Ashton as Batman: An update, if you care...

[Guest Downhome]

From joblo.com so here ya go...

 

Can you see that goofball at the right starring as Batman? Neither can I but apparently someone can. Reports popped up late last week and early this week that Warner Bros' number one choice to star as Batman was Ashton Kutcher. First came E! Online, then came Dark Horizons and then Batman-on-Film, all corroborating the rumor through separate inside sources. Needless to say this sparked a firestorm of controversy as fanboys worldwide choked on their microwave burrito and Bob Kane's grave started spinning like a top. I kept my mouth shut until I could dig deeper into these rumors because I wanted to count to 10, close my eyes and hope that when I opened them it was all a bad dream. Was it? Well not really no. Ashton Kutcher quite apparently was and still is the BATMAN star of choice for Warner Bros.

 

Now that the smoke has cleared (somewhat) we can take a look-see at what's going on. Like I said above, Kutcher is the top choice to star in BATMAN for Warner Bros. execs who were apparently so wowed by his SUPERMAN screen test, they've had him in mind for the Dark Knight since Day One. But since director Christopher Nolan is a wise, wise man, he's not quite sold on the Kutcher idea. Because the WB respects and has a decent working relationship with Nolan, they haven't forced Kutcher down his throat. Doing so could only unearth another SUPERMAN-esque debacle which nobody wants. So Nolan has asked for, and apparently received, a casting extension until the end of the summer. This gives him two more months to either a) convince Warners of his suggestions (i.e., Guy Pierce) or b) become convinced himself that Kutcher is indeed the right guy for the part.

 

As it stands now, BATMAN is on the super-duper-fasttrack with the studio feeling this is the best chance it has (CATWOMAN aside) to get a comic book movie based on one of its popular characters in theaters. A tentative release date of summer 2005 has been pencilled in and once a suitable lead is decided upon at the end of this summer, filming could begin as early as late 2003/early 2004. So everyone can relax for the time being and wait with bated breath for the end of August to roll around. Thanks to Batman-on-Film and ChristopherNolan.net for help in the research.

 

...Christopher Nolan, you are the man and you are one of the new guy that I look up to the most. I trust you, just please, please keep Ashton from becoming Batman.

 

Could you guys see Guy Pierce playing the part? I could personally, as he has a very dark side to him, which is what I want this new Batman to have...a very dark side.

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[Guest El Satanico]

So they were impressed by his screen test for Superman...so automatically said "He's the perfect Batman". Riiiight

 

These execs have no clue what they are talking about...imagine that.

 

Superman and Batman are totally different and the perfect Superman would be a terrible Batman.

[Guest starvenger]

Could you guys see Guy Pierce playing the part? I could personally, as he has a very dark side to him, which is what I want this new Batman to have...a very dark side.

Well, as long as he doesn't play him like his character in Count of Monte Cristo I'd be all for it.

 

As it stands now, BATMAN is on the super-duper-fasttrack with the studio feeling this is the best chance it has (CATWOMAN aside) to get a comic book movie based on one of its popular characters in theaters.

Super-duper-fasttrack? WTF kind of reporting is this?

 

Anyways, I'll believe that a DC movie is on the way when I actually SEE posters and trailers for it...

[Guest NoCalMike]

Ashton as Batman is one hell of a stupid idea.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

I would sooner want to see Rob Van Dam as Batman....

 

 

"Hey, Alfred-dude! Check it out! That guy with all the makeup is sabotaging the museum!"

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

Give it to Barry Pepper. Underrated as fuck.

[Guest Choken One]

I said Barry Pepper weeks ago and people Laughed at me... Little Bitches.

[Guest Choken One]

Hell...Take Henry Rollins...

 

He'll make that shit work.

[Guest Lethargic]

2005? That's a long friggin time. I wish they'd just hurry the fuck up. Even if the movie sucks, just hurry up and get the bastard out so I can either praise it or piss on it. Just DO IT already.

[Guest mach7]

I'm not so sure that I could see Guy Pierce as Batman... He'd definitely need to gain some mass to play the part.

[Guest notJames]

That didn't seem to be a problem for Michael Keaton.

 

I'd take Guy Pearce over Barry Pepper, but that's just me. I'm perfectly fine never seeing another Batman movie again, considering how the franchise has gone so far. Besides, I'm a Marvel fan at heart, and I haven't really been disappointed with the current crop of films (aside from maybe Daredevil).

 

That said, part of me does hope Kutcher gets the nod. The backlash will no doubt be more entertaining than the actual movie.

Edited July 2, 2003 by notJames

[Guest Vyce]

Ashton is nothing but the flavor of the month. Casting him as Batman would be colossally unwise, but at this point I've lost all faith in Warner Bros.' ability to manage their comic book properties.

 

And for the record, I'd be fine with either Pearce or Pepper, but I personally think Pearce would be the slightly better choice.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

The next batman should be Mr. T.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

I like Berry Pepper, but he doesn't look like Bruce Wayne. Guy Pierce would be perfect.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

The next batman should be Mr. T.

Batman: "Scarcrow! Put up ya fists foo! We fightin!"

