When any movie featuring The Batman begins production, one of the first questions on peoples’ minds is which villain – or villains – will be included. After all, the public has been fascinated by the evildoers populating Gotham City ever since the TV series starring Adam West first aired during the 1960’s. And in the time since, a variety of filmmakers have put their own stamp on a variety of baddies.
In recent memory, the Penguin has been the most often rumored and reported character to serve as the chief antagonist, forcing me to believe that’ll actually pan out. Still, it’s entirely possible for director Matt Reeves to further mine such a rich 80-year history of publication enjoyed by the Caped Crusader, as it’s also been said the Riddler may put in an appearance as well.
No matter how you slice it, the studio will need to lockdown its bad guy(s) before long. And should they indeed be in need of an Oswald Cobblepot, it sounds like Jack Black will answer the phone if they give him a call. In fact, here’s what he had to say when asked about the prospect of landing the gig by ET Canada:
“Uh, yeah. That would be a role. That would be fun.”
As a quick followup, the veteran actor clarified that he’s not actively campaigning for the part – he’s just interested:
“I hate to sport myself out there and say that, because then when I don’t get that part, everybody’s like oh Jack tried to get the thing. I didn’t try anything. I’m just saying maybe that would be good.”
Though Black would probably bring some humor to the role, it’d be largely important to portray Penguin as the ruthless mob boss that he is. Because of Cobblepot’s violent nature, diehard comic book readers may not embrace this casting suggestion. Don’t forget, Jack was nearly Green Lantern in a comedic take on the ring-slinger some years back.
The Batman opens in theaters on June 25th, 2021. But before then, keep checking back because there’s sure to be much more news to share.