Say whatever you want about Sean Penn… the man can act. No… I mean REALLY act. The guy has 1 Oscar on his shelf already (and probably should have got another one for his role in I Am Sam) and has been damn rock solid in every film they guy has been in over the last 7 years. I’m not saying I dig his politics, or his attitude sometimes… but give the man his due, he’s a fantastic actor.
Now the rumour mill is working overtime that Batman director Christopher Nolan is courting Penn to be The Joker in the next Batman film. The good folks over at MovieHole offer us this:
Sean Penn might be Director Chris Nolan’s number 1. choice for the role of The Joker in “Batman Begins 2” or “Batman Continues” or “Batman Strikes Back” or “Batman Reloaded” – whatever the heck the marketing geniuses tag it. According to star Christian Bale, Nolan’s pursuing the usually-serious Oscar Winner to wear the smiley paint.
Wow… this wouldn’t be a bad move if it’s true. What Batman Begins did perfectly was cast great actors for the role… not just big celebrities like the other Batman films. Penn is both and I think would wear the face paint well.
Now, having said that, I still think Crispin Glover is the man to play The Joker. I think he’d make people forget Jack Nicholson ever even played the part.
Ryan Renolds is also being looked at for the role as the Joker. I think he would be the best joice.
this is how i would like for the next two sequels for begins..
glover plays jack napier who is this theatrical psychopath homicide and has an obsession somehow with a joker card..
somewhere during the movie we know that he will transform into the joker and it will suit him alot as he is a psychopath..
in the end batman will not kill him but capture him..harvey dent whom could be played by collin farrell is the person responsible for joker’s sentence in arkham. then in arkham he would meet a woman who is affectionate falls for joker and thus becomes harley quin(thought i’m not sure who would be perfect for the role) and helps joker escape from arkham in the second sequel..
this is where joker will revenge on harvey and turning him into two-face…in the third begins movie we will have 2 villains..harvey wants revenge on batman as he thinks batman is the man responsible that turned him into a monster..
joker creates havoc and angers batman to the point he is on the verge of killing joker..we could see a very dark batman and the relationship with joker would be the ultimate boiling point of hate..as harvey should be the next hot bachelor other den bruce thus making them the best of friends and have bruce losing a friend who is turned into a monster and is hunting down the batman..it does not necessarily mean that joker would die in the end though…
I think the comments regarding jack Nicholson, are ludicrous. He was phenomonal in Batman. The role was great.
no not nicholas cage just doesnt seem right hes to funny for that
I don’t know about you Guys but i was thinking maybe Nicholas Cage would be a good joker,did anyone see the role he played in face-off , that evil sadistic terrorist who thought blowing things up was fun?He played real well the role of a bloodthirsty lunatic and his face isn’t bad for the joker either kinda long and he’s got a V shape smile
which is perfect for the Joker…anyway whether its him or someone else I definately think the Joker in this sequel should be more sinister and black…
not to say one way or the other right now about penn playing joker
but about his comedic ability….anyone ever see “Fast times at Ridgemont High”???????? its hilarious…..and by the way….comedy in film is in the delivery mostly….comedic timing in film comes from editing. unless your in a two or wide shot.
anyway….Penn i think might be too big of a name/persona….Jack Nicholson played himself more than he played the Joker in Batman. And it was ok cause Jack is cool.
IMO i’d like to see Crispin Glover in the role….he is insane even in real life. So the role should come naturally. But it’s really left up to Nolan being that he will hopefully direct the next. He knows how to cast and how to get the right perfomances out of the actors….he’s proven that throughout his whole career thus far. I wouldn’t worry too much about who will play the joker whoever it will be i’m sure it will be good.
crispin glover is the man for the joker.!!!!!!!!!!!!! the man is a weirdo anyways i mean has anybody ever seen WILLARD?! jack nicholson is un replaceable but glover is the man to do it
o come on its sean i love the man he just seems to know what to do and how to do it
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
John says, “Now, having said that, I still think Crispin Glover is the man to play The Joker. I think he’d make people forget Jack Nicholson ever even played the part”.
What a disrespectful comment to give about a really brilliant actor who has proven now and again how versatile he can be. IMHO, that’s quite a strong statement to make John, what other films can Glover boast of that he has even shown range? Or lets take your argument even if he gets to be Joker, that will prolly be the only character he will be remembered more of.
Sean Penn doesn’t sound like a bad choice but as someone already asked…does he have the comedic timing? I can’t remember him ever being remotely funny. I know nothing of Crispin Glover but he has that triangular face shape that I’ve always visualized the Joker as having in the comics.
I’m more concerned about what the title of the sequel will be. Two of the worst possible titles for the Batman sequel are:
Batman Begins Again
Batman Continues
Doh! Correct ‘callenging’ to ‘challenging’.
“It was a challenging role and he played it flawlessly. Leave everything else out of it and just look at the performance.”
I don’t know how going over saccarine TV-movie-of-the-Week cliches can be called a ‘callenging role’. I think that the script is very much apart of the performance…A great actor (which Penn most certainly is!) can make a fair bit more out of weak dialogue and character logic/motivation/context. But it still doesn’t make it a ‘fantastic’ performance. I am Sam is Penn’s worst performance in a Decade (full disclouse: I’ve not seen THE INTERPRETER).
Yep, I understand that it is all subjective. For the record, I also strongly disliked Forrest Gump, A Beautiful Mind…so we are certainly at odds on the issue of what actually deserves an Oscar. Perhaps I’m giving Oscar a shine (i.e. picking a Best Picture which actually has substance) it doesn’t deserve.
/Yes, I’m way off thread…
Penn wouldnt be bad if Christian Bale was in his 40’s. But he’s supposed to be a young Bruce Wayne and therefore his nemesis shouldnt be that much older than him.
Crispin Glover is still the “Brilliant” casting. Going for someone like Penn is leaning too much on the celebrity factor and thats part of what destroyed the original batman.
Yeah, as much as I love Sean Penn movies (and I do – I really do), I don’t see him being able to be goofy and mockish enough to pull of the funnier aspects of The Joker. I’m not asking for a clown for this role, but the role does require a lot of comedic timing, and I can’t recall if Sean has any. I can’t even recall his stints on SNL as a host or in any of those comedy sketches. Must not have been memorable or impressive to me.
Hmm… Yeah, my money’s still on Crispin.
Oh come on Triflic!!!
Get serious! The performance was astounding! Who cares if “that sort of role wins awards” or if the movie was any good or not. The performance itself was fantastic.
It was a challenging role and he played it flawlessly. Leave everything else out of it and just look at the performance.
Oh well… it’s all subjective I guess.
Cheers mate.
“The guy has 1 Oscar on his shelf already (and probably should have got another one for his role in I Am Sam)”
If you mean because the movie was blatant ‘Oscar-bait’ and typically playing a handicapped person of some sort wins academy awards, I may agree with you…If you mean because the movie or performance were any good…Well, you are insane…
I love Sean Penn, I love how he can change his roles and really act. I mean to go from playing Spicoli to getting lead roles in which he wins Oscars is great. I just don’t see him as a good Joker. I am looking forward to seeing him in The Interpretor. I have some feeling the movie might suck, but on many an occassion I have been proved wrong with my own eyes. You have to see things before you really can understand and know them. Paul Bettany is still my favorite choice right now. Crispin Glover was my second. Nicholus Cage would be my 6th.