Casting for The Batman is finally starting to heat up. We’ve learned that Jeffrey Wright is being eyed for the role of Commissioner Gordon in the upcoming DC Comics adaptation, with Jonah Hill being eyed to play a villain, though his exact role remains a mystery at this time. While neither actor is said to have closed a deal yet, this is our first real indication as to who will be starring alongside Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne in the long-awaited movie.
According to several reports, Westworld star Jeffrey Wright is specifically being eyed as Batman’s close ally in the Gotham City PD, Jim Gordon. Jonah Hill, meanwhile, is said to be in negotiations for an undisclosed role as one of several villains who will appear in the movie. Penguin has been persistently rumored and the former Superbad star could possibly fit that bill. For now, no villains have been confirmed by name by writer/director Matt Reeves, or by Warner Bros. So it’s left up to speculation for the time being.
In both cases, these are intriguing and seemingly solid choices. Jeffrey Wright has been a regular on HBO’s Westworld for the past several years. He’s also starred in movies such as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Game Night. Wright is also set to reprise his role as Felix in the upcoming James Bond movie No Time to Die, and he’s got a part in Wes Anderson’s latest, The French Dispatch. As for Jonah Hill, he’s known for his comedic exploits in movies such as 21 Jump Street and This Is the End, but the Oscar-nominee has also held down more serious roles in The Wolf of Wall Street, Moneyball and the Netflix series Maniac.
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This project has been in the works for years now. Originally, Ben Affleck, back when he was still our Caped Crusader, was going to write, direct and star in The Batman. He then walked away from the project, paving the way for Cloverfield and War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves to win the gig. He’s spent more than two years developing the movie, between writing the script and, more recently, in pre-production. Things got very serious in recent months when it was revealed that former Twilight star Robert Pattinson would be taking on the role of the famed DC hero. Now, it seems, we’ll soon learn who will be appearing alongside him, possibly for years to come (if all goes well).
Plot details are currently being kept under wraps, but Matt Reeves has said he will craft a noir tale that centers on the character’s skills as a detective. Multiple villains will appear, but it remains unclear what Gotham City evildoers from Batman’s massive rogues gallery will make the cut. Either way, this is probably just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to casting. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as further updates are made available. The Batman is set to arrive in theaters on June 25, 2021. This news was previously reported by Variety. William Gray is responsible for the Jonah Hill as Penguin photoshop on Twitter.
