Wonder Woman is a certified hit for Warner Bros., although it hasn’t yet been released in the US. At one time, rumor had it that it was yet another hot mess from the studio that brought us Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Apparently, those spreading the rumors wanted to be the first to broadcast that this shared universe had yet another failure, despite a complete lack of evidence and no sign of trouble on the set such as massive re-shoots or studio interference.
However, not all of the rumors about the DCEU are negative. Some actually display some optimism. Unlike the hot mess story, these actually appear to be grounded in fact. Sure, the grain of salt shouldn't be forgotten, but still.
This list is focused on DCEU casting rumors. So don't forget that salt, and keep on reading!
Mel Gibson and Suicide Squad 2
Yes, we know that this isn't a casting rumor, but it’s exciting, nonetheless!
When the studio announced that David Ayer would direct the first Suicide Squad movie, he seemed like the perfect choice. His previous movies weren't necessarily about villains, but his style definitely seemed to fit the Squad’s tone. But it didn’t turn out that way. And when he said that he’d be back for Suicide Squad 2 (which he said needed to be rated R), his words weren't met with the same enthusiasm.
So when Mel Gibson was rumored to be in line to direct the second installment, we thought that it couldn’t get better than that (instantly forgetting what the director said about superhero movies in general). He’s proved himself as a director on numerous occasions, even making a hit out of some guy running in the jungle.
Gibson is a bad boy, and his past troubles might be a deterrent. However, maybe he’s what Suicide Squad 2 needs.
According to Gibson, he met with Warner Bros. execs to exchange ideas. We’ve heard nothing more since February, but we hope this rumor turns out to be true. Just imagine an R-rated Suicide Squad directed by this guy!
Ruby Rose as Catwoman
While we can’t say that Ruby Rose has had extensive acting experience, with just five titles under her belt, her star has been on the rise since she appeared in Orange is the New Black. The actress’ movie credits include Resident Evil: The Final Chapter; xXx: Return of Xander Cage; and, most importantly, John Wick: Chapter 2.
So we were pretty interested when we heard the rumor that she would join the DC Extended Universe. It’s grounded in fact, but we’ll let you be the judge of that. Ruby Rose is now following Zack Snyder’s social media accounts.
Sure, it’s pretty thin, but we believe that she'd make a great Catwoman in the upcoming Gotham City Sirens, although she’s much younger than Ben Affleck. Plus, her many social media followers would certainly help the movie at the box office.
Speaking of The Batman"¦
Ben Affleck wants out of the DCEU
Despite being the best thing about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it appears that the whole DCEU experience left Ben Affleck with a bad taste. Facing pressure from both studio and fans, Affleck announced that he was dropping out as director of The Batman.
And then the rumors started to spread, and some of the sources were pretty reliable. Apparently, Affleck wants to leave the shared universe as soon as possible. He'll still star in Matt Reeves' Batman reboot, but that will be his last time playing the Caped Crusader.
We believe that Affleck is one of the best (if not the best) actors to have brought both Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight to life, so this rumor saddens us, especially since there’s a strong chance that it’s true. The same sources who said that he wanted out also said that he wouldn't direct The Batman way before the new broke out.
John Cleese joins the DC Extended Universe
This rumor popped up online last November, and it quickly became one of last year’s most exciting prospects. First, John Cleese followed both Ben Affleck and Zack Snyder on Twitter. Again, this alone was flimsy evidence that he was actually preparing to join the DC Extended Universe.
Then, a couple of days later, the veteran actor posted something very interesting before participating in a Q & A session. At first sight, it was just a pic of himself preparing for the audience. At closer inspection, fans quickly spotted some reading material in the shot, including The Dark Knight Returns, Justice League: Origin, and Batman: The Black Mirror.
Getting into character before tonight’s Q&A in Worcester, MA pic.twitter.com/ajek3bpyQS
"” John Cleese (@JohnCleese) January 20, 2017
There’s no smoke without fire!
We’ve heard nothing since then, which is understandable, especially if Cleese were teasing a role in the Ben Affleck-directed The Batman. However, we hope that the legendary actor will appear in this shared universe. Maybe as one of the Olympian Gods?
