The Dark Knight What if a black actor was cast as Harvey Dent?

[Cinemaman]

I agree. I'm massive racist just like you. I'm glad I'm not alone on this.

Sorry, but I am not racist. I have no problems with black people or people from another race.

I just want this time to see real characters from comics.

 

[Avernus]

I wouldn't mind Denzel Washington...or Will Smith...

people will say Will Smith can't pull off a Dent...I disagree...

 

[Two-Face]

I love Will Smith as an actor but I don't see him as DA Dent.

 

[greenlantern530]

Skin color means pretty little to me. If he fits the role, he fits the role. While I wouldn't be happy with someone like...Will Smith, I would be perfectly fine with Washington.

The Same here, I wouldn't mind Washington at all, hell I wouldn't even mind Jamie Foxx.

 

[greenlantern530]

Terrence Howard.

I'm not a terribly big fan of his, but he would fit the role pretty well, I think.

I agree, He's a great actor and could pull it off..

 

[greenlantern530]

I dont think black actor would be good choice.

You see, Harvey Dent is half-white side and half-dark side. So you cant make him to look like half-black side and half-dark side, because it wouldn't work right.

GTFOH!

That's ridiculous!

 

[Sub-Zero]

a black actor would be fine. like people said billy dee was dent in batman89 that wasn't bad. i would've liked him to become twoface in forever but they camped it up with tlj. denzel is to high profile, terrence howard would make a better rhodey in ironman, and isn't will smith up for nick fury? if there's an unknown black actor who fits the part i wouldn't mind that at all.

 

[fabman]

i just want a good actor... black, white, red, yellow, green... same 2 me, but a GOOD actor.

 

[Sub-Zero]

seriously.

 

[fabman]

ok, i got it, subzero

 

[Sub-Zero]

no i was agreeing with you by saying "seriously"

 

[fabman]

see edit!

 

[Sub-Zero]

haha.

 

[heypapajinx]

Samuel L. Jackson. so he could yell at everyone!!
haaahahaha!
no, seriously. if we're gonna go with someone who could reeeeally fit the role, Ernie Hudson baby!!!

he has the deep voice. he looks fantastic in a suit. AND he's flippn huge! so it would be believeable to see him fighting Batman.
and i don't think race is the end all to a role. just look, they had Eartha Kitt play catwoman back in the day and she was great!

 

[Jestah]

Has anyone thought of....Tony Todd? People who have seen the Candyman films will be familiar with him. I think he could pull off the sinister, dark brooding character that Two Face is. One thing I don't know though is...what his age is , though I can't see him being that old that he can't do movies anymore.

 

[mad-sci]

See, it's not a matter of race, but the actor chosen to play the role.

Every post I've seen is talking about actors who look JUST like the comic version of Dent. The problem is that Nolan has already cast people who look nothing like their comic counterparts, and looks to do so again.

Christian Bale looks nothing like the general pictures of Batman. There's no angular jaw, no huge intimidating physique. Michael Caine is a little too old, wrong accent and doesn't have a moustache. Morgan Freeman is 20 years too old for his character. Cillian Murphy doesn't have a large nose, sandy brown hair, or an 'ugly' face. Liam Neeson doesn't have Middle Eastern facial characteristics. Gary Oldman looks like a character that is about 5 years younger than he is.

In the end, none of this mattered because it worked in the film.


In the sequel, we already have teen heart throb (and now with a small male fanbase) Heath Ledger cast as the clown prince of darkness. What are the odds that Nolan will cast the obvious choice?


Another thing I'm seeing here is that all the actors are being chosen because they'd make a great Two-Face. That's NOT what the Dark Knight is about. There is no point talking about Two Face, because the most important character is Harvey Dent.

(If you went by that logic, George Clooney should have been the best Batman, because he looked just like the character in costume).

I know I keep bringing up Taye Diggs, but he's played an attorney on TV, a very likeable and REAL character (in Kevin Hill). He may not be the best choice there is, but I'd rather watch someone who I could never see as Two Face play Harvey Dent, than have someone I'm waiting to see in the other sequel play the villain.

Remember that probably the best Two Face story was his origin in the Animated Series (even though there was no acid court scene), because we had previous episodes establishing Harvey as a real character, to make his downfall all the more tragic. I would like to see the same in TDK, which means I want to see only Harvey Dent, and not Two-Face.

