INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Robin Williams Nearly Played A Batman Villain…Three Times

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 12:35 PST, Aug 17, 2014

When Robin Williams tragically committed suicide earlier this week, the world lost an actor of immeasurable talent, yet in the decades before his passing, Batman fans missed out on the chance to see the iconic and multifaceted comedian menace the caped crusader not once, but three times.

Robin Williams played a variety of roles during his career, and while he was best known for his comedic moments, he was equally adept at portraying dark characters of intensity and depth, as The Inquisitr has noted. In the years preceding his death, this led to his consideration for several roles that will forever leave Batman fans wondering “what if?”

Williams’ first shot at the franchise came during the preparation for 1989’s Batman, according to Moviepilot. Although Jack Nicholson was always considered for the role of the Joker, he initially turned it down, and Robin Williams accepted the part during the film’s pre-production phase. Nicholson had a change of heart, however, and Williams was released from his contract. Batman went on to gross $411.35 million, reinvigorating the franchise for years to come.

It wasn’t until 1995 when Robin Williams would have his next chance at portraying a Batman villain. As Yahoo Movies notes, Williams was in contention for the role of the Riddler in Batman Forever. Conflicting reports state that Williams either was offered the role and turned it down, or accepted it and was replaced by Warner Bros with Jim Carrey, who was considered more popular at that time.

The third and final brush Robin Williams experienced with the Batman universe came during Christopher Nolan’s reboot of the franchise. Williams had by then experienced a career renaissance, moving into darker roles in the early 2000s. Having worked with Nolan prior to his helming of the Batman franchise in 2002’s Insomnia, Williams lobbied for the part of The Joker once more, saying “Oh God, I’d love to do that one.” Williams appeared well in tune with where Nolan was taking the Batman universe:

“Well, you want to do a different Joker. You know, if they do Arkham Asylum, it would be amazing. Arkham Asylum is one of the greatest, nastiest comic books ever. It’s truly, it’s like the Marquee de Sade on that level, and wonderfully damaged and quite tragic, in terms of when you realize [what happened to] create these characters…”

Though Heath Ledger was eventually cast in the role, delivering an inimitable performance, Williams was later considered during production of The Dark Knight Rises for the roles of The Riddler or Hugo Strange, neither of whom ended up in the finished film.

Though there are undoubtedly many roles he passed on during his lifetime, Dark Knight fans will always be left to wonder what kind of villain Robin Williams could have conjured to assail the Batman.

[Images via Moviepilot]

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