Haley Bennett as Catwoman
There are numerous Batman-related rumors floating around out there, dating back to the time when Ben Affleck was still going to direct. We wonder how many will actually turn out to be true, especially as Matt Reeves begins work on a new script (once he finishes War of the Planet of the Apes).
This next rumor appeared just as Affleck announced that he needed to focus just on his role as the Caped Crusader. Actress Haley Bennett (The Magnificent Seven, The Girl on the Train) posted a couple of pics on her Instagram account that teased Catwoman. One photo was of Catwoman herself.
The second shot revealed the actress’ new haircut, and it’s similar to Selina Kyle’s.
Again, this isn't exactly foolproof evidence. However, it makes us wonder whether Bennett may be a better choice than Ruby Rose. What do you think?
Arnold is back!
We all know that Arnold Schwarzenegger contributed greatly to the mess that was Batman and Robin. At the same time, he ruined Mister Freeze, who was one of the greatest Dark Knight antagonists. So even the thought that Arnold might return to DC movies makes us shiver.
According to rumors that have popped up on social media, Arnold really might be back. He’s a different actor than he was before, and has tried to tackle some dramatic roles in recent years.
But does this mean that he would fit into this shared universe?
The fact that Geoff Johns and Patty Jenkins followed Schwarzenegger almost simultaneously is probably just a coincidence. In other words, we’re hoping that there are no plans to add Arnie to the DC Extended Universe.
That's just, like, your opinion, Superman
Unlike the rest of the rumors on this list, we can't actually find a source for this one. We can't even find any related social media activity. All we know is that it popped up on Reddit. But it’s too good to pass up, so here it is: Jeff Bridges might be up for the role of Darkseid, whenever the supervillain might actually appear in the DCEU.
The legendary actor portrayed the Iron Monger in the first Iron Man flick, and we feel that he contributed greatly to the movie’s success. Of course, he also starred in the stinker RIPD, but that’s neither here nor there!
We'd be extremely pleased if Jeff Bridges at least voiced Darkseid!
Josh Gad as The Penguin
According to a recent rumor, comedian Josh Gad (Frozen, Beauty and the Beast) has teased his involvement in – you guessed it - The Batman. Unlike the other rumors on this list, he started the tease well after Matt Reeves was announced as the movie’s new director.
Since then, Gad has said that he was just circling the role as a fan who’d like to have a role in the movie. And new rumors list the main villains as Joker, Deathstroke, and Scarecrow. But this doesn’t mean that Gad hasn't grabbed a role.
We’re sure that Josh Gad could do it, even if it might not be the kind of role we’re used to seeing him play!
Green Lantern short-list
This is a long one, with the first rumors that a pilot named Hal Jordan would be introduced popping up prior to the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The most recent Hal Jordan rumors list the names of several actors who may be up for this role (without mentioning John Stewart, who was confirmed for the movie): Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon), Tom Cruise (the one and only), Jake Gyllenhaal (quite frankly, one of the few actors we'd like to see in any DCEU role), Armie Hammer (who was teased by Dwayne The Rock Johnson as the best choice for Shazam), Joel McHale, and Ryan Reynolds (he once had his shot and blew it).
This list of actors originated with Umberto Gonzales, so there might be something to it.
The Rock in Aquaman
We know that a simple antagonist role wouldn’t be enough for The Rock. Warner Bros. knows this, too, especially since he’ll have his own solo Black Adam movie. However, the wrestler-turned-actor teased that he might cameo in other movies before his solo flick.
So what movie might that be? Of course, everybody’s thinking the Justice League flashback sequence, which takes place in ancient times.
However, others say that The Rock will film a couple of scenes for Aquaman, skipping Justice League. We don’t feel that this would be a great idea, especially given the opportunity mentioned above. But The Rock is The Rock, and his presence alone could increase the numbers of moviegoers who are undecided about Aquaman's first solo outing.
So who knows?
What do you think? Are there other casting rumors that should have appeared on this list?
