Film - Batman's Rogues Gallery (Part 2)
Find Part 1 of David's Rogues Gallery here.
Harley Quinn
Oh my sweet, sweet Harley Quinn. She is beautiful, she is sexy, she is intelligent, she is terrifyingly obsessive. There are few qualities more striking about the character than her intense suffering of Stockholm Syndrome at the hands of The Joker. She was a psychologist who fell in love and then in obsession with The Joker and then became his pseudo girlfriend, although was never really treated as such by him. In recent times, she has become more physically imposing and, in the case of the Death of the Family storyline, a much more sympathetic character.
I personally love the casting of Margot Robbie and even though I could stand to see a less slutty version of Harley, I think that Robbie will do an amazing job (the trailers have all seemed pretty good), but for the sake of this article, I chose another actress who is also sexy and intelligent and can play crazy very well: Amy Smart. We can see all of these qualities in performances from The Butterfly Effect, Mirrors and her recent wonderful turn in the US version of Shameless.
Hugo Strange
Dr. Hugo Strange has had many origin stories and interesting turns with his character development but he was never more imposing than the Batman: Arkham Universe version in which he had taken over Arkham Asylum. He has a history of behavioural experiments on patients and has no empathy for anyone. He is a certified genius and the only villain who has deduced Batman’s identity. I love the character and his signature chinstrap beard.
For this character, I chose Jeff Bridges because he is an incredible talent, as shown in films like Crazy Heart, True Grit, The Big Lebowski, The Giver (he was the only good part of that movie) and can be very physically intimidating like we got to see in Iron Man.
Hush
Hush, also known as Dr. Thomas Elliot was a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne who tried to dispose of his parents in an attempt to gain their wealth. He was unsuccessful and resented Bruce when the Wayne’s were murdered and Bruce received their fortune. Elliot eventually murders his mother, gains the wealth, and after creating the persona of Hush, teamed up with the Riddler to bring down their nemesis Bruce Wayne.
I needed to choose an actor that could be intelligent but underhanded and seedy and the same time. He needed to be able to play the affluent character but also to have a dark side. With his role in Dexter, Michael C. Hall showed that he could play with all of these elements.
The Joker
Arguably the greatest villain in Comics and one of the greatest in Film/Written history, The Joker is the ultimate villain. He is the mirror image of Batman and their symbiosis is palpable every time they are together on screen or on the page. There is even a sweet song about their relationship, performed by Coheed and Cambria (surprise, right?)
Harley Quinn
Oh my sweet, sweet Harley Quinn. She is beautiful, she is sexy, she is intelligent, she is terrifyingly obsessive. There are few qualities more striking about the character than her intense suffering of Stockholm Syndrome at the hands of The Joker. She was a psychologist who fell in love and then in obsession with The Joker and then became his pseudo girlfriend, although was never really treated as such by him. In recent times, she has become more physically imposing and, in the case of the Death of the Family storyline, a much more sympathetic character.
I personally love the casting of Margot Robbie and even though I could stand to see a less slutty version of Harley, I think that Robbie will do an amazing job (the trailers have all seemed pretty good), but for the sake of this article, I chose another actress who is also sexy and intelligent and can play crazy very well: Amy Smart. We can see all of these qualities in performances from The Butterfly Effect, Mirrors and her recent wonderful turn in the US version of Shameless.
Hugo Strange
Dr. Hugo Strange has had many origin stories and interesting turns with his character development but he was never more imposing than the Batman: Arkham Universe version in which he had taken over Arkham Asylum. He has a history of behavioural experiments on patients and has no empathy for anyone. He is a certified genius and the only villain who has deduced Batman’s identity. I love the character and his signature chinstrap beard.
For this character, I chose Jeff Bridges because he is an incredible talent, as shown in films like Crazy Heart, True Grit, The Big Lebowski, The Giver (he was the only good part of that movie) and can be very physically intimidating like we got to see in Iron Man.
Hush
Hush, also known as Dr. Thomas Elliot was a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne who tried to dispose of his parents in an attempt to gain their wealth. He was unsuccessful and resented Bruce when the Wayne’s were murdered and Bruce received their fortune. Elliot eventually murders his mother, gains the wealth, and after creating the persona of Hush, teamed up with the Riddler to bring down their nemesis Bruce Wayne.
I needed to choose an actor that could be intelligent but underhanded and seedy and the same time. He needed to be able to play the affluent character but also to have a dark side. With his role in Dexter, Michael C. Hall showed that he could play with all of these elements.
The Joker
Arguably the greatest villain in Comics and one of the greatest in Film/Written history, The Joker is the ultimate villain. He is the mirror image of Batman and their symbiosis is palpable every time they are together on screen or on the page. There is even a sweet song about their relationship, performed by Coheed and Cambria (surprise, right?)
He has been played by mane people in the past, all with varying degrees of success: Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill (voice), Heath Ledger, and most recently Jared Leto. For my money, voice-wise, Hamill is the only option, but this is the whole package and so I must push on.
