But, that said, some generally lower-level Bat-villains…Mr Zsasz (who had a cameo in Begins) would fit fine. Amygdala could work if he’s toned down a bit - surgery - including the removal of his amygdala - made him emotionally unstable (worsening the homicidal tendencies it was meant to cure) and increased his strength, so his back story will have to be made a little less out there, but he’s workable. Jeremiah Arkham could work, but, honestly, would just be retracing the path taken with Scarecrow in Begins.
Beyond those, if Nolan thinks Penguin, of all the characters, is too out there*, I don’t think the Bat has many villains, beyond Riddler and Catwoman, who are really any use for the Nolan-verse.
Yyyyeeeees, but no.
Most portrayals have him as quite theatrical - he’s got the ‘?’ festooned suit and bowler had, and the cane, and there’s his whole riddle MO. So, he’s far from subtle.
But he’s rarely as over-the-top as the Gorshin/Astin version, or the Carey version near the end of the movie.
He does occasionally border on camp in the comics, though.
If he thinks Penguin is more out there than Scarecrow, I have to wonder if he’s familiar with the series beyond the 90s movies - even the 60s TV series Penguin is one of the most easily adapted villains the Bat has to a realistic universe. At his core, Pengy is a fat crime boss with a big nose, penchant for formal wear and umbrellas, and a love of birds. The umbrellas don’t need to be trick umbrellas (but that wouldn’t neccessarily be too out there, either - wouldn’t be the strangest thing a gun has been hidden in), and the love of birds doesn’t need to be taken to the point of informing the majority of his crimes.
Did you see Mission: Impossible 3? Yeah, not exactly an Oscar-worthy movie there, but Philip Seymour Hoffman played a really good bad guy in that film. Also I suggest seeing Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, where he played a very conflicted character that has a good and bad side. I wouldn’t put it past him to be able to pull off a very convincing and different villainous Penguin persona.
That being said, I hope Nolan doesn’t pick Depp as the Riddler. I hope he finds an actor with untapped potential like he did with Heath Ledger. I believe when casting for the Joker was first announced, people were throwing around names like Tim Roth and Crispin Glover. When Heath Ledger was announced, all the Batman fanboys freaked. But now look at it, a lot of people don’t think the Joker role should be handed off to somebody new and new villains should be introduced.
I was thinking that a good plot for the third movie might be taken from Nightfall…have Batman badly injured and recruit a replacement. Then have that replacement go rogue, killing bad guys left and right (including the Joker, which could happen with a quick scene and take care of that loose end). Batman recovers and has it out with his rogue apprentice.
Somebody (I forget who) suggested in another thread that the Riddler could be re-worked for the Nolan universe by borrowing from the movie Saw. I thought that was a good idea. Make the Riddler a more mysterious and utterly serious villain, who gets his kicks by creating deadly games. (But then again, that’s pretty much what Nolan did with the Joker. Hmmm.)
As for Johnny Depp, I think he is capable of playing serious, but I think his instincts are to play broad. And given a role in a “comic book movie” I think he would yield to those instincts (to the detriment of the film).
Even if Nolan could get Depp to play the character straight, I think Depp fans would show up at the theater expecting a typical over-the-top Depp performance and would come away confused.
Bottom line, I think Depp (or any established A-lister) would bring too much baggage. Better to go with a rising star. I would even say an unknown, but I doubt producers would let you get away with that. In fact, I fear that producers will insist on A-listers in the villain roles, and that will be the ruin of the franchise.
As an aside, I have to say that I have never understood the fanatical following Philip Seymour Hoffman seems to have on these boards. In my view, he always just plays an ever-so-slight variation on…Philip Seymour Hoffman. (Yes, even when he was playing Truman Capote.) His range is extremely limited. So I vote “no” on Hoffman in the Penguin role.
No Depp, no Jolie, no Hoffman, sez I. Let some not-yet-fully-arrived actor make the villain role his or her own.
Man, I really hope they continue to think outside the box and do NOT cast Jolie. If they go with “looks good in a cat suit” it should be someone capable of darkness, like Famke Janssen or Asia Argento. I still think it will be a better movie if they go with Helen Mirren or someone like that.
Catwoman has been ruled out, according to Wikipedia. I hope they’re right. I find her to be an extremely annoying character most of the time - MEOW, I’M SSSEXY! I LOVE AND HATE BATMAN AT THE SAME TIME! I’M EVIL . . . OR AM I JUST CRAZY? MEOW!
Although I really liked how she was portrayed in Hush.
People who are saying Depp can only do OTT - he’s perfectly capable of non-scene stealing supporting performances, like in Chocolat. Or quieter leads like the afformentioned Finding Neverland or* 9th Gate*.
I’d like to see Killer Croc. Tone down the more recent monster aspects of the character and go back to the roots. He was a ex-wrestler and sideshow freak, turned serial killer and cannibal. Originally he was fairly intelligent as well, and one of the few villains who routinely kicked Batman’s caped behind in a physical toe-to-toe. I’m not certain who ought to play him though, he’ll need to be a big man physically, maybe Ingvar Sigurdsson?
I’d somewhat agree with that. Though I’d say that the Hoffman character is pretty funny and he does bring a lot of emotion into it (and he has played “drugged-out” Hoffman, besides the usual.)
More importantly though, I could easily see The Penguin as a Hoffman character, so I don’t have any problem if he was to portray him. I actually think he’d be quit perfect.
The OP rumor sounds to me like BS, though. I can’t imagine Nolan casting Jolie as Catwoman, which casts doubt on all the other roles listed.
Hoffman would do a great job of The Penguin if he played him like Freddie Miles in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Snide, sarcastic, and pretentious, but with a dapper sense of style.
Depp as Riddler - please, NO! Johnny Depp has become way too typecast as Johnny Depp.
I have just looked through some older threads from when people were speculating about who would play the Joker, and the reaction when Heath Ledger was cast.
Wow, I can’t believe how opposed I was to Heath Ledger’s casting back then, considering the fact that I thought it was the best thing by far about Dark Knight. I guess I really didn’t realize how much they would change his physical appearance. I somehow thought that they were going to try to make the Joker some kind of pretty boy.
I’d still like what I thought they were working up to in DK: Anthony Michael Hall as the riddler. I could see him doing an elaborate “clockwork plan” bad guy.
Obviously, villains with powers are right out. I’ve been suggesting someone like False Face for a “disguise” bad guy.
Azreal might work as a “copybat” gone rogue, after all people think Batman’s lost it anyway.
Perhaps Black Mask? Bane, Deathstroke or Deadshot called in to kill the Bat (“We need a professional, not some whacko.”)?
Bane might work, but I’d rather see Deathstroke. A professional assassin going after Batman would be very interesting, particularly if he or she figured out he was Bruce Wayne.
Killer Croc showed up in the Batman Begins-Dark Knight animated bridge movie Batman: Gotham Knight. And that’s how he was portrayed. He didn’t get any speaking lines (as he was only on screen for a minute), but the idea is obviously in the back of Nolan’s mind.