight and is looking rather buff in the last few months. Also, Hill doesn’t seem like a serious actor that would pack on a lot of weight – Christian Bale-style – in order to play any role.
The Riddler is good for his comedic sensibilities and it will obviously be a way more toned down version than Jim Carrey’s performance in “Batman Forever.”
However, DC and Warner Bros. could be vying for a brand new character that hasn’t been depicted yet.
The Mad Hatter would be an excellent choice. This character was created for “Batman: Arkham” which is relatively new but it’s an homage to Lewis Carroll’s character in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”
Lastly, what if it’s the Joker?
It really doesn’t matter who plays the joker, the character is an undeniable box-office draw and that’s something the studio might be focused on. Maybe that character would be out of Hill’s league, considering his range, but it would probably be better than Jared Leto’s disastrous over-the-top performance.
The latter is probably the most unlikely, but it’s possible.