Movies

Batman Fans Were Robbed of Two Perfect Villains Played By Robin Williams

Batman Fans Were Robbed of Two Perfect Villains Played By Robin Williams
Image credit: Legion-Media/globallookpress

Robin Williams is remembered by the majority mainly as a comedic or positive character.

However, fans could see him in the completely opposite hypostasis — Robin almost got the role of the main villains of Gotham, the Joker and the Riddler.

It is difficult to imagine Robin Williams in the movie about superheroes, and even more so, playing not the role of a protagonist, but the main villain.

However, apparently this was one of the goals and dreams of the actor, since he more than once tried to make it to the movies about Batman made by Schumacher and Burton.

Robin tried out for the role of the Joker in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman movie. However, the Warner Bros. studio initially had their own ideas about the movie and who should play the main villain.

The studio executives wanted Jack Nicholson to play the Joker but he turned down the role.

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At the same time, Robin laid out to the full to play Batman's main enemy — it was unclear whether he wanted to become a Joker embodiment so much or it was a desire to work with Tim Burton, but it is known that the actor did everything in his power to get a role, and he succeeded.

However, the studio had a plan that, in its villainy, perked the wicked nature of Joker himself. Williams' claim to the role was merely a ploy to lure Jack Nicholson, the studio's front-runner for the part.

When Nicholson was informed that if he did not agree to play Joker, his role would be taken by Williams, the actor did not need much time to have a sweat of his decision to refuse.

The news of this threw Williams into a rage, which is not at all surprising. Audiences got one of the most striking Jokers in movie history but the ugly story behind the casting does the studio no credit.

Robin Williams' involvement with Batman movies did not end there.

Again, it was not known whether the next step of the Warner Bros. was a kind of apology to the actor, or he himself reconciled from the previous situation, however, Robin had every chance of playing the Riddler in the movie Batman Forever.

It is known that the character was written with Robin in mind to play the villain, but the contract was never signed and the actor turned the role down. The privilege of wearing a green suit and asking crazy questions went to Jim Carrey.

According to fans, this is a great shame and an oversight on the part of the studio, as Robin could be a great incarnation of if not the Joker then at least the Riddler.

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Although the actor is best known for his comedic roles, he has proven on screen that he is up to the task of dramatic roles.

In Christopher Nolan 's Insomnia, it turned out that an actor's charming smile can have a completely uncharismatic connotation, and a pleasant face can turn out to be the mask of a maniac.