Arnold Schwarzenegger played a Batman villain in a movie that made Warner Bros. cancel future Batman films. Schwarzenegger was Dr. Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze, the primary antagonist of George Clooney’s Batman & Robin. While the Predator actor’s Mr. Freeze was a forgettable take on the villain, Robert Pattinson’s The Batman – Part II could redeem the character.
It would be exciting to see a new actor take on the role of the villain in a cryogenic suit in Matt Reeves’ sequel. The first film featured multiple Batman villains with Paul Dano’s Riddler taking on the main antagonist role. The Riddler has set up one scenario in the film that would be the perfect way for Mr. Freeze to terrorize Gotham City.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze Could Be Redeemed In The Batman – Part II (Theory)
Mr. Freeze has two backstories in the comics, with the earlier versions portraying him to be a mad scientist. However, writer Paul Dini, producer Bruce Timm, and artist Mike Mignola reimagined the character as a tragic villain for Batman: The Animated Series. This became popular among fans, making DC Comics adopt this backstory for the villain in subsequent editions.
Since then, live-action Batman projects have portrayed the villain twice, both using the tragic villain backstory. Arnold Schwarzenegger played the role in Batman & Robin while Nathan Darrow played the role in the Gotham series. Schwarzenegger’s villain was not just too costly (in terms of his salary), but it was also one of the most humiliating portrayals of a Batman character.
That memory of that villain could be easily wiped from DC fans’ minds if Robert Pattinson‘s The Batman – Part II could reintroduce the villain as the film’s primary antagonist. The film’s scriptwriter, Mattson Tomlin, recently told ScreenRant that he and Matt Reeves are in the process of developing the script, and filming would begin next year.
Interestingly, fans would love to see them write the tragic love story between Dr. Victor Fries and his wife Nora in the film. Moreover, Mr. Freeze has the perfect setting to unleash his cryogenic terror on the city after the flood instigated by The Riddler and his followers at the end of the last film.
Introducing Mr. Freeze would also help Reeves bring a winter aesthetic to his dark moody superhero thriller. Reeves can also include other secondary villains in the film like Poison Ivy, Mad Hatter, or Scarecrow. However, they should make sure to stick to their strong points from the first film which made the Elseworld Batman a huge success.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Was Paid More Than George Clooney In Batman & Robin
According to Batman & Robin star George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s $25 million paycheck was almost 20 times his salary. Clooney was clearly upset at the salary difference, sharing that he worked together with Schwarzenegger only for a day.
He added that at such a low salary, it was he who took all the heat for the film’s failure. Clooney shared with The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast:
Schwarzenegger was paid, I think, $25 million for that, which was like 20 times more than I was paid for it, and, you know, we never even worked together! We worked together one day. But I took all the heat.
According to ScreenRant, the Kindergarten Cop actor’s salary came to around $1 million a day since he only had 25 days of filming. Schwarzenegger also had a clause in his contract that required him to act only for twelve hours a day. Reeves could probably find a greater actor at a lower fee to play the role in his film.
Robert Pattinson’s The Batman is currently available to watch on Max and Netflix. Batman & Robin is currently available on Max.
