Late yesterday, news broke that Matt Reeves is on the verge of announcing some major new additions to his cast of “The Batman.” First, it was revealed that Jeffrey Wright was going to portray Commissioner Gordon in the film, taking over for J.K. Simmons, who portrayed the character in “Justice League.” Then it was reported that Jonah Hill is in negotiations to play either the Riddler or Penguin in the film. However, while those announcements are exciting, there are some new details that make the choices even more interesting.
READ MORE: ‘Batman’: Jonah Hill May Play The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright Eyed For Commissioner Gordon
According to Justin Kroll (of Variety), Hill is definitely in talks to play a villain in the upcoming ‘Batman’ film, opposite Robert Pattinson. However, it’s not a done deal and apparently, there are some financial and character decisions that have to be made first.
Kroll tweeted, “So on the Jonah front, hes had the offer for over a month and besides money being a bargaining point (at one point heard he wanted 10 which is wild since Rob isn’t making half that) but also which character he would play, whether its the Riddler or Penguin”
Obviously, as far as the character goes, people just assumed it would be Penguin. No shade at Hill, but people are basing the choice of Penguin solely on the actor’s physique, saying that he’s more Danny DeVito than Jim Carrey. However, Hill is a very funny actor and could make a menacing Riddler, as well.
But the fact that he is asking for $10 million (rumored) to star in the film is pretty shocking, especially considering the report says that’s more than double what Pattinson is making. This sort of deal calls to mind the old Joel Schumacher days of “Batman” films, where people like Jim Carrey and Arnold Schwarzenegger would get paydays in the $20 million range to play villains.
That’s not all, however. Kroll also revealed that Wright wasn’t the first choice for Commissioner Gordon. In fact, Marvel Studios is the reason why Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali wasn’t in the role.
He tweeted, “Fun little fact to all the BATMAN news, prior to going out to Wright, Mahershala was in line for the role…and then BLADE came around.”
READ MORE: Kevin Feige Says Phase 5, Which Includes ‘Blade,’ Is Already Set & Ready To Be Revealed
Even though Jeffrey Wright is an incredible choice for Commissioner Gordon, you can’t help but think that Mahershala Ali would have been just as great, if not better. The Oscar-winner has a seriousness and determination in his performances that not only makes him a great cop (look at “True Detective” for proof of that), but also someone that is supposed to be sole good at the core of the Gotham PD, which is often depicted as being corrupt.
Despite me lamenting the loss of Ali, Wright is a great addition to the cast and will likely be an incredible Gordon. So, I’m not going to keep complaining, at all.
“The Batman,” with Jeffrey Wright and (maybe) Jonah Hill, will arrive in theaters on June 25, 2021.
https://twitter.com/krolljvar/status/1176266358331334656
Fun little fact to all the BATMAN news, prior to going out to Wright, Mahershala was in line for the role…and then BLADE came around
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) September 23, 2019
