Monday 5 November 2012

Fuzz Five | Batman Villains Christian Bale Will Never Face

With The Dark Knight Rises signalling the end of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, there are a great many of Batman's most nefarious villains with whom Christian Bale will never do battle under the guise of the Caped Crusader. With that in mind, here are five enemies of Bat who didn't make the cut for the trilogy and how they could be brought into Nolan's version of Gotham.

1. The Riddler
Would it have worked?
One of Batman's most famous foes, The Riddler was most recently brought to life on the big screen by Jim Carrey in 1995's Batman Forever. Whilst I enjoyed Carrey's hyperractive take on the character, his performance was certainly not for everyone and would definitely feel at odds Nolan's grittier Gotham. The Riddler's modus operandi of leaving riddles and forcing his victims and enemies solve puzzles is certainly something that I would have loved to see in the Dark Knight universe. You can almost see him being reimagined as an accomplice, associate or even protégé of Heath Ledger's Joker. Given a Ledger's Joker-style makeover, The Riddler is definitely an adversary that would have fit very aptly into the franchise.

Who could have played him?
As you can imagine, after the release of Batman Begins, and again following The Dark Knight, all sorts of discussions surfaced on the internet as to which baddies might appear in any possible sequels. The Riddler was at the top of many fans' lists, with suggestions of who might play him rife. Casey Affleck is a name I remember hearing in the run up to the release of the first sequel and I like that casting idea a lot, especially after his exceptional turn in 2007's The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. David Tennant of Doctor Who fame also fits the bill in terms of the look, and his work in theatre could give The Riddler a pleasing pantomimic style - see also his performance as Barty Crouch Jr. in 2005's Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. A third route to take, and one entirely of my own machination, is Jesse Eisenberg. Imagine a 21st Century, post-9/11 Riddler, a computer hacker or cyber terrorist setting up his riddles and puzzles through computers. Now think back to Eisenberg's superb turn as Mark Zuckerberg in 2010's The Social Network. It would probably have needed the most revision from the source material (not something Nolan has ever had a problem doing when it comes to Batman characters though) but Eisenberg as The Riddler could have been a very exciting prospect.


2. The Penguin
Would it have worked?
Compared to many of Batman's adversaries, The Penguin is arguably one of the least theatrical. He's a gangster, considering himself a "gentleman of crime" and dressing in fine attire, rather than anything as over-the-top as The Riddler or The Joker's costumes. He has his trademark umbrella, usually concealing a weapon of some variety, but that's about as outlandish as the traditional version of The Penguin gets. With a little more realism thrown in, there's no reason that The Penguin couldn't have fit in well as a gangland kingpin amongst Carmine Falcone and Sal Marone in Nolan's films. Just like The Riddler, The Penguin has been portrayed in film before, in Tim Burton's 1992 film Batman Returns by Danny DeVito. Burton's vision of The Penguin was a lot more bizarre, transforming the character from a gangster to a deformed psychopath who lives in Gotham's sewers. Any attempt to bring this version of The Penguin into The Dark Knight Trilogy would have been very ill-advised, being at odds with far too many aspects of this universe.

Who could have played him?
Again, discussion around The Penguin took place between Nolan's films being released, but for me there is one clear candidate: Toby Jones. Physically he clearly looks the part. In terms of his performances, his turn as Dr. Arnim Zola in Captain America: The First Avenger shows that he can fit a comic book style of film; his work elsewhere in films such as W. (playing George Bush's right hand man Karl Rove) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (as shady head of British Intelligence Percy Alleline) shows that Jones' ability to bring to life seedy, underhanded characters who wield psychological rather than physical power is ideal for the role. I can only hope that the next person planning to bring Batman to the big screen (2015's Justice League movie anyone?) reads this and realises just how perfect Toby Jones would be for the part of The Penguin.


3. Mr. Freeze
Would it have worked?
Bringing Mr. Freeze into the Nolan version of Batman's world would have been the biggest stretch so far, what with him needing to keep his body constantly at sub-zero temperatures (hence the nifty suit seen in the picture). That said, Nolan made Bane's "venom" work in The Dark Knight Rises with a few adjustments, so I reckon Freeze's permanent refrigeration wouldn't have necessarily been a stretch too far. The "freeze rays" and other ice-based weaponry would have needed to be toned down or significantly altered to make them credible. Freeze's back story as a brilliant scientist working to save his wife from a fatal disease through cryogenic technology would have been a great addition to the emotional character arcs seen through characters such as Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne himself in Nolan's films. Just as long as any version of the character stayed as far away as possible from Arnold Schwarzenegger's ice-pun-spouting version seen in Joel Schumacher's infamously awful Batman & Robin...

Who could have played him?
There are several directions a Nolan version of Mr. Freeze could be taken. If you wanted to play up the psychopathic element of the character, someone like Philip Seymour Hoffman could fit the bill perfectly, bringing the cold and calculating criminal elements of the character to the fore. On the flipside of this, Freeze is a character based in sci-fi, built around the mad scientist archetype; Michael Fassbender, fresh from his turn as android David in Prometheus, would bring a chilling sense of warped genius to the role, akin to that of an evil Sheldon Cooper.


4. King Tut
Would it have worked?
King Tut originated from the 1960s Batman TV series starring Adam West, making him one of the Caped Crusader's most camp and theatrical enemies. An Egyptologist who develops a criminal split personality, King Tut believes himself to be the reincarnation of Tutankhamen and all of his crimes have some kind of Ancient Egyptian theme. Fitting this version of the villain into Nolan's films would, unsurprisingly, be nigh-on impossible to do successfully. According to the internet, there is also a comic book version of King Tut - a somewhat more serious take on the character who targeted wealthy inhabitants of Gotham with his crimes and left behind riddles in the style of Egyptian mythical creature the Sphinx. Whilst this has slightly more potential, the whole riddle gimmick has been done much better by The Riddler, so there would be no reason for Nolan to opt for a less iconic enemy for Bale's Batman to face.

Who could have played him?
I can imagine Alfred Molina fitting the bill quite well with a decent history in action adventure and comic book adaptations. Richard Griffiths, recently known for playing Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films, could alternatively bring a pleasing thespian style to the role.


5. Batzarro
Would it have worked?
As Superman has his botched clone known as Bizarro, so Batman has Batzarro. Batzarro looks similar to Batman, except with yellow fangs, no eyes and an upside-down bat symbol on his chest. Would Batzarro have worked? Er, no. Not unless Nolan decided he wanted Terry Gilliam or David Lynch as a guest director.

Who could have played him?
Any actor who fancied a quick way of ending their career. Joaquin Phoenix probably would have shown some interest.

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