Joaquin Phoenix To Play BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN Villain?

A lot of actors’ names have been thrown around as casting rumors for Batman vs. Superman, but outside of Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot, nothing official has been announced regarding new characters appearing in the Man of Steel sequel. However, we might be getting closer to figuring out who one of the characters might be. According to Variety, Warner Bros. is eyeing Joaquin Phoenix to play the villain, and while it’s not confirmed who that villain will be, odds are it will probably be Lex Luthor.

Don’t get too excited, however. As Variety notes, “it’s very early in the process,” and there’s not even a guarantee that Phoenix would take the role. He has tried to stay away from big budget productions, and is also considering an offer to star in Gus Van Sant’s upcoming movie Sea of Trees. Phoenix is currently being lauded for his role in Her, and was also nominated for multiple awards for his performance in last year’s The Master.

This is an interesting casting choice to be sure. I haven’t seen much of Phoenix’s work outside of Walk The Line, but he’s an excellent actor from what I’ve heard. If he does take the role and end up playing Lex Luthor, I’m curious to see how he’ll look bald. Other than that, I’m sure he’ll nail the role. I’d especially like to see Phoenix try to strike an alliance Affleck as Bruce Wayne, similar to the two characters briefly working together in the 1990s World’s Finest animated crossover episode.

SOURCE: Variety