A new report indicates that Matt Reeves’ upcoming Batman film starring Robert Pattinson will feature at least four Batman villains.
The report from Geeks World Wide states that Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler, and Firefly will be in the film.
They note that Riddler will be a “criminal mastermind in Gotham Ctiy who takes delight in incorporating riddles and puzzles into his schemes, leaving them as clues for the authorities to solve.” They note that Reeves is looking for a male between the ages of 30 and 40.
They describe the Penguin as a “short, obese man with a long nose, and he uses high-tech umbrellas as weapons.” They are looking for a male between the ages of 20 and 40.
Catwoman is described as a “Gotham City burglar.” She “wears a tight one piece outfit and uses a bullwhip for a weapon.” They are looking for a female between the ages of 20 and 30.
Finally, they describe Firefly as a “professional arsonist.” He “attempts to burn all the places that he lacked the privilege to go as an orphan child.” They are looking for a male between the ages of 20 and 30.
The Penguin and Catwoman have long been rumored to be part of Reeves’ Batman.
In fact, there were rumblings of the Penguin as far back as last May with Star Wars and Black Panther actor Andy Serkis’ name swirling around the character. More recently The Hollywood Reporter noted that the film could feature as many as half-a-dozen villains with both Catwoman and Penguin lined up.
The actor who has made the biggest push to take on the role of Penguin is Josh Gad. He even casually noted he could take on Robert Pattinson’s Batman.
Eh. I could take him. https://t.co/kCg3KbjM4V
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) May 17, 2019
The Penguin has always been one of Gotham’s top leaders of the criminal underworld. The character was portrayed by Danny Devito on the big screen in Batman Returns. More recently, Robin Lord Taylor portrayed the character on Gotham.
As for Catwoman, one rumor points to Vanessa Hudgens taking on the role. Catwoman has appeared in multiple live-action films including her own solo film where actress Halle Barry took on the role. Most recently, she was portrayed by Anne Hathaway in Dark Knight Rises. Camren Bicondova also portrayed the character in Gotham. However, arguably the most iconic performance was done by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns.
The inclusion of Riddler and Firefly are brand new to the rumor mill. Riddler is one of Batman’s most iconic foes having appeared in Batman Forever played by Jim Carrey and more recently portrayed in Gotham by Cory Michael Smith. He’s definitely one of Batman’s more devious foes.
As to who might be lined up to play Riddler is anyone’s guess. X-Men star James McAvoy commented this past March that he would want to play the character. Is it possible he knew something about Reeves’ Batman back then?
Firefly is an interesting choice. The character is a relatively lesser known villain. In the comics, Firefly was originally a failed special effects expert who turned to crime. However, he would be reimagined as a pyromaniac. The description Geeks World Wide uses for the character seems to indicate they might be lifting the character’s mission from Chuck Dixon’s epic [easyazon_link identifier=”1401233791″ locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Batman: Knightfall[/easyazon_link] storyline.
If this report of Firefly joining the film is true, I imagine him as being manipulated by either Riddler or Penguin into destroying a number of buildings to cover up crimes.
Reeves has described his film as a “point of view-driven, noir Batman tale.”
He elaborated:
“It’s more Batman in his detective mode than we’ve seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He’s supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, and that’s not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. I’d love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it’s going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation.”
If Firefly was being used to cover up crimes, it would definitely push Batman’s detective skills to the test.
Other characters rumored to be in the Batman film include Scarecrow and Bane.
What do you make of this report noting Riddler and Firefly could be in the Batman film? How do you see them being used in Reeves’ film?