The cast for Matt Reeves‘ The Batman keeps getting even more exciting with each and every new casting announcement. The film, which is said to explore the Dark Knight’s formative years, will star Robert Pattinson as the titular hero, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, and Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon.

Now Colin Farrell is in talks to play another villain, The Penguin. Additionally, Andy Serkis is in talks to play Alfred Pennyworth. More on these stories below.

News on director Patty Jenkins‘ Wonder Woman 1984, one again starring Gal Gadot in the title role, has been low ever since it ended production and had a tiny preview at CinemaCon. Though very little is known about the upcoming sequel, we know that it will take audiences back to a different time period and see Wonder Woman go up against Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) at the height of the Cold War. There are other characters to consider, as well. Chris Pine returns as Steve Trevor, and Connie Nielsen reprises her role as Hippolyta. And now we are learning about the character Pedro Pascal is playing.

It has been confirmed that Pascal will be playing Maxwell Lord, a villainous businessman with telepathic persuasion powers. More on the report below.

Though the possibility of Jonah Hill as either The Riddler or Penguin faded when he was unable to reach an agreement for the project, another actor has stepped in to fill one of the villain roles in The Batman.

New reports say Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine) will now play The Riddler. More on the report below.

It has been somewhat of a long and winding road for WB’s next Batman standalone film. Considering all of the setbacks that they had to go through and the difficulties launching it with Ben Affleck’s short-lived stint as the character, you can’t really blame the studio for wanting to take a fresh approach. And hopefully, they will be getting that from writer and director Matt Reeves‘ tentatively titled The Batman.

The film has already cast Robert Pattinson as the world’s greatest detective, and if all goes according to plan, he will be joined by Jeffrey Wright, who will play Commissioner Gordon, and Jonah Hill who could be playing either the Riddler or the Penguin. But as they get all of their talks straightened out, it looks like the film will be adding a heroine to the mix. According to new reports, Zoe Kravitz will be playing Catwoman. More on that below.

Joker
Director: Todd Phillips
Writer: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Rated R | Minutes: 122
Release Date: October 4, 2019

One of the worse things that a writer and director can do in a comic book film adaptation is misinterpret the source material. It is one thing to re-envision it in order to suit a vision of the story that you want to tell, but it is something else when you go far off the edge just to prove you can be the bleakest of the lot. That is what Todd Phillip‘s Joker does. Using Gotham City as a canvas, the film is painted with the colors of Martin Scorsese inspiration and the complexities of heavy themes of mental illness and social inequality, with a slight touch of DC, all of which makes Joker a dark, depressing, and gritty hardboiled crime drama that also happens to be the origins story for the clown prince of crime. The story delves into the mind of the lonely title character, played brilliantly by Joaquin Phoenix, who has been dumped on by society. But as fascinating as the lead performance is, everything else about it lacks complexities and nuance, and only further stigmatizes those who do suffer from mental illness.

My full review here below.