Summary

  • Despite Hanks' desire to be in superhero movies, he hasn't been cast in one yet, but has expressed interest in playing a Batman villain.
  • Hanks could play characters like Hugo Strange or Ventriloquist from Batman's universe.
  • With multiple Batman franchises active, now is the perfect time to fulfill Hanks' wish and cast him in a superhero movie.

Tom Hanks hasn’t made a superhero movie yet, but it’s finally time for him to fulfill his wish to make a Batman movie. Despite the superhero genre having a massive boost in the last decade and more, many popular and beloved actors still haven’t been part of a superhero movie. The reasons for this vary depending on the actor, as some have been quite open about their dislike and disinterest in superhero movies, while others haven’t had the chance to join a superhero project in a role that interests them.

Among the actors without a superhero movie is Tom Hanks, but it’s not too late for him to join one. Hanks is best known for his roles in comedies and rom-coms, though he has also explored genres like sci-fi and war movies, where he also found success. Despite how big superhero connected universes like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC’s DC Extended Universe and now the DC Universe have become, Hanks hasn’t been part of a superhero movie yet, but he once shared his desire to be part of a Batman movie, which can now finally happen.

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Tom Hanks Wants To Play A Batman Villain

Tom Hanks Has Shared His Interest In Visiting Gotham City

(Tom-Hanks-as-Forrest-Gump)-from-Forrest-Gump-(1994)
Custom image by Yailin Chacon

Hanks asked to be allowed to play a bad guy, especially a Batman villain because he didn’t want to be the guy who told the heroes what to do.

Despite already expressing interest in the superhero genre, specifically one universe and one type of character, Tom Hanks hasn’t been cast in a superhero movie yet. Speaking to On Demand Entertainment while promoting Captain Phillips 10 years ago, Hanks was asked why he hadn’t done any big superhero movies and if it was a choice. Hanks shared that he hadn’t been asked to make a superhero movie, but he had been trying to get into one. Hanks asked to be allowed to play a bad guy, especially a Batman villain because he didn’t want to be the guy who told the heroes what to do.

Tom Hanks isn’t an actor who’s associated with villainous roles, which is exactly why he would be an interesting villain.

Hanks made it clear he wouldn’t like to play a mentor figure to the superheroes and he wanted to be part of the action, even throwing the name of the Flash into the conversation. Tom Hanks isn’t an actor who’s associated with villainous roles, which is exactly why he would be an interesting villain, especially one from Batman’s universe, which has darker villains than most from other universes. With two Batman franchises currently active, with Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe and the DC Universe’s world of Brave and the Bold, now it’s the perfect chance to fulfill Hanks’ wish and cast him as a Batman villain.

Which Batman Villains Make Sense For Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks Would Make An Interesting Batman Villain

Hugo Strange DC Comics

One option for Hanks is Hugo Strange, one of Batman’s first recurring villains and one of the first to discover his real identity.

Batman has an interesting gallery of villains that go from bad guys who rely on physical strength, as is Bane, to others who are all about intellect, manipulation, and outsmarting the Caped Crusader. One option for Hanks is Hugo Strange, one of Batman’s first recurring villains and one of the first to discover his real identity. Strange is a brilliant but insane psychologist obsessed with Batman, for which he uses genetically engineered Monster Men. It’s thanks to his expertise in psychology that he deduces Batman’s identity, and he also uses these talents to mentally and emotionally manipulate others.

Another option for Hanks in the universe of Batman is Ventriloquist, a gangster who, as the name suggests, speaks through a puppet appropriately named Scarface, who he believes is a separate person. This allows him to commit crimes while maintaining a quiet personality, posing as Scarface’s servant. Hanks could also play Professor Pyg, a scientist who, after a schizophrenic breakdown, becomes a supervillain who wears a pig mask. Professor Pyg is one of Batman’s weirdest and most disturbing villains, as he sees humans as broken individuals, and kidnaps people to use surgery and chemicals on them to turn them into mind-controlled automatons.

Ventriloquist is a mantle that different characters have taken.

At the time of writing, it’s unknown who will be the villains in The Batman – Part II and Brave and the Bold, but there are plenty that could be an excellent excuse to finally cast Tom Hanks in a superhero movie, surprising the audience with a unique take on a Batman villain.

Source: On Demand Entertainment.

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Release Date

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October 4, 2024

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The Batman – Part II

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