Robin Williams is easily one of the best comedians of all time. Besides that, he’s also one hell of an actor. After apparently being considered for the Joker (Batman 1989) and the Riddler (Batman Returns 1995), Williams is now going public with his interested in taking part in the next Batman film…
Robin Williams told Empire magazine (via MusicRooms.net) that he would be interested in playing a role in Christopher Nolan’s next Batman film, scheduled for a July 20, 2012 release.
Williams, who starred in Nolan’s 2002 release Insomnia, said: “I would do Batman in a second, playing anyone, I’d play The Riddler in the next one, although it would be hard to top Heath as the villain and I’m a little hairy for tights… The Batman films have screwed me twice before: years ago they offered my The Joker and then gave it to Jack Nicholson, then they offered me The Riddler and gave it to Jim Carrey. I’d be like, ‘OK, is this a real offer? If it is, then the answer’s yes. Don’t pump me again motherf**kers.'”
Williams would’ve rocked the Joker in 1989 or the Riddler in 1995. So what about the Riddler in 2012? I wouldn’t mind. Why? Because he’s a great actor. I don’t think he would surpass Ledger’s interpretation of the Joker, but he would create his own style and take on the Riddler; and he’d be appreciated for it.
Nolan’s Batman world is one full of darkness and high on psychology. Williams has always been awesome when doing dark. (Please see 2002’s Insomnia with Christopher Nolan, 2004’s The Final Cut, and 1997’s Good Will Hunting). So when you add both factors, I’d take the result any day. I wouldn’t mind watching a dark Williams harassing Batman with riddles in the next Batman film. I would like an older Riddler. Someone who has had experience, someone wise.
Would you give Williams a shot? Or you prefer someone else? Who?
crispin glover as the joker , and halle berry catwoman the gotham city thugs, and tim booth victor zassz and bale as batman and with my sega
characters big grown breasted tails tailsko, and big grown big breasted evil ruby echidna , and big grown big breasted female sonic hedgehog, in the ridddler’s revenge movie and with no one else no, marion collitiard, no david tennant please nolan, get rid of him and her too,..
and johnny depp as the riddler yes, he’s got to be in the movie,.. and with aaron eckhart as two face, put e’m in there,…,
i want robin williams to be the penguin in the 2012 movie batman 3 legends of the bat, with aaron eckhart as two face, eric roberts as maroni
tom wilkerson as falcone, and with halle berry catwoman, and with
crispin glover joker , and with the gotham city thugs, and with micheal ansara mr. freeze, arkham inmates, film it in chicago, and with tails prower tailsko, female sonic hedgehog, female knux echidna,
I think Johnny Depp would be a great Riddler because he is so dark and creepy. Or we could move away from riddler and have someone like zsasz but i dont know if he would make a good main villain. Or Harley Quinn out for revenge? The possibilitys are almost endless. In the end i think they should do a villain they can physiologically and physically mess with batman.
I’d vote for Williams, his older persona could easily fit the Nolan world with him perhaps a crazed mentor to a new younger character for Batman to face. The riddler could be a dark shadowy figure pulling the strings of other characters while Batman tries to figure out who he actually is before Gotham is destroyed. Im up for that anyway. Mon eh Riddler
I’d have loved to see Robin Williams in a Batman movie, 10 years ago. Williams is far to old now, but he would’ve been spectacular then.
when i first read the title to the article i groaned to myself thinking that it was a terrible idea but as i read on it sounded better and better. I think he can pull this off quite nicely and i hope that nolan agrees to this.
Robin Williams is a very talented actor. If he was selected, I could see him pulling it off. I always wanted to see him play Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius (Doctor Octopus) in Spider-Man. Then again, with the reboot, they might not get to that character for a while. Back to the point, he would do a great job.
I don’t see Robin Williams as the Joker.
Hopefully, when Nolan said Robin wouldn’t be in any of his Batman films, he was secretly referring to Robin Williams. Gotham has enough clowns already, keep Robin Williams out of it.
Crispin Glover would be an interesting choice.
