Back when the concept of Matt Reeves' THE BATMAN was nothing but a rumor, Josh Gad took to social media to tease Bat-fans about the prospect of him starring as the Penguin for the Dark Knight's next solo outing. Unsurprisingly, the internet responded with cheers at the thought of Gad wielding the cantankerous villain's signature umbrella and bespoke finery, but alas, the FROZEN and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST alum was never officially considered for the role. That being the case, Gad never made any kind of effort to debunk the speculation, even after Reeves' project was confirmed with Robert Pattinson to star as the World's Greatest Detective … until today.
Early Friday afternoon, Gad posted an update to the Penguin situation that's bound to ruffle a few feathers. It would appear as if the MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS actor is not going to be suiting up as the monocled menace for Reeves' film, much to my personal dismay.
You can see Gad's Twitter post that puts the rumor to bed below:
I now have a laundry list of questions: Does Gad know something about Reeves' film that we don't? Will the Penguin be featured in the film but perhaps the part went to someone else? Andy Serkis, anyone?
It's to be understood that Gad doesn't want to contribute to the Bat-rumor mill any longer, as official news about the project is bound to start rolling in. For now, THE BATMAN is set to begin production in early 2020, with Robert Pattinson starring as Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman. In the spirit of bunking tradition, Warner Bros. plans to skip this year's San Diego Comic-Con celebration, where in year's past the studio has typically taken over Hall H to reveal details about their upcoming slate of films. Obviously, SDCC would have served as a great platform to reveal details about Reeves' Bat-film, though now it sounds as if any updates will be reported online.
Would you have liked to see Josh Gad in the role of the Penguin for THE BATMAN? What villains are you hoping will be included in Reeves' trilogy? Let us know in the comments section below!