 

[Darknightnomis]

and i don't think race is the end all to a role. just look, they had Eartha Kitt play catwoman back in the day and she was great!

True. The Best Catwoman outside of Michelle Pfiffer. Dare I say it....I dare, she was PPPPPPPUUUUURRRRRRFFFFFEEEECCCTTTTTTT!!!!!!

Unfortunately Halle Berry may have dameage the chances of another black Catwoman.

What were they thinking? Or should I say Smoking.

 

[spiderfan09]

I would see no problem with it, though I'm really looking forward to schreiber or Pheonix. But does anyone have that pic of the drawing some artist made about a year ago? It was drawn to be Denzel as 2 face.

 

[spiderfan09]

Haha found it! But yea, Lee Bermejo drew it, and based it on Denzel.

 

[Alpha and Omega]

A lot of talented African-American actors could probably handle the role of Harvey, but I've yet to see anyone w/ a distinctive bad@ss look who could give me Two-face.

Excluding Lawrence Fishburne (I'm sure he was probably already mentioned)

Still, I only want Viggo Mortensen or J. Phoenix. Judging from Nolan's casting of the Joker, he'll probably pick someone who's never played a memorable bad guy before.

John Cusack could do it, but he's not one of my pics; truthfully, if he was trying to cast someone like JC, I'd much rather see him give the role to Matt Dillon. Has Matt Dillon ever played a character like Dent/Two-face?

I know that a lot of people would disagree, but w/ Nolan's direction, I think Dillon could work. My choices still are Phoenix, but mostly Viggo. Let's keep up the continuity of the comics.

 

[raybia]

I was at IMBD and someone brought up the name of Denzel Washington to play Dent and it caused a huge argument. what do you think? if a black actor was cast would you be behind nolan or would you go berserk?

i personally think that it could work and it is interesting to me. i can actually see Denzel pulling it off, but i can also see Cusak pulling it off, not so much Phillippe though.

I would prefer that Harvey was played by a white actor just because the character is a major one in Bat lore and that is the imagine that most have ingrained in their minds but certainly Denzel is one of those actors who could transcend race...however believe it or not he is just too old now to play the character. I believe he is 53 now.

 

[Sub-Zero]

Samuel L. Jackson. so he could yell at everyone!!
haaahahaha!
no, seriously. if we're gonna go with someone who could reeeeally fit the role, Ernie Hudson baby!!!

he has the deep voice. he looks fantastic in a suit. AND he's flippn huge! so it would be believeable to see him fighting Batman.
and i don't think race is the end all to a role. just look, they had Eartha Kitt play catwoman back in the day and she was great!

ernie's not bad but way too old for this franchise. i always thought that he'd be a good perry white, along with robert guillome(sp).

 

[Mr.E.Nygma]

Billy Dee Williams should definately have been Two-Face in the old franchise. Directed by Burton of course. No campiness for BDW!!!!

 

[heypapajinx]

True. The Best Catwoman outside of Michelle Pfiffer. Dare I say it....I dare, she was PPPPPPPUUUUURRRRRRFFFFFEEEECCCTTTTTTT!!!!!!

Unfortunately Halle Berry may have dameage the chances of another black Catwoman.

What were they thinking? Or should I say Smoking.

Eartha most definitely was... and i agree with the Halle thing.
terrrrrrible decision.
that's why whoever ends up playing Catwoman IF they bring her back is tooootally going to have to own the role.

 

[ReptileOrion]

I agree. I'm massive racist just like you. I'm glad I'm not alone on this.

I couldn't help but think "wtf?!?" when I heard your two idiotic responses.

Here is my two cents....
I feel a black actor could be cast as Harvey Dent IF he has the acting chops. I could see Denzel being able to play the part. Denzel was great in the movie Training Day as a twisted character. Another post brought up a valid point on the Two Face makeup. I think it would have more impact on someone with a lighter complexion.

I have seen threads like this come and go.... Michael Clarke Duncan in Daredevil and Billy Dee Williams in Batman (1989). Regardless of someone's *****ing race in a movie.....if the actor is black, white, hispanic, or japanese....if that actor truly gives the character the justice he or she deserves wouldn't that be the most important thing? What is the point of having someone that looks like the Joker or Penguin from the comics if they don't play the part correctly?