As we have already seen twice, I like some casting choices. There is no better performance of the Joker than Heath Ledger’s iconic, Oscar-winning turn in 2008’s The Dark Knight. He was terrifying and funny and scary in a realistic way that was unsettling the entire time he was on screen. Because I need to do my own casting, I will choose arguably the greatest character actor of all time: Daniel Day Lewis. If we need a slightly older Joker, Lewis could easily perform. He was the person I thought would be an excellent replacement if they went that route after Ledger’s tragic death.
Killer Croc
Killer Croc, also known as Waylon Jones, was born with a rare genetic condition which makes his skin take on the appearance of a reptile. Although his appearance varies from time to time, I personally love the full-fledged Crocodile version. He is brutal and animalistic and basically a serial killer. He is huge and strong and powerful.
To play Killer Croc an actor would have to be both talented and hugely muscular. Both of these aspects can be seen in Dwayne Johnson, who is now the highest paid actor of the year. Look at the similarities. He could definitely play the role.
The Mad Hatter
Jarvis Tetch, also known as The Mad Hatter, was a scientist obsessed with the Alice in Wonderland. He is also known to experiment with Mid Control technology. He originally was a somewhat comical or at least whimsical villain but as time passed, he became a much darker character. The actor needed to be funny but have the range, while being humorous, to be intensely scary and intimidating.
The list of qualities I just mentioned have been shown time and again in one actor: the amazing Christoph Waltz. His turn in Django Unchained was great but it was the intensely unnerving yet quirky and subtly funny roles in Inglorious Basterds and Water for Elephants which really make this role possible.
Man-Bat
Man-Bat wasn’t always the monster he looks to be. He used to be Dr. Kirk Langstorm, a zoologist who created an extract to give human beings bat-like qualities. It worked but transformed him into a huge bat with limited intelligence and massive strength and anger. This character, much like Clayface, would need to be fully CGI but unlike Clayface, Man-Bat would need to retain human facial responses so the actor would need to be skilled in Motion-Capture performance.
Oh, did I say motion-capture? In that case, there is really only one choice and that is Andy Serkis. He has shown his ability to be an intense and disarming actor while having a fully digital body in films like Lord of the Rings and King Kong but the real proof is in his performance as Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. He has the emotional and physical ability to do both.
Maxie Zeus
This guy is a joke and I mean that in the best way possible. Maxie Zeus was a history teacher who went insane after his wife left him and became a gangster. He thinks and speaks like he is a Greek God which is funny in small doses. He can also be kind of intense so the actor needs to be able to perform serious roles while at the same time able to be hilarious.
I’ve seen Michael Pena in a ton of movies and he was always great. His portrayals in serious films like Fury and The Vatican Tapes and dramedies like End of Watch have shown him to have range but what really made me choose him was the comedic sense he showcased in Ant-Man.
Mr. Freeze
There are few villains more sympathetic than Mr. Freeze. While he was created as a joke villain, Paul Dini created a much deeper biography and backstory for the character. Dr. Victor Fries (pronounced Freeze) was a very gifted Cryogenicist who worked for GothCorp, creating a freeze ray. His wife, the reason for his existence and the love of his life, develops a fatal illness and Fries uses the ray in an attempt to put her in cryo-stasis until he can save her but things go wrong and she dies. His body temperature is lowered so far that he must stay in a cryo-suit in order to survive. He loses touch with reality and talks to his wife often but he blames everyone for the death of his wife and begins to commit crimes using his weapon and his intelligence.
I chose this actor based partially on looks and partially on voice. Laurence Fishburne looks and sounds perfect for the role and his acting ability has been shown in roles such as The Matrix, Event Horizon, and 21.
The Mutant Leader
This character is seemingly one-dimensional. He is a sociopath—a charismatic and cultish leader who is in charge of a brutal street gang known as the mutants. He is from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and he is a murderer and seemingly a cannibal as well. His massive size and strength make him a credible threat to the ageing Batman and he actually almost kills Batman before Robin can save him. This actor needs to be strong, imposing and, above, all have attitude to spare.
I have two different choices for this character. The first is Michael Clarke Duncan, the wonderful actor who showed what he was capable of in films like Sin City, Daredevil, and The Green Mile. The other actor is Kevin Durand who is strong and while he may not have the look of Duncan, he makes up for it tenfold with attitude. He has shown that in Smokin’ Aces, Noah and 3:10 to Yuma.
Onomatopoeia
Not much is known about Onomatopoeia. He is a villain who is physically dangerous both with his fists and even more so with his guns. He has never revealed his face but comes across as somewhat of a hitman in terms of skill. He is a serial killer who murders non-powered superheroes. Although limited in appearance, he is a credible threat to Batman and just simply looks badass.
I think for this role, we need someone tall and lanky and knows how to hold himself in the way that a hitman would. I think that Clive Owen could fill this role greatly, considering what he was able to do in The Bourne Identity, Children of Men and The International.
The final part will be published tomorrow.
