Jonah Hill is out. Hill had been in negotiations to play The Riddler in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’, but according to Deadline, those talks broke down. Although none of this was ever confirmed, it was reported that Warner Brothers originally approached Hill to play The Penguin, a character that is normally depicted as being overweight. However, it is believed that The Riddler is actually the main villain of the picture, and Hill wanted the larger role. However, it was also reported that Hill was asking for $10 million, whereas the movie’s lead, Robert Pattinson (Batman/Bruce Wayne) was only getting $5 million.
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No details were given as to why the deal fell apart. It could have had something to do with his asking price, but then again, maybe not. The fan reaction to the possibility of Hill’s casting was pretty blasé. No one seemed outraged at the thought, but no one was all that excited about it, either. I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but I could buy the idea that all of the Hill casting news was intentionally leaked in order to gauge the public’s reaction. When that reaction was ho-hum, it gave Warner Brothers the reason to decline to pay Hill such a high fee.
Rumor has it that WB is considering Hill’s close friend and frequent collaborator, Seth Rogan for the role of The Penguin. Can you imagine that sh** show had they both been cast? Would they change the name to ‘Superbat’? Or ‘Batbad’? I’m chalking this up to fan casting. Why would WB be on this particular track for ‘The Batman’?
Josh Gad had been actively pursuing the role of The Penguin, and honestly, he would have been a great choice. Unfortunately, Gad revealed that he was not in the running.
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The film is said to also include the villains Firefly, The Mad Hatter, and Two-Face, although their roles are expected to be smaller than that of The Riddler.
Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ only has two actors officially signed on– Pattinson, and Zoë Kravitz, who is playing Catwoman/Selina Kyle. Jeffrey Wright was reported to be in talks to portray Commissioner Jim Gordon, around the same time that news of Hill’s potential casting was revealed. So far, it has not been announced that Wright has officially been cast.
Stay tuned for updates. ‘The Batman’ is scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 25, 2021.
Did you want to see Jonah Hill as The Riddler? Who do you think WB should go after now?
