Will Joaquin Phoenix Be In Batman vs. Superman?

Hot of his Oscar-buzzing role as a the paramour to the disembodied voice of an operating system in Her, Joaquin Phoenix might be looking at a more normal role: the villain opposite two men with superhuman powers, one whom who takes the form of a bat and the other who wears his underwear outside of stylish leggings (because no, Mom, he is not going to put on real pants today). Phoenix is rumored to be currently in consideration for a role in the new untitled Batman-Superman movie (which is in and of itself a surprising move, considering that this is a man who made a performance art film about himself). That's right, Joaquin Phoenix might be in Batman.

Will it actually happen? It's hard to tell, considering that Phoenix has also already been offered a role in the Gus Van Sant film Sea of Trees. Also, Phoenix's past public appearances (Remember Letterman?) don't exactly translate well to marketing a big-budget superhero flick. But hey, we've got nothing else to do here on the Internet, so let's play the Speculation Game! Variety thinks Phoenix might be cast as Lex Luthor, but really, do you think he has the head shape to play a bald dude? We've got some other potential villains in mind...

1. Metallo

Although Lex Luthor may be Superman Public Enemy #1, it's Metallo that actually has the power to defeat Superman. His power source is Superman's greatest weakness: Kryptonite. And hell, with a strong superhero pairing like Batman and Superman, one of the heroes could definitely use a little vulnerability. And although Metallo has a myriad of backstories (journalist, con man, military man), unlike many of Superman's villains, his origins are 100% human, giving him the potential for a much more interesting backstory than "very powerful, evil alien."

2. The Joker

Okay, so the movie will probably use only Superman villains. And Heath Ledger will certainly be a hard act to follow. But if there's anyone adept enough to pick up the mantle of the Joker, it's Phoenix. He's one of the few actors with the chops to take on the role, and the movie would be much better for it. It's not as if Man of Steel blew everyone away, so the film could certainly use some Batman callbacks.

3. Brainiac

The alien android Brainiac is a huge villain for Superman as well as a favorite villain for fans of the comics. He would be a force to reckon with for both Batman and Superman, and probably more to Phoenix's tastes in terms of Superman villains. Really, could you even see Phoenix as a smash-and-kill type like Doomsday?