Josh Gad says he was “just having some fun” when he recently posted a photo of the Penguin, suggesting he was interested in playing the character in The Batman. Gad’s career definitely continues to rise in Hollywood, following his hilarious breakthrough role as the voice of the lovable snowman Olaf in Disney’s Frozen in 2013. After a starring role opposite Billy Crystal in the underappreciated FX series The Comedians, Gad bounced back big to become a huge asset to the success of the Mouse House’s blockbuster hit Beauty and the Beast as Gaston’s right-hand man, LeFou.
In perhaps an effort of striking while his career iron is sizzling hot, Gad posted a comic book photo of the Penguin on social media last week without any captions. There’s no telling what the cryptic meaning was behind the photo, leading fans to speculate his involvement in director Matt Reeves’ The Batman or at the very least, a thinly-veiled attempt to express interest in the DCEU solo movie. In a red carpet interview from the MTV Movie & TV Awards that was just posted Friday, MTV asked Gad about his intentions behind the Penguin post. Gad says:
“Just having some fun … Really. I promise. There’s no ‘there’ there. You know what? The internet just goes wild — I’m just having some fun. Just putting things out there.”
MTV tried to dig a little bit deeper with Gad, asking the actor if he’s ever met with Reeves and if he’d be against playing the Penguin. Gad says:
“I have not met Matt Reeves. No, no, no. Seems like a lovely guy. Love his work … No, never! I would absolutely be open to playing the Penguin in The Batman movie … there’s nothing more we need to talk about. It’s all — we’ll see.”
Whether Gad is truly interested in playing the infamous Batman supervillain or not, that hasn’t stopped the likes of graphic artist Boss Logic from creating fan art imagining Gad as the Penguin. And while Gad has the monumental task of separating himself from Danny DeVito’s iconic performance as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin in Tim Burton’s 1992 smash Batman Returns (as well as Burgess Meredith in the classic Batman TV series), there’s no question the actor has the biting comedic chops to make the character his own. Robin Lord Taylor certainly has done it with his acclaimed turn in the role on Fox TV’s Gotham.
With The Batman currently in pre-production, Gad appears for the moment to have the time to schedule in time to do Reeves’ film, which likely won’t hit theaters until 2019. Filming has already wrapped on Gad’s next film, the remake of Murder on the Orient Express; and his participation in Frozen 2, while yet to be confirmed, seems like a foregone conclusion. Let’s hope the “fun” Gad was having turns into a whole lot more playing the Penguin in The Batman.
Key Release Dates
The Batman
Release Date:2022-03-04
