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Robin Williams was a connoisseur of the comedy genre. Even though it has been almost a decade since he passed away, we cannot help but spare a laugh or two when he pops up on our screens. The late comedy king, unfortunately, never got to bring a comic book character to life, and given his talents and demeanor, this was one hell of a missed opportunity. His take on this characters would have been a treat to watch!
However, there were a few times when Robin Williams came this close to becoming a part of the superhero universe. From Tim Burton’sBatmanto Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy, he kept his hopes of playing a villain up, alas, to no avail. To top it all off, when Jim Carrey, another comedy master, was chosen to play the Riddler over Robin Williams, rumors stated that the latter wasn’t too happy about it.
Also Read:“What was that?”: Robin Williams Bleated Like A Goat To Get Legendary Co-star’s Attention Who Used To Roar Like A Lion Before Every Take
Robin Williams’ UnfruitfulBatmanJourney
Also Read:“We had a deal”: Disney Betrayed Robin Williams After Paying Him Only $75,000 For a Movie That Earned Over $500 Million
Although theBatmanfranchise has seen unimaginable heights, we cannot help but wonder what it would’ve been like ifRobin Williamswas a part of it. For starters, Williams was supposed to play the role of the iconic villain, Joker, inTim Burton’sBatman.Of course, the role ultimately went toJack Nicholson. Williams was clearly not happy about this as he stated in an interview,
“It happens. Sometimes they use you as bait. They’ll say, ‘Were sending it out to him,’ and you go for it. And then they give it to somebody else.”
Moving on, while theJumanjiactor was tapped in to play the Riddler inBatman Forever,the role went toJim Carrey. In fact, the film’s screenwriter confirmed that the role was written with Williams in mind. Rumors circulated that Williams was unhappy with the switch and that the two comedians were in a feud. But Carrey was quick to shut down the rumors.
Williams never gave up on his Batman dream though. He kept his hopes alive and in an interview with Empire, he sent a message toChristopher Nolanstating that he would love to play the Riddler in his next film.
“I would work with Chris again in a second, playing anyone in anything. I’d play the Riddler in the next Batman, although it’d be hard to top Heath as the villain, and I’m a little hairy for tights. I’m using this article as an ad. Chris, call me, I’ll do anything. I could be a great character — or some weird little man in the background in Arkham Asylum.”
William really wanted to be a part of the comic book universe, especially theBatmanfranchise. Unfortunately, the stars didn’t align in his favor and he had to say goodbye to the world before his dream came true.
Also Read:Robin Williams Earned His Biggest Pay Cheque of $20 Million to Play a Robot in a Movie That Made No Profit at Box Office
Robin Williams Was A Comic Book Geek
Dave Itzkoff wrote a biography of Williams titled,Robin.However, unlike others, Itzkoff showed a different side of the late comedian, a side that loved geeking out about comic books. In an interview withJimmy FallononThe Tonight Show,Itzkoff recalled how Williams promised to take him to the Forbidden Planet. While the writer thought it was another empty promise from a celebrity, Williams came through.
Itzkoff realized Williams’ enthusiasm for comic books stating,
“He was like a kid in a candy store. He’s like walking around, looking at all the statuettes and he’s like, ‘I got that one at home, got that one, don’t have the one yet.”
There’s just something comforting about knowing that the celebrities we look up to are in some way, just like us. While Williams’ contribution to cinema will never be forgotten, we’ll always wonder what it would’ve been like to see him play a comic book villain.
You can streamThe Dark Knighttrilogy on Max.
Source:Empire (via Yahoo)
Mishkaat Khan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2257
A connoisseur of all things horror, fantasy, and the occasional chick flick, Mishkaat has been penning pieces for FandomWire since 2022. She started off as an intern and has worked her way up to a Senior Writer with over 2000 articles to her name.Outside of entertainment, she has also written well-researched medical content as a freelance writer and has experience in social media management.When not writing, you can find her relaxing with a romance novel and a tall glass of iced coffee in her hand or watching re-runs of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘The Office.’