 

That would own.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I'd actually like it, and maybe even call it a good movie, unlike every batman movie ever made aside from Michael Keaton vs. Jack as the Joker.

[Guest Mattdotcom]

I saw a RUMOR on Dark Horizons that Christopher Lloyd has been seen with a script in one hand and Nolan's hand in the other. They linked him to possibly playing the Scarecrow, which made me all giddy in how perfect it could be.

[Guest Ripper]

The Scarecrow should be played by noone outside of martin Short. Short IS the scarecrow.

 

And seriously, Ashton has been famous for about 4-5 years now....I think its time to drop the flash in the pan, 15 minutes of fame tag. Not that I want to see him as batman, but come on.

[Guest starvenger]

The Scarecrow should be played by noone outside of martin Short. Short IS the scarecrow.

 

And seriously, Ashton has been famous for about 4-5 years now....I think its time to drop the flash in the pan, 15 minutes of fame tag. Not that I want to see him as batman, but come on.

Sure. If Ashton is Batman, might as well have Short - as Jackie Rogers, Jr - play Scarecrow...

[Guest JMA]

I pretty much hate all the live-action Batman movies. The Bat costumes were just so unbelievably bad. That and I think Tim Burton is a hack. I feel Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman movie made so far. They need to cast someone with actual muscles to play Bruce/Batman. We can't afford another Michael Keaton. And I've already mentioned I won't be seeing the movie if it follows the continuity of the previous ones.

[Guest DrTom]

Why is it that Marvel seems to have no trouble getting people cast in roles like Spider-Man and Bruce Banner, but Warner Bros and DC have impossible times casting two of the most seminal heroes of all? I know Marvel's not tied to one studio, so it's probably just WB mismanagement, but come on. They're looking like bigger laughingstocks every time Marvel gets a movie onto the big screen.

[Guest notJames]

I think that says it right there. Warner Bros. (and Time-Warner in general) just seems so steeped in bullshit politics that they can't do anything without someone puling a power play. One only needs to look at the demise of wCw to see the kind of idiotic bureaucracy that is preventing them from greenlighting DC's answer to Spider-Man and X-Men.

 

Stupid humans. I'll stick with Marvel.

[Guest the 1inch punch]

Why is it that Marvel seems to have no trouble getting people cast in roles like Spider-Man and Bruce Banner, but Warner Bros and DC have impossible times casting two of the most seminal heroes of all?

Actually Sam Raimi nearly quit Spiderman because the studio didnt want Tobey, and Ang Lee had much the smae difficulties with Bana

[Guest notJames]

And yet, here we are today, with both The Hulk and Spider-Man both having successfully hit the silver screen, while their DC counterparts are still in Tinseltown limbo.

 

Just goes to show that some people can work things out to get the job done, while others will constantly and idiotically lobby for giant robotic spiders in every movie.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

There still hasn't been a Marvel movie as good as Superman or Batman Returns.

 

When WB does pull their heads out of their asses, they can do it right.

[Guest NoCalMike]

And yet, here we are today, with both The Hulk and Spider-Man both having successfully hit the silver screen, while their DC counterparts are still in Tinseltown limbo.

 

Just goes to show that some people can work things out to get the job done, while others will constantly and idiotically lobby for giant robotic spiders in every movie.

possibly, but we are talking 30 years ago.

[Guest JMA]

There still hasn't been a Marvel movie as good as Superman or Batman Returns.

 

When WB does pull their heads out of their asses, they can do it right.

I feel "Spider-Man" has surpassed "Superman." And like I've mentioned before, I thought all the live-action Batman movies were crap.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

There still hasn't been a Marvel movie as good as Superman or Batman Returns.

 

When WB does pull their heads out of their asses, they can do it right.

I feel "Spider-Man" has surpassed "Superman." And like I've mentioned before, I thought all the live-action Batman movies were crap.

In what universe was Spider-Man better then Superman?

 

 

Oh, and Batman Returns was a perfect comic book movie. The Hulk tried to be Marvel's Batman Returns and failed miserably.

[Guest Lethargic]

In what universe was Spider-Man better then Superman?

Most of them. The real question is what universe is Batman Returns even a GOOD comic movie much less a PERFECT one?

 

The latest from Superhero Hype who are usually right....

 

We've been getting quite a bit of e-mails about the rumors around the web on director Christopher Nolan's new Batman movie. We've heard anything from Ashton Kutcher and Guy Pearce for the title role, and Christopher Lloyd for The Scarecrow. Our sources say no one has been cast yet and that Warner Bros. is currently figuring out what to do with the projects (yes, that includes Superman).

 

Cinescape also reports...

 

And almost everyone else has reported the story that Ashton Kutcher is close, if not already cast, as the new Batman. Not so says our own sources who claim that the role is still anyone's to grab. Supposedly the decision about who will play the new Batman is contingent on the director and senior WB personnel, which makes sense.

[Guest Mik at Cornell]

Ashton is doing quite well in ESPN.com's "Most Overrated Person Alive" tournament. Go and vote for him! It's down to the Elite 8. I think it's him, Jimmy Fallon, Ja Rule, American Idol (Clay/Reuben), and some others remaining! I hope either Ja or Ashton wins.