He benefited with ’70s’ Jackie, and launched Napster as well. Now he wants to play someone wacky, and give the Batman hell. Who is he?
If you said Justin Timberlake, you’re spot on. That’s right, the singer-turned actor/still a singer, has tossed his green hat in the ring to don the emerald suit and tie of the Riddler, Batman‘s best brain-teasing baddie.
Timberlake’s bid to play the Riddler came when he was asked about playing Robin, a character that many have said he would be great for. JT disagreed and shot that down instantly. Luckily for us, he decided to elaborate on his answer, giving fans something to get excited about.
Check out his quote below.
Not a chance in hell. I ain’t playin’ Robin. I have no aspiration to ever be a superhero in a movie. Now VILLAIN! I’ll tell you the villain I want to play more than anything because I grew up loving Batman, funny enough, is the Riddler. The Riddler is my favorite villain. The Riddler was like a sociopath. He was proper crazy. So if I’m gonna play crazy, I’m wanna play proper crazy. I’m ready. The Riddler. Gimme a call.
I think Timberlake would be just about perfect in the role. He’d definitely be able to bring something new to it, while still channeling all the elements that make the character such a success. I can already picture him tip-toeing around, cackling to himself as he concocts new ways to baffle the brain of Batman. I previously included Timberlake on my list of actors who could play the Flash, and while I still think he’d be excellent in that role, if I was in charge of casting for the DC universe, I’d choose him for the Riddler over Flash every single time.
I also love what he said about playing the Riddler as a sociopath. While Jim Carrey’s Riddler was probably the highlight of Batman Forever (and that’s not saying much), it was far too campy by today’s standards. The Riddler has to have some of that crazed fun, but he’s also willing to kill people. The Riddler as depicted in the Arkham games would be perfect for the current run of DC films, and if Timberlake wants to play him that way, that should increase the calls for his casting even more.
What do you all think of Justin Timberlake facing off against Batman as the Riddler? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.