Following the success of Joker last year, which is one of the rare superhero films to win an Academy Award, the entertainment industry has been on the lookout for other superhero ideas that can be explored. A new dark take on Batman is currently in production with Matt Reeves' The Batman, and a slate of DCEU films were promoted at the recent DC FanDome.
But with the origin story of the Joker being such a hit amongst audiences, many have wondered whether more villain focused stories are on the radar. A Bane solo movie was recently rumored to be in development but there are still plenty of DC comics villains to choose from for the live-action treatment.
NEWS
CBR reports that Joker producer, Michael E. Uslan, recently participated in an online panel for Wizard World, during which he commented on the potential for a Mr. Freeze live-action movie.
During the "Batman to Joker" panel, Uslan stated that the live-action villain approach that Todd Phillips used for Joker could potentially be used for other villains as well. Uslan's personal choice was for a Mr. Freeze film, saying:
"One of my favorite episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, which I love, absolutely love, dealt with Mr. Freeze and the loss of his wife. The empathy, the emotions that that created, I could see [making a movie]."
The full Wizard World panel can be seen below:
WHAT THIS MEANS
Mr. Freeze hasn't had a live-action big screen appearance since Batman & Robin, so there's plenty of opportunity for the villain to make a comeback with a new gritty portrayal in the style of Joker. Batman: The Animated Series is well known for re-creating some of the most iconic Batman comics moments on television and adapting its approach to Mr. Freeze could be a great starting point for a solo movie featuring the character. Mr. Freeze, aka Victor Fries, is best known for dabbling with cryogenic technology, which could provide some interesting stories for the character by taking a modern perspective. Addiitionally, the tragic loss of Mr. Freeze's wife could translate to a very compelling and emotional take on the big screen if done right.
Uslan's background is firmly entrenched in Batman lore and he has served as a producer on multiple Batman universe films, including the upcoming The Batman, so his ideas have a decent chance to reach the execs at Warner Bros. and DC. Rumors of a Joker sequel or a series of villain focused films have been thrown around lately, but whether they will fit in to Warner Bros. development plans is yet to be seen.
