It's been quite the day for news regarding The Batman, as news of Westworld star Jeffrey Wright's casting as Commissioner Gordon was soon followed by news that the Matt Reeves project is in talks with an Oscar-nominated actor to play one of the film's villains. Reports are saying that Jonah Hill is the next high profile celebrity to be dipping his toes into the superhero film genre, but which villain will he play?
Keep in mind that nothing is confirmed at this stage, but on the heels of the rumor breaking at multiple reputable outlets, Collider has said that Jonah Hill is being looked at to play The Riddler. The question mark-covered rogue was one of the villains rumored to show up in The Batman, so at the moment, the news tracks with what has been previously reported. Is this really who Hill will be playing though?
There’s been a lot of talk about which Hollywood actor will play The Penguin, with big names being thrown around since he was first floated as a possible villain. Hill certainly has the acting chops to play Oswald Cobblepot, though the same could be said with Edward Nygma’s Riddler. Hell, he really could play any villain in the upcoming film, who am I to say what Jonah Hill can and can't do?
Really, any of the male Batman rogues could be on the table here, seeing as we don't have an official breakdown of what villains will be appearing, but the remaining rumored options include Firefly, Two-Face, and Mad Hatter. The masked Firefly seems like a strange choice for an Oscar-nominated actor, but Mad Hatter and Two-Face sound like suitable choices as well. As mentioned, Hill has a range that can really justify any villain casting, though THR has said he's mainly being eyed for Penguin or Riddler.
One telling part in which role Jonah Hill could end up playing is that Hill is only a couple years older than The Batman star Robert Pattinson. Penguin is typically portrayed to be at least a decade or so older than Batman, while Riddler is often around the same age. That's not to say that's always the case though, but it certainly seems to be more often than not.
One thing some fans may take into account is size, though I don't really subscribe to that being a factor with Jonah Hill. The actor has gained and lost weight over the years in various roles, so looking at a picture of him in Superbad and assuming he's destined to be Penguin isn't a great indicator of why The Batman is in talks with him.
Regardless of what role he'd be playing it's safe to say Jonah Hill would be a huge get for The Batman. His performances in several award-winning films speak for themselves, though Hill hasn't taken on a ton of villainous roles in his career. It will be interesting to see how he plays a Batman villain, and yet another actor audiences will have a close eye on once some footage for this film finally surfaces.
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Have an idea for who Jonah Hill could play in the next Batman film? List ideas down in the comments below, and remember that The Batman is due out in theaters Friday, June 25, 2021. That means there's plenty of time for more news on castings and other rumors to surface, so be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for more on that and other things happening in the world of movies and television.
