Everything We Know About the Cast of The Batman
Despite Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola’s protestations, Hollywood’s superhero movie machine marches on. Joker is breaking records, Marvel is in a bit of a lull between the end of their first Avengers cycle and the start of the next one (which launches with the Black Widow origin story next spring) and DC is currently in production on the Wonder Woman sequel… and a new Batman.
The caped crusader is coming back, this time as Robert Pattinson. But since that casting was announced – to grumbles from those who only know the actor from Twilight and optimism from those who’ve been following his well-judged career in the aftermath of those movies – a lot more news has started to bubble up about the next Batman flick.
Like many a Batman movie before it, Matt Reeves edition will feature the world’s greatest detective – and rumor has it this story will finally do BRuce Wayne’s investigative skills justice – taking on multiple supervillains, including some of the most iconic ones there are: The Riddler and The Penguin.
The movie is purported to be tackling the comic’s “The Long Halloween” storyline, which originally involved the Bat trying to foil the Holiday killer, and features a murderer’s row of super-villains, including Harvey Dent as he makes his transition into Two-Face.
To wit, the latest casting rumor features Matthew McConaughey potentially suiting up to play the district attorney turned super-villain in three Batman movies.
And thanks to an incredibly talented graphic artist on Instagram named Bosslogic – we can get a genuine feel for the characters.
The magnanimous college professor and all-around good-time guy would be joining a bevy of other accomplished actors playing various member’s of Batman’s rogues gallery, including Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.
Paul Dano as The Riddler (stepping in after Jonah Hill couldn’t agree on the paycheck.)
And potentially Colin Farrell as The Penguin.
On the good guy side, we have Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon and Andy Serkis as Bruce’s trusty butler Alfred.
That’s an eclectic, intriguing cast, full of character actors more than superstars (Colin Farrell’s ill-fated attempt at the latter notwithstanding), and it bodes well for the kind of movie Reeves is trying to make, although the sheer amount of big-name characters does give one a bit of pause. One of the fatal flaws of many a superhero sequel is the belief that bigger is better, leading to overstuffed and half-baked final products.
Hopefully, Reeves and his cast can sidestep that issue, perhaps by merely using some of the iconic villains in brief appearances to lay the groundwork for future installments of this new Bat Universe. Tune in to at some future Bat-time (in 2021), at your local Bat-theater (if movie theaters still exist), to find out.
And start fan-casting the next Joker now.
May we suggest Macauly Caulkin?
