Although Robert Pattinson has been locked in as the newly minted Caped Crusader, who he'll be facing is something of a mystery.
While it's been stated that Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of Joker is completely separate from Robert Pattinson's Batman, it hasn't stopped people from guessing about who he'll be facing in Matt Reeves' movie or the rumour working on the two of them eventually facing off.
While details are still light on that front, it's been reported by Deadline that Jonah Hill is now in final talks to take on the role of the villain, but stopped short of naming which villain. However, 'Westworld' alum Jeffrey Wright is understood to also be in final talks - and will be playing Jim Gordon, if he agrees on a deal.
— Jeffrey Wright 🥜 (@jfreewright) September 23, 2019
Earlier rumours suggested that the Penguin and Catwoman are the villains in Matt Reeves' script, and Jonah Hill would certainly match with either the Penguin or the Riddler.
Again, it's early days yet and Hill has not officially signed on, but normally these stories leak and are then officially confirmed as locked in a day later. Matt Reeves' take on 'The Batman' comes as Todd Phillips' 'Joker' is now firmly on an Oscar campaign footing, with the movie picking up the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival a couple of weeks ago.
If Phoenix ends up winning Best Actor for his performance, it will be only the second time in Academy history where an Oscar has been won both times for the same character. The first time was for the role of Vito Corleone, with Marlon Brando winning the first time and Robert De Niro as a young Vito Corleone the second time. For his performance as Joker, Heath Ledger was awarded a posthumous Best Supporting Actor gong for 'The Dark Knight'.
'The Batman' is slated for June 25th, 2021.