Gotham Grows: Jeffrey Wright, Jonah Hill in Talks for The Batman

Matt Reeves’ Gotham in The Batman may be gaining some high-profile new citizens.

Jonah Hill (Maniac, The Wolf of Wall Street) is in talks to join Reeves’ The Batman, Variety reports. The character he is being cast as is unclear, but is reportedly of a villainous nature, which would be an interesting turn for the comedian and mid90s director. THR’s Borys Kit reports that even the studio itself doesn’t know who Hill is playing, except that it’s either The Riddler or Penguin.

Also in talks to join is Jeffrey Wright (O.G.,Westworld). Wright is reportedly in negotiations to play Commissioner Gordon (per THR). The Commissioner wielding the famous Bat-signal has recently been played by J.K. Simmons in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and prior to that, by Gary Oldman in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

Hill and Wright would be joining Robert Pattinson as Batman in Reeves’ imagining of the masked vigilante. Reeves, who directed Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes, took responsibility of directing from Ben Affleck in January 2017. Affleck left Bruce Wayne—and the cape—behind after Justice League, and Pattinson swooped in and was cast in the role in May. Hill and Wright would be his first confirmed co-stars on the project. If Hill and Pattinson are indeed cast as foes, holding back his admiration for Pattinson could make this Hill’s toughest role yet:

Please enjoy this picture of Jonah Hill freaking out over Robert Pattinson. #TheBatmanpic.twitter.com/LPI93gZJwq

— Tom Butler (@TomButler) September 24, 2019

Reeves has also written the script and will produce alongside his Apes collaborator Dylan Clark. The project is expected to begin production in late 2019 or early 2020, and is set for a June 25, 2021, release.