Following the departure of Zack Snyder, Warner Bros. have been re-organizing the building blocks which he first assembled for the DCEU. It remains to be seen how audiences will react to this new approach, but it has led to some interesting projects coming to life, including Ava DuVernay's NEW GODS, Cathy Yan's BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN), and Todd Phillips' JOKER, which isn't technically a part of the DCEU, but I'm still pumped to see Joaquin Phoenix's take on the Clown Prince of Crime. One of the more recent projects to be announced (just last week in fact) is a movie centered around the shape-shifting jokester/superhero known as Plastic Man.
Described as a comedic action-adventure film, Warner Bros. have tapped up-and-coming screenwriter Amanda Idoko with penning the script for PLASTIC MAN. Responding to the news on Twitter, Idoko exclaimed, "I love superhero movies so much and now I get to write one!!! This is truly a dream come true! My heart is racing! I’m so happy! I can’t even! Please excuse me while I- AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" Although this will be Plastic Man's first time on the big-screen, it's far from the first attempt as Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment was set to produce a PLASTIC MAN film in the mid-90s and the Wachowskis also developed their own PLASTIC MAN screenplay prior to making their directorial debut with BOUND. The character has made appearances on a number of animated series however, including SuperFriends, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Justice League: Action, and even took the lead in his own animated series,The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show, which aired on ABC from 1979-1981.
Now, just who the hell is Plastic Man? Well, he wasn't always the hero he would become. Patrick "Eel" O'Brian fell into a life of crime at an early age and soon became a member of a burglary ring where he specialized as a safe-cracker. However, during a late-night heist gone wrong, O'Brian is shot and accidentally finds himself doused with an unidentified chemical liquid. Left for dead by his gang, O'Brian recovers and soon discovers that the mysterious chemical has given him the ability to shape-shift and stretch his body into almost anything he can think of. Deciding to use these new powers for the side of law and order, O'Brian begins taking down criminals as Plastic Man. In addition to doing whatever a…rubber ball can, Plastic Man's extreme malleability and plastic physiology also means that he's nearly invulnerable and damn near immortal. In fact, Plastic Man's only weaknesses seem to be sudden and extreme changes in temperature, and that, for the most part, the only colours he can mimic are the ones already a part of his body and costume.
Now, who should play this plasticized hero? Had the PLASTIC MAN film actually got underway in the mid-90s, you can almost guarantee that Jim Carrey would have nabbed the role, but I fear that time has passed. I'll toss out a few suggestions to get the ball rolling. One actor who has already thrown their name out in regards to the role is Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation), who joked on Twitter that he'd "start stretching now just in case" when the news was announced. John Mulaney, who will soon be stepping into the realm of superheroes with his role of Spider-Ham in SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, could prove to be another interesting choice, but for my final suggestion I'll go with an actor who I would love to see take on the role: Bill Hader (Barry), who has shown that he can handle both comedy and drama with equal skill and conviction.
Remember, you're free to suggest anyone in the comments, so let your inner casting director run wild!
Previously on Cast This, you were asked to fill the role of Batman in The CW's Arrowverse. The Dark Knight hasn't yet popped up in the Arrowverse, but with characters such as Superman and Batwoman having already made appearances, I believe that it's only a matter of time. You folks were able to come up with some great suggestions for the role, including Matt Bomer (White Collar), Karl Urban (DREDD), and Jon Hamm (Mad Men).