The All New and Improved Batman Reboot Casting Thread

[Rorschach2012]

The rumor likely isn’t true but I hope it is. I brought him up a long time ago and it would be cool if it came true. He would absolutely KILL IT! No doubt in my mind.

 

[dozer2025]

Culkin is a very, very... very poor mans Leto.

That says something, because Jared Leto is the poor man's Jared Leto.

 

[C Prometheus]

I think we've finally reached the point where even the most outlandish casting idea seems a stroke of genius, something that the visionary director sees while we common nerds can't even realize that we're witnessing the greatest casting ever done in a comic book movie. And yes, I'm talking about Pattinson , this Culkin-as-The-Joker rumor and lots of other weird choices . The fact that Ledger and Keaton worked doesn't imply that every outside the box choice works .

While I absolutely maintain that Pattinson is a genius pick for Batman, I do agree that this Culkin-as-the-Joker fan cast seems really unrealistic to me and kinda runs the risk of veering into the great "counter" example again casting outside the box: Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.

 

[Gothamsknight]

I don't believe the rumor about Culkin as Joker but I've also learned to not judge an actor for a role until i see him in the film.

 

[C Prometheus]

I don't believe the rumor about Culkin as Joker but I've also learned to not judge an actor for a role until i see him in the film.

Yeah, if Culkin were to land Joker somehow, I'd give him a chance and see what happens. I think it'd be a crazy move, but I trust Reeves' judgement.

Heck, as much as I doubted Eisenberg's ability to pull off Lex right when he was announced, I went into BvS willing to give him a shot and see how he'd do. Didn't click with me, as I figured might happen, but I went in open-minded.

 

[TheGuy]

Charlize Theron - Catwoman

?

 

[TheGuy]

Reeves would definitely go for someone of Pattinson's age, so Theron is out of the running. But in her prime she would have been a beast as Catwoman.

 

[C Prometheus]

Reeves would definitely go for someone of Pattinson's age, so Theron is out of the running. But in her prime she would have been a beast as Catwoman.

Dakota Johnson seems like a likely pick IMO, alongside some of the other names we've talked about in the forum lately.

 

[Invader Joker]

I don't think Johnson is likely at all. She doesn't have the sex appeal, and also, I really doubt WB is gonna want a Twilight and a 50 Shades of Grey (which was literally a fanfic of Twilight) as their leads. It's way too distracting, and if they're worried about "contamination" of the brand and marketing in terms of not casting MCU actors they'd probably be more worried about this. They want people to forget about Twilight, all Dakota Johnson as Catwoman would do is more or less scream Twilight into your face.

 

[Invader Joker]

Also, neither Reeves or WB are gonna jump from Joaquin Phoenix to a C-level actor. That's just not going to happen.

 

[C Prometheus]

I don't think Johnson is likely at all.

I'm not so sure. The whole report on how Reeves lowkey wrote his Batman with Pattinson in mind and how he was intrigued by both Pattinson and Hoult for their turns in Good Time, High Life and The Favourite respectively indicates to me that Reeves keeps an eye out for all sorts of new films on the indie scene as they arrive in theaters... and Johnson was in two rather notable films last year (Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria remake and Drew Goddard's Bad Times at the El Royale).

She doesn't have the sex appeal, and also, I really doubt WB is gonna want a Twilight and a 50 Shades of Grey (which was literally a fanfic of Twilight) as their leads. It's way too distracting, and if they're worried about "contamination" of the brand and marketing in terms of not casting MCU actors they'd probably be more worried about this. They want people to forget about Twilight, all Dakota Johnson as Catwoman would do is more or less scream Twilight into your face.

I've seen Johnson in all of one film (Suspiria). In that film, she plays a redhead country girl from Ohio in the 1970's that flies to Europe to join an elite ballet group (this is a horror film mind you)... and based on her performance in that film, I genuinely believe she'd make an amazing Catwoman and absolutely has the sex appeal for the role too.

 

[Invader Joker]

Even if she's amazing, I really don't see it happening. I think Reeves is aware of how much of a nightmare that'd be in terms of marketing and in presenting the movie to the public. This movie is obviously very personal to him and I don't think he'd want people to be too distracted by "50 Shades of Grey" and "Twilight" to pay attention to what he's trying to say with the film. He and WB would rather have the film have its own identity rather than a quasi-pop culture continuation of B mom soft porn movies.

There are actresses just as good and even better than Johnson out there that wouldn't be as controversial.

 

[Eddie Dean]

You sure do know a lot about how Reeves and WB thinks.