As we have already seen twice, I like some casting choices. There is no better performance of the Joker than Heath Ledger’s iconic, Oscar-winning turn in 2008’s The Dark Knight. He was terrifying and funny and scary in a realistic way that was unsettling the entire time he was on screen. Because I need to do my own casting, I will choose arguably the greatest character actor of all time: Daniel Day Lewis. If we need a slightly older Joker, Lewis could easily perform. He was the person I thought would be an excellent replacement if they went that route after Ledger’s tragic death.
Killer Croc
Killer Croc, also known as Waylon Jones, was born with a rare genetic condition which makes his skin take on the appearance of a reptile. Although his appearance varies from time to time, I personally love the full-fledged Crocodile version. He is brutal and animalistic and basically a serial killer. He is huge and strong and powerful.
To play Killer Croc an actor would have to be both talented and hugely muscular. Both of these aspects can be seen in Dwayne Johnson, who is now the highest paid actor of the year. Look at the similarities. He could definitely play the role.
The Mad Hatter
Jarvis Tetch, also known as The Mad Hatter, was a scientist obsessed with the Alice in Wonderland. He is also known to experiment with Mid Control technology. He originally was a somewhat comical or at least whimsical villain but as time passed, he became a much darker character. The actor needed to be funny but have the range, while being humorous, to be intensely scary and intimidating.
The list of qualities I just mentioned have been shown time and again in one actor: the amazing Christoph Waltz. His turn in Django Unchained was great but it was the intensely unnerving yet quirky and subtly funny roles in Inglorious Basterds and Water for Elephants which really make this role possible.
Man-Bat
Man-Bat wasn’t always the monster he looks to be. He used to be Dr. Kirk Langstorm, a zoologist who created an extract to give human beings bat-like qualities. It worked but transformed him into a huge bat with limited intelligence and massive strength and anger. This character, much like Clayface, would need to be fully CGI but unlike Clayface, Man-Bat would need to retain human facial responses so the actor would need to be skilled in Motion-Capture performance.
Oh, did I say motion-capture? In that case, there is really only one choice and that is Andy Serkis. He has shown his ability to be an intense and disarming actor while having a fully digital body in films like Lord of the Rings and King Kong but the real proof is in his performance as Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. He has the emotional and physical ability to do both.
Maxie Zeus
This guy is a joke and I mean that in the best way possible. Maxie Zeus was a history teacher who went insane after his wife left him and became a gangster. He thinks and speaks like he is a Greek God which is funny in small doses. He can also be kind of intense so the actor needs to be able to perform serious roles while at the same time able to be hilarious.
I’ve seen Michael Pena in a ton of movies and he was always great. His portrayals in serious films like Fury and The Vatican Tapes and dramedies like End of Watch have shown him to have range but what really made me choose him was the comedic sense he showcased in Ant-Man.
Mr. Freeze
There are few villains more sympathetic than Mr. Freeze. While he was created as a joke villain, Paul Dini created a much deeper biography and backstory for the character. Dr. Victor Fries (pronounced Freeze) was a very gifted Cryogenicist who worked for GothCorp, creating a freeze ray. His wife, the reason for his existence and the love of his life, develops a fatal illness and Fries uses the ray in an attempt to put her in cryo-stasis until he can save her but things go wrong and she dies. His body temperature is lowered so far that he must stay in a cryo-suit in order to survive. He loses touch with reality and talks to his wife often but he blames everyone for the death of his wife and begins to commit crimes using his weapon and his intelligence.
I chose this actor based partially on looks and partially on voice. Laurence Fishburne looks and sounds perfect for the role and his acting ability has been shown in roles such as The Matrix, Event Horizon, and 21.
The Mutant Leader
This character is seemingly one-dimensional. He is a sociopath—a charismatic and cultish leader who is in charge of a brutal street gang known as the mutants. He is from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and he is a murderer and seemingly a cannibal as well. His massive size and strength make him a credible threat to the ageing Batman and he actually almost kills Batman before Robin can save him. This actor needs to be strong, imposing and, above, all have attitude to spare.
I have two different choices for this character. The first is Michael Clarke Duncan, the wonderful actor who showed what he was capable of in films like Sin City, Daredevil, and The Green Mile. The other actor is Kevin Durand who is strong and while he may not have the look of Duncan, he makes up for it tenfold with attitude. He has shown that in Smokin’ Aces, Noah and 3:10 to Yuma.
Onomatopoeia
Not much is known about Onomatopoeia. He is a villain who is physically dangerous both with his fists and even more so with his guns. He has never revealed his face but comes across as somewhat of a hitman in terms of skill. He is a serial killer who murders non-powered superheroes. Although limited in appearance, he is a credible threat to Batman and just simply looks badass.
I think for this role, we need someone tall and lanky and knows how to hold himself in the way that a hitman would. I think that Clive Owen could fill this role greatly, considering what he was able to do in The Bourne Identity, Children of Men and The International.
The final part will be published tomorrow.
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