The next Batman

[Silver Nemesis]

The latest casting rumour is that Mark Strong and Bryan Cranston are up for the part of Lex Luthor:
http://screenrant.com/superman-batman-movie-man-steel-2-lex-luthor-mark-strong-bryan-cranston/

I'm not enthusiastic about Strong. He's already played villains in two comic book movies and I think there are more appropriate candidates out there.

Cranston would be better, but he's a bit old and I'd much rather see him play Commissioner Gordon than Lex. He was perfect in Batman: Year One (2011) and he could easily carry off the role in live action.

[johnnygobbs]

The latest casting rumour is that Mark Strong and Bryan Cranston are up for the part of Lex Luthor:
http://screenrant.com/superman-batman-movie-man-steel-2-lex-luthor-mark-strong-bryan-cranston/

I'm not enthusiastic about Strong. He's already played villains in two comic book movies and I think there are more appropriate candidates out there.

Cranston would be better, but he's a bit old and I'd much rather see him play Commissioner Gordon than Lex. He was perfect in Batman: Year One (2011) and he could easily carry off the role in live action.

Of the two choices I personally prefer Strong.  Cranston is one of my favourite actors (as for that matter is Strong) but like you I'd rather see him as a future Commissioner Gordon or some other type of avuncular good guy in a comic-book movie context.  Also, I'd like to see the next Lex Luthor be portrayed as a smooth charmer, which was one of the elements I felt that 'The New Adventures of Superman' AKA 'Lois and Clark' got the most right.  I fear that if Cranston ended up as Luthor we'd end up with yet another semi-comic middle-aged shyster akin to the versions of Luthor already played by Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey.  Do we really need to see that version again?

With Strong you're at least more likely to get a darker, more deadly, sinister type of Luthor.

Silver, what other candidates would you like to see up for the part?

[BatmAngelus]

I think both would do fine in the role, but I agree that Strong's typecasting as villains (Sunshine, Sherlock Holmes, Kick-Ass, Robin Hood, John Carter, and Green Lantern) and Cranston's age count against them. 

With Cranston, having a famous actor who's old enough to be Superman's father playing Lex would be yet another echo of the Donner movies in this MoS franchise, though Snyder and Goyer's comments on the character give me hope that their take would be more in line with the S:TAS version that fans want to see.

I think Cranston's performance in the Heisenberg scenes of Breaking Bad show that he could pull off the sinister LexCorp Lex that we've been waiting to see on the big screen.  But then again, you could also watch Se7en or Swimming with Sharks and think Kevin Spacey would've played a darker, more serious Lex than what we got.  In the end, it all comes down to how the character's written.

Funny enough, some of these casting rumors were preceded by these actors' current roles.  On Mad Men, Jon Hamm's character was talked about being his back in Season 1 with one character saying, "He could be Batman for all we know."  In Breaking Bad, Cranston's character shaves his head after his hair starts falling out due to chemo and another character tells him he looks like Lex Luthor.

[Silver Nemesis]

Silver, what other candidates would you like to see up for the part?

I'm not sure really. I have strong views on who I think should play Batman, and moderate views on who I think should play certain supporting characters. But when it comes to Lex I'm less certain. I'd rather it not be Strong or Cranston, for the very same reasons you and BatmAngelus outlined. 

What would you think about Billy Zane? I'm not the first person to suggest him for the role, but I think he's quite a good match. He's 6 feet tall, which is only 1 inch taller than the Silver Age Lex. He has the same eye colour as the Silver Age Lex too. And he's... well... bald. I actually think he looks a lot like the Lex from Superman: The Animated Series. He has quite a deep voice like him too.

He'd be 48 when they start filming, but his features are deceptively youthful. One of the things I liked about the Lois and Clark Lex was that you never knew how old he really was. Initially he looks like a fairly young guy in his early forties, but in later episodes they uncover evidence that suggests he could be in his sixties or seventies and may have used science to de-age himself. Zane's Lex could have a similarly ageless quality about him.

I don't know how good an actor Zane really is, but I suspect he's good enough to carry off this role. He's worked with some top talent over the years, including Robert Zemeckis, David Lynch and James Cameron. And he's got a suave charm about him that would be perfect for duping the public into thinking he's a benevolent philanthropist.

The Hackman and Spacey Luthors were both demented outcasts. I reckon we should have a Lex who operates in the public eye, right under the noses of the law, and yet still gets away without so much as a parking ticket. His cult of personality would help cement his political power, and this could lead into a Public Enemies-style narrative where he manipulates popular opinion and turns everyone against Superman and Batman.

Basically I'd like something along the lines of the John Shea and Clancy Brown Luthors. And I think Zane could be the right man for the part. But my feelings aren't terribly strong on the subject, so I'm perfectly open to other suggestions. Maybe there's someone better I haven't thought of yet.

[The Laughing Fish]

I prey that this is nothing more than a rumour, but there is a claim saying that WB has reportedly offered $50 million to Bale to return as Batman for Batman vs Superman and Justice League. Then again, the same report also says that a stunt actor named Scott Adkins auditioned for the role (apparently he was the stunt actor who portrayed Deadpool in the third act of X-Men Origins: Wolverine).

Source: http://nukethefridge.com/2013/08/09/50-million-offered-to-christian-bale-to-reprise-his-role-as-batman-in-justice-league-film/

To me, the only way that Bale could believably return as Batman is if he portrays a different version than the movies. Otherwise, if he were to come back and subject me to anymore of his dumbfounded, incompetent cookie monster Batman - but this time with Cavill's otherwise good portrayal as Superman, then count me out.