I’d go with Crispin Glover.
hell yes! bring him on. he’s my favorite actor and i’ve been waiting for him to do another good movie since one hour photo
To be honest, I can actually see Williams as The Riddler. Call me crazy, but as far as that character goes, Williams is an “of course!” kind of guy no one would expect. And, seeing as he’s worked with Nolan before, in a dark drama, Nolan knows what Williams is capable of.
Though I like Bob’s idea, I’d like to see The Riddler portrayed more like Harvey Dent/Two-Face was in The Dark Knight: A good, decent person who eventually becomes one of the monsters he’s trying to destroy through some horrific circumstance. And, seeing how old this version of the Riddler is, maybe he could be slowly dying from a terminal illness and wants solely to be remembered for better or worse. Remember, in the comics and the shows/movies, The Riddler was a bit of an attention whore, so this could work if written correctly.
Jonny, you pretty much just described the SAW movies with Jigsaw. That is my biggest worry here with choosing the Riddler as the next villian. In Nolan’s Batman world reality is higher than comic book fun and if you took the Riddler to the real world you’d get SAW. Yes, I’m sure Nolan will not go as gorey with the traps and riddles but I fear that fans of both series will compare the two and just say Nolan created a watered down SAW. I hope I’m wrong. MAN! I hope I’m wrong.
Would rather see him as Ventriloquist but think he would do a good job as the Riddler also, especially going in the direction Bob was talking about.
How is nobody talking about the most obvious choice? GUY PEARCE!!!! Take a second and think about Guy Pearce as the Riddler. Ridiculous acting chops, can play sinister, is the right age…….starred in Nolan’s baby…Guy Pearce as the Riddler makes the most sense out of all the possibilities. Tell Guy pearce to go into seclusion and come up with “The Riiddler” and we will be mesmorized
Since Robin Williams and Chris Nolan are buddies since their Imsomnia days, Williams can possibly have a role in the next Bat movie directed by Nolan. But not necessarily the Riddler. Would be cool if Williams were to play Thomas Hurt – the main baddie in the comics’ Batman:RIP series. or maybe some other mobster intent to hunting Bats.
I like Bob’s thinking on this. If Riddler is written up like that I think Williams would be a great pick. I remember that’s how he was introduced back in the Batman: The Animated Series a while back (in fact I think the episode was called, “If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?”).
Williams is one of the few people who can do comedy acting and standup comedy (at least in my experience there aren’t that many who can do both). He has acted outside of fall out laughing type comedy before which is what the role would call for. The Riddler does havs some comedy to him but throw in too much (and I think Jim Carrey’s Riddler was dangerously close to that) and you end up with a super smart Joker.
The Riddler is calm, collected, always thinking 10 moves ahead of you. He’s not going to get in and mix it up with Batman, no Riddler is the one who will build a diabolical trap then challenge you to free yourself from it (kinda like Saw but not as gorey and outright violent). And at the end of the day he WANTS you to know that you went up against the smartest criminal of all and lost.
Yes Williams will do nicely.
The dark Williams from Insomnia would be so amazing in this.
Depending on the origin you go by, the Riddler is often a genius who gets screwed over and seeks to both get revenge and prove his genius. If you move his age to Williams’ age, you could easily make his a life long toiling in obscurity, who reaches a point where his life is in shambles and his years of hard work have made other men fortunes while his is a failure. A final straw breaks him and he sets out for revenge. (a bit of a “Falling Down” type break from reality)
I was almost hoping they’d bring Edward Nigma in as a master profiler with a reputation of being able to solve any riddle(similar to how Dent got his nickname Harvey Two-Face in internal affairs). Goes proactive setting up crimes and riddles designed to draw out the fugitive Batman (perhaps hinting he knows the truth about Dent), with Gordon getting messages to batman through Oracle – Barbara Gordon (who just saw Batman save her son)
Like your thinking Bob. That’s what I was thinking. Wouldn’t mind Williams, if they do it something like that…
I personally think it would create a more distinct difference between the Riddler and Joker in Nolan’s Batman if they got Williams… An older guy would work for this role….
Or have him play the Penguin. lol
I think the job should go to David Tennant, if the character is used.
That would be awesome!
he would suck as the riddler, too damn old….