Official Toyman thread.

[SuperMike335!!]

Official Toyman thread.

Hi all,

I ran a search and did not find any threads dedicated to the 1943 Superman Villain of Toyman. So I figured I would start one. Can involve characterizations, versions of the character, proposed actors that could be used in a Superman movie.



We do not have to Nerf superman, we can up-power, or sharpen some of the Villains.

I see so much of "so and so cannot work as a Villain".

Why not think about "what could we do to make this Villain more dangerous"? Even a Villain who cannot take Superman in a fight can be a huge problem if you think about it creatively.

Take Toyman, Winslow Schott, for instance. Does not seem fit to even be a Batman villain at first glance.

Now Make him as much of a psycho as the Ledger Joker, combined with being Tony Stark level inventor who puts a "Toy theme" on his WMD’s. He can make some powerful stuff, and some of it does not just have to be things that will ground and pound Superman. Anyway, that is what I think of with what Toyman could be, like the Jedger Joker combined with Tony Stark.

Think of traps like "play-dead-do", essentially violet colored "grey-goo" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_goo in a can, that feeds off of the energy spent trying to remove it as it envelops you. Literally suffocating Superman like living quicksand, while normal humans and objects, all matter, would get destroyed by it. If Superman is thrashing at it, it is feeding off the Energy he expends, turning it into a giant blob like monster.

This could go on a while, as until Superman thinks of something better than heat vision or using punching force or spinning, as it just feeds off of those kinds of things. Maybe have him figure after some decent fighting drama his arctic breath will work to freeze it and destroy it, but that could take a while and he may have to fight to take in the breath to use it.

Toyman could make a Multi-place hostage situation involving children, hidden in places all over the city with lead lining, where superman cannot find them easily, and there are "toy-full traps", and yes even some giant monstrous versions of toys that can fight Superman.

Those are just some ideas in how to make Toyman work, as a villain.

This strategy could be used on Superman's entire rogue’s gallery. Where some see pointless Villains, I just see a Villain who needs a pep talk and a little imagination.

Now, one thing that I feel can really help is to give the audience a real sense of discomfort with the villain and what he does. To really make the skin crawl.

I remember a scene in the Animated Superman Doomsday movie. While it suffered from certain things I do not wish to get into in this thread, it did have some good shots. One of my favorites was the mechanical doll with a cracked face wielding a knife. Just right out of some horror film. My wife saw that and freaked.

So, not that I want to limit Toyman to such small level antics, but he should make the Audience uncomfortable.

You could even have him teamed up with say Metallo, his new best friend he calls his "action figure", whom I think a Kevin Durand would be perfect for, as he really can make the Audience uncomfortable as well.

So who would I cast as this Toyman? I hope age is not a factor for casting toyman. I would love Brad Durif to get a screen test. He has been in all sorts of movies, TV shows etc… he is a very experienced actor, was worm-tongue in LOTR and if anyone has seen the Child’s Play movies, he is also the voice of Chucky.
　

 

[Daybreak_st]

Great ideas, you make a great point about supes villains just needing a bit of reworking. Also the animated series did a good job with toyman, making him a solid threat to superman. Nice thread.

 

[Webhead2006]

that would be a great way to handle toyman, i would definately love to see brad. Loved his work in the chucky films.

 

[TheWatcher]

Cameo. Rainn Wilson.

 

[BH/HHH]

He could work as a side villain in the way the Scarecrow worked in Batman Begins but I dont see him as a solo villain. Must say though great choice of Brad Douriff to play him.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Michael Emerson!

 

[Webhead2006]

I agree he could easily be a fun side foe to throw in there in one of the new films for the reboot series, same with intergang.

 

[protocida]

I HATE psycho Toyman. The only time this approach worked was when he murdered Cat Grant's son. Otherwise, it's completelly out of character. Thankfully, Geoff Johns fixed it by saying that version was a malfunctioning robot, one of many that the real Toyman build to go to jail instead of him.

If Toyman is in, I rather have him as the villains' inventor, creating weapons and equipment for them to use. But, if we're going to have a "goofy" villain to serve merely as a distraction/provider for bigger villains, how about the Prankster instead?

Recently, it was established that, every time a supervillain needed equipment or to provide a distraction for Superman, they called the Prankster. He attacks Metropolis, fights Superman and, while the Man of Steel is busy with him, other villains can do their thing. Once it's done, the Prankster is either send to jail to be soon rescued by his assistants or runs away.

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

Toyman would be a great side villain, just like Gamble in TDK, part of the gangs.


Personally, I think the Willy Wonka silver age portrayal of him is quite lame.



I want to see a much more fear-inducing Toyman with full-on mask and costume to look like a scary marionette like the Alex Ross version. It has the potential to be quite disturbing, yet awesome.

I'd probably cast Crispin Glover

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/crispinglover.jpg

 

[BH/HHH]

Crispin Glover is another great choice.