 

[C Prometheus]

Even if she's amazing, I really don't see it happening. I think Reeves is aware of how much of a nightmare that'd be in terms of marketing and in presenting the movie to the public. This movie is obviously very personal to him and I don't think he'd want people to be distracted by "50 Shades of Grey" and "Twilight" to pay attention to what he's trying to say with the film. He and WB would rather have the film have its own identity rather than a quasi-pop culture continuation of B mom soft porn movies.

There are actresses just as good and even better than Johnson out there that wouldn't be as controversial.

I'm not so sure.

I think Reeves opting to pick someone like Pattinson indicates that he doesn't care about the initial PR nightmare so long as he feels confident in their ability to deliver the quality performance and desired take on the character he has in mind. Hell, if the rumors about Hudgens are even remotely accurate and she's a name on a list, I think that also affirms that Reeves isn't caring about whether or not his Batman and Catwoman previously played leads in franchises as divisive as Twilight, High School Musical or 50 Shades of Gray.

 

[Invader Joker]

It's kind of a logical conclusion. They don't even want MCU actors because of concerns of contaminating the brand. Why would they want their film to be seen as a Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey crossover by the public?

 

[David H.]

She doesn't have the sex appeal

Very wrong

and also, I really doubt WB is gonna want a Twilight and a 50 Shades of Grey (which was literally a fanfic of Twilight) as their leads. It's way too distracting, and if they're worried about "contamination" of the brand and marketing in terms of not casting MCU actors they'd probably be more worried about this. They want people to forget about Twilight, all Dakota Johnson as Catwoman would do is more or less scream Twilight into your face.

Very dumb. Those comments are unavoidable with just Pattinson in the role and it’s not like anyone (reasonable, that is) actually believes some “sparkly batman” s**tposts are going to hinder the movies’ box office performance.

 

[Invader Joker]

I'm not so sure.

I think Reeves opting to pick someone like Pattinson indicates that he doesn't care about the initial PR nightmare so long as he feels confident in their ability to deliver the quality performance and desired take on the character he has in mind. Hell, if the rumors about Hudgens are even remotely accurate and she's a name on a list, I think that also affirms that Reeves isn't caring about whether or not his Batman and Catwoman previously played leads in franchises as divisive as Twilight, High School Musical or 50 Shades of Gray.

The difference is High School Musical was 10 years ago. 50 Shades of Grey is recent as hell.


If Nicholas Hoult was Batman then maybe she and Kirsten Stewart would be names to seriously consider but I really don't think WB or Reeves are gonna want this film to be seen as a Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey crossover by people... which is what it'd look like to a lot of people.

 

[TheGuy]

The PR should matter so little to Reeves or WB considering they picked the lead man from Twilight.

 

[Invader Joker]

Very wrong



Very dumb. Those comments are unavoidable and it’s not like anyone (reasonable, that is) actually believes some “sparkly batman” s**tposts are going to hinder the movies’ box office performance.

Robert Pattinson by his own is fine.
Robert Pattinson combined with a 50 Shades of Grey lead would be an absolute PR and marketing nightmare that wouldn't allow neither of those actors to change their public image and would make the film lose its identity. I really don't think it'd happen.

 

[C Prometheus]

The difference is High School Musical was 10 years ago. 50 Shades of Grey is recent as hell.


If Nicholas Hoult was Batman then maybe she and Kirsten Stewart would be names to seriously consider but I really don't think WB or Reeves are gonna want this film to be seen as a Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey crossover by people... which is what it'd look like to a lot of people.

Until the first trailer shows up and wins over most of the crowd, just like with Keaton, Ledger and Affleck in the past.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Lol no

 

[Invader Joker]

Again... you can cast a controversial lead in your movie, but you can't cast two controversial leads from franchises closely linked to one another in your movie without the film losing its identity.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Lol no

 

[Invader Joker]

Until the first trailer shows up and wins over most of the crowd, just like with Keaton, Ledger and Affleck in the past.

No. I don't think that'd be the case at all. If it was just Pattinson, then yeah it'd shut people up. If it was just Johnson, then yeah it'd shut people up.

But both?

It's gonna look bad for a lot of people, especially for a trailer.

Any scene they show of them together is basically screaming "TWILIGHT AND 50 SHADES OF GREY". It's too distracting.

Again... they're both known for bad romance movies, and they'd both play a romance/relationship with a bunch of sexual tension in this movie.

You cast them both and the trailer is not gonna change people's minds, it's just gonna look weird and offputting for a lot of people.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Lol no