[BatmAngelus]

Just posted about the Bale rumors in a different thread:
http://www.batman-online.com/forum/index.php?topic=2272.msg36414;topicseen#new

Long story short- it was one insider's quote being misconstrued as news.  It's pretty much one anonymous guy saying, "WB would probably have to pay him 50 million dollars to come back..." that's now turned into "Oh my God, WB's offered Bale 50 million dollars to come back!"

As for Adkins, the news of his audition apparently comes from his Facebook page, but the source link has expired: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/KingLeonidas/news/?a=85165

As has the tweet: https://twitter.com/TheScottAdkins

So, I'd say neither piece of news is actually true.

To me, the only way that Bale could believably return as Batman is if he portrays a different version than the movies. Otherwise, if he were to come back and subject me to anymore of his dumbfounded, incompetent cookie monster Batman - but this time with Cavill's otherwise good portrayal as Superman, then count me out.

I know how you feel.  There are actually fans on SuperheroHype hoping for Bale to return, but as a different version of Batman, just so he can come back in a way that the character's return doesn't "tarnish" the end of the TDK Trilogy.  I feel this smacks of desperation.

[The Laughing Fish]

Well, even if it is unlikely to be true, I wouldn't know what would be worse otherwise: Bale acting at his worst for yet another outing, or getting paid $50 million for it. I for one hope that he continues to shine in the right films and prove his true skills as actor like in The Fighter and potentially American Hustle, then watch him make a fool of himself by looking dull as Bruce Wayne, and trying to sound 'intimidating' as Batman. 

[thecolorsblend]

Long story short- it was one insider's quote being misconstrued as news.  It's pretty much one anonymous guy saying, "WB would probably have to pay him 50 million dollars to come back..." that's now turned into "Oh my God, WB's offered Bale 50 million dollars to come back!"

Sounds like a game of Telephone.

Really, the answer here is that some people are complete fvcking idiots. My friend's roommate is like that. He's the most socially retarded person I've ever met. FFS, the stories I could tell you. But anyway he's the reason that websites which push absolute BS as confirmed fact ever get any traction. Idiots like him read something like what you posted, misconstrue it, blab it up to completely disinterested people and that's how the story gets mangled. If there's a chain of information (or communication), well, any chain is only as strong as the weakest link and when some nitwit with a room temperature IQ gets linked in, watch out.

[johnnygobbs]

Silver, what other candidates would you like to see up for the part?

I'm not sure really. I have strong views on who I think should play Batman, and moderate views on who I think should play certain supporting characters. But when it comes to Lex I'm less certain. I'd rather it not be Strong or Cranston, for the very same reasons you and BatmAngelus outlined. 

What would you think about Billy Zane? I'm not the first person to suggest him for the role, but I think he's quite a good match. He's 6 feet tall, which is only 1 inch taller than the Silver Age Lex. He has the same eye colour as the Silver Age Lex too. And he's... well... bald. I actually think he looks a lot like the Lex from Superman: The Animated Series. He has quite a deep voice like him too.

He'd be 48 when they start filming, but his features are deceptively youthful. One of the things I liked about the Lois and Clark Lex was that you never knew how old he really was. Initially he looks like a fairly young guy in his early forties, but in later episodes they uncover evidence that suggests he could be in his sixties or seventies and may have used science to de-age himself. Zane's Lex could have a similarly ageless quality about him.

I don't know how good an actor Zane really is, but I suspect he's good enough to carry off this role. He's worked with some top talent over the years, including Robert Zemeckis, David Lynch and James Cameron. And he's got a suave charm about him that would be perfect for duping the public into thinking he's a benevolent philanthropist.

The Hackman and Spacey Luthors were both demented outcasts. I reckon we should have a Lex who operates in the public eye, right under the noses of the law, and yet still gets away without so much as a parking ticket. His cult of personality would help cement his political power, and this could lead into a Public Enemies-style narrative where he manipulates popular opinion and turns everyone against Superman and Batman.

Basically I'd like something along the lines of the John Shea and Clancy Brown Luthors. And I think Zane could be the right man for the part. But my feelings aren't terribly strong on the subject, so I'm perfectly open to other suggestions. Maybe there's someone better I haven't thought of yet.

I'm 100% with you on Zane Silver Nemesis.  Like you I think he would be ideal for portraying the smooth, charming yet sinister 'insider' type of Luthor who could convincingly run for President that's so far been missing from the movies but was portrayed brilliantly by John Shea on 'Lois & Clark'.

Unfortunately, I think the boat has sadly sailed on the possibility of Zane playing Luthor.  If Zane ever was a star that time has long since passed and I suspect WB will be looking to cast a 'name' actor or at least a highly-rated character actor along the lines of Michael Shannon in the part (which is why the Mark Strong and Bryan Cranston rumours ring particularly true).

As an alternative to Zane, who I nevertheless would love to see play Luthor in an ideal world, I think Bruce Willis could possibly work as the type of charismatic, yet simultaneously intimidating and bullying, self-made businessman style version of the character and it's about time Willis played a high-profile villain role (he's one of the few aging former A-listers who hasn't) as long as he resisted any urge to camp it up.

[The Laughing Fish]

As an alternative to Zane, who I nevertheless would love to see play Luthor in an ideal world, I think Bruce Willis could possibly work as the type of charismatic, yet simultaneously intimidating and bullying, self-made businessman style version of the character and it's about time Willis played a high-profile villain role (he's one of the few aging former A-listers who hasn't) as long as he resisted any urge to camp it up.

Given how Bruce Willis is being exposed as being a prima donna nowadays, he'll be lucky that he won't be blacklisted if keeps burning bridges with everybody.