 

[\S/JcDc\S/]

Toyman would be a great side villain, just like Gamble in TDK, part of the gangs.


Personally, I think the Willy Wonka silver age portrayal of him is quite lame.



I want to see a much more fear-inducing Toyman with full-on mask and costume to look like a scary marionette like the Alex Ross version. It has the potential to be quite disturbing, yet awesome.

I'd probably cast Crispin Glover

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/crispinglover.jpg

Excellent choice there

 

[SuperMike335!!]

I'd probably cast Crispin Glover

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/crispinglover.jpg

Deffinately worth a screen test!

I think it would be good, just like anything to test a good handful of actors.

I think the most important thing, is for him to give the Audience a sense of discomfort.

 

[Webhead2006]

being the villains weapon maker would be an interesting angle for the character. I dont really know which take i would like for toyman. But i do agree he could easily be thrown into a new film and have a part to play. I did kinda like how smallville did toyman in the two episodes he has appeared in so far.

 

[BH/HHH]

There's a fair few different versions on this character isnt there. I liked the one that was in Superman Doomsday he was very creepy.

 

[Webhead2006]

Yea from what i seen on wiki there is like 3 takes on the character i think. But the only ones i know are the two toyman like characters lois and clark did(one wasnt based on toyman and another was), the STAS/JL one, and smallville. As for the comics i dont know how different each were there.

 

[protocida]

Winslow Schott is an unemployed British toymaker who blames Lex Luthor and his company, LexCorp, for being fired from the toy company he is working for. He uses his toymaking talents to seek revenge, which eventually causes him to cross paths with the British hero Godiva, and subsequently, Superman himself. The Toyman continues to commit various crimes in Metropolis, including engaging in child abduction.

The Toyman later became a much more sinister figure, shaving his head and getting advice in his head from "Mother". While in this state he abducts and later murdered Adam Morgan, the son of Daily Planet reporter Cat Grant. Adam and several other children captured by Toyman tried to escape, but Schott found out and stabbed Adam to death for being the leader of the group. This caused Schott to develop a hatred of children, as he blamed them for not appreciating his toys. At the time, Schott shows no remorse for what he had done. When Cat Grant later confronts him in prison he cruelly tells her "You were a bad mommy. I'm glad I killed your son."

The Toyman later seemingly recovered, and Superman showed him that children did appreciate old-fashioned toys, arranging parole in an orphanage; it was later revealed, however, that this was all a hallucination caused when Zatanna attempts to cure him and he had, in fact, returned to child abduction.

Toyman's history was later revised when Winslow Schott kidnaps and tells Jimmy Olsen that he was a toymaker who lived with his wife Mary. When a businessman offered to buy his shop to expand the number of children his toys can reach, he refused. When Mary is killed in a car accident a few weeks later, Schott agrees to the purchase. However, the businessman lied and gave his technologically advanced toy plans to arms manufacturers. Schott proceeds to bomb the business with an explosive teddy bear.

Following his first confrontation with Superman, Schott met the Prankster for the first time. He found the Prankster a cruel, callous man who commits crimes "because it's fun." He repeatedly asked Schott to "team up", but Schott refused.

Schott reveals to Jimmy that the Toyman who killed Adam Grant was a robot created by Schott to replace him in the event that he was ever incarcerated and that a glitch in the robot's programming resulted in it developing a personality, (and later a hatred of children), and that Schott's repeated attempts to contact the robot resulted in it suffering from delusions of "Mother". Superman rescued Jimmy, who told Toyman's real story while he was send to Arkham Asylum. However, investigating Toyman's history, Jimmy finds no proofs that he had a wife. In a flashback, it's revealed that Mary was also a robot and that Schott was alredy somewhat unbalanced.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Steve FTW in that role

http://celebrity-pics.movieeye.com/celebrity_pictures/Steve_Buscemi_890774.jpg

 

[SuperMike335!!]

^^^^ another good candidate for a screen test for Toyman. I feel like I need a shower just looking at bug eyes there.

 

[BH/HHH]

Thats 3 good candidates

 

[Changeling]

Emerson, Dourif, and Glover would all do great jobs. I hope we see the STAS version, or at least a version that can use his gadgets against Superman to actually do harm. I hope if we see him he doesnt come across as cheesy and gimmicky. The STAS version did a great job of that.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Emerson would be perfect. He's so great at the slighty creepy, but still childish at the same time thing on Lost.

And for two other canidates, how about Andy Serkis and David Hyde Pierce?

 

[Changeling]

HELL yes to Serkis.
No to Pierce.

 

[SuperMike335!!]

I like Serkis look a lot. More so than Pierce.

Hmmmm...

I would still let Pierce screen test.

Same guys for the role of the Riddler is Nolan ever uses him.

 

[Changeling]

And Mad Hatter. Ive seen these names for Mad Hatter

 

[NewYorkSpider]

I like the choices of Emerson and Glover.