Casting has been heating up forThe Batmanas of late and we’re learning an awful lot. The big story recently was that Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street,Superbad) is no longer in talks to star in the movie, and he was previously being eyed as a major villain, either Riddler or Penguin. Now, we’ve come to learn that one of his frequent collaborators, Seth Rogen (Knocked Up,The Lion King), was also, at one point, in early talks to take on the role of Penguin. Though, things didn’t pan out.
According to a new report,Seth Rogenwas of interest for the role on the part of Warner Bros. and writer/director Matt Reeves. Initially, it was reported that no offer was made and that no talks actually took place. However, reporter Borys Kit later chimed in, adding some additional info and context to the situation. Here’s what Kit had to say about it.
“On the Seth Rogen Batman rumor: there were some initial talks for him to playPenguinwhile WB courted Hill for Riddler (once they settled on him actually playing Riddler and not Penguin), but that too didn’t work out.”
This is particularly interesting for a few reasons. For one, looking at a guy like Seth Rogen as Penguin is thinking outside the box. Granted, we know Rogen best for his comedic exploits, but he’s taken on serious roles and handled them expertly in the past, such as his role inSteve Jobs. It’s also intriguing because, had things panned out, Jonah Hill could have reunited with Rogen on screen inThe Batmanas two different members of theDark Knight’s rogues gallery. I’m willing to bet nobody ever thought that’s how we’d get aSuperbadreunion of sorts.
But both of those options are off the table now and it’s back to the drawing board. As of this writing, it hasn’t been made clear who Warner Bros. is looking at for either role now that Hill and Rogen are no longer an option. What we know for sure is formerTwilightstar and current indie wonderboyRobert Pattinson will be playing the titular DC herothis time around. Joining him will be Jeffrey Wright (Westworld,Casino Royale) as Commissioner Gordon and Zoe Kravitz (Mad Max: Fury Road,Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman.
Plot details remain under wraps but it’s said this will be a noir-driven tale focusing on Batman’s detective skills. We also know several villains will appear but, beyond Penguin, Riddler and Catwoman, it’s not clear if other baddies are on the table yet. Filming is expected to begin early next year. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the project are made available.The Batmanis set to arrive in theaters on June 20, 2025. This news comes to us viaDeadline.
