Fantasy Casting - Batman in the 1970s
So welcome to fantasy casting! Yes it is nothing new. The Internet is full of stuff like this but I still enjoy doing it. I will try not to double up on any other similar pages out there. With future posts I’ll go a bit more left of field, but first up I will do the more popular characters.
Introducing Batman if it was made in the 70’s!
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Batman/Bruce Wayne Now, I don’t think Batman is all that political, but I think that is because he does not have the time for politics. If he was a political person, I think he might be a Republican and when I think of Republicans actors I think of Clint Eastwood.
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Catwoman / Selina Kyle Now, before everyone goes Selina Kyle is white... yeah, but not in this version. I have taken some liberties for the overall project. It’s important to me to nail the character traits first. Catwoman is a strong, sexy woman who lives outside of the law and can go toe to toe with Batman. Pam Grier ticks off the strong and sexy aspects and she can go toe to toe with any man. |
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Two Face/Harvey Dent Harvey Dent is meant to inspire people. He is meant to be Bruce and Batman’s buddy, someone who is incorruptible, an Elliot Ness type. Robert Redford has these qualities in spades, but when he awakens Two Face, the gangster comes out. Some of Robert's best roles are when he lets the anger out. This is a no brainer for me. |
The Joker Well what can I say? If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. We all saw it in the 1989 Batman film with Jack Nicholson, but imagine if he had youth on his side and the physicality of when he was in The Shining. How great would it be to have him running all over the place with that crazy smile of his? More importantly the Joker and Batman dynamic work because they oppose each other on every level. Could you imagine Jack Nicholson facing off against Clint Eastwood in their prime?
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The Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot The Penguin is a gangster, he is not driven by most of the crazy world that is Gotham City. He just wants money and power. You see great performances that have all those things in Burt Young’s career. In Rocky 1 and 2, before he became the joke, he had such emotional highs and lows that would explode in violent bursts. Perfect for The Penguin! |
Alfred Pennyworth In 1981 John Gielgud would play one of the greatest butlers in cinema history to the very demanding, and delusional Dudley Moore in Arthur. Therefore I think it would not be any stretch for him to play the butler to the demanding and delusional Batman. |
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Robin/Dick Grayson Here’s another one where I have taken some liberties. I have made Robin into a girl; Oscar winner Tatum O'Neal, to be exact. Not only did she look the part when she won an Academy Award at the age of 10. She would also be the right age to play Robin as he was in the comics. Now, before you say that it’s not believable, Shut up! It’s a movie. It’s more believable than a rich middle aged man adopting men in their 20’s (Chris O’Donnell was 25 when he played the Boy Wonder). |
Batgirl/Barbara Gordon Batgirl needs to be a tough, young chick who thinks she can pull this off with no one's help. Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver is exactly that… ( minus the child prostitution…). |
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Jim Gordon |
Harley Quinn What can I say, Sally Field in the 70’s was just plain fun. Whether she is hanging out with the bandit or getting into bar bawls in Hooper. She would make an amazing team with Jack Nicholson’s Joker. Come on you can just picture her in this make-up! |
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Bane |
Poison Ivy/Pamela Isley Brigitte Bardot stepped away from acting in the 70’s but she did make a few films. Who else would I get to play the woman who can seduce any man? Well I would get the woman who could seduce any man.
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Mr Freeze/Victor Freeze |
The Riddler I made Catwoman African-American, I turned Robin into a girl and Poison Ivy is French, but I think this is going to be the one that divides everyone. Woody Allen as The Riddler. Before he was the award winning problematic director and accused pedophile that we all know and hate, he was an actor who was not afraid of hamming it up. He had a unique look and style. With all the characters being so dark in this film world, I want someone who could be playful, someone who uses their mind to battle Batman and has the physical appearance to represent that. Plus we get to see Batman turn his manipulative grooming face into swiss cheese.
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Lucius Fox Sidney Poitier just sounds plain smart. The way he delivers his lines in a controlled well paced manner means you can’t help but feel you’re speaking to someone of a higher education. He would be a tad younger then other interpretations but that is pretty much across the board with this cast. I have no problem believing that he is the one behind all Batman's amazing toys. |
Killer Croc Killer Croc needs to be big. Creature suits don’t make the jump in awesomeness until the late 70s, early 80s. So we have to take a little bit of a different approach by casting a big, scary guy and perhaps do something with his mouth that makes him earn the name Killer Croc.
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Scarecrow We need someone with an educated background who also has an amoral psycho glint in their eye. Boom. Mr. Clockwork Orange himself, Malcolm McDowell. In the process of coming up with these fantasy casting I have stumbled upon some other castings out there with Malcolm McDowell on the list, but always as The Riddler. I can see how he could work for that role, but I think he would get a kick out of torturing people with fear gas more than leaving riddles everywhere. |
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What else have we done in the world of the Dark Knight?
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Gotham 1919-1939Check out our hardcover almanac of the stories of Batman set between the two great wars. Pages and pages of portraits, stories, gadgets and toys. Find out more! |
