Batman and Robin director Joel Schumacher’s conception of the fourth entry of the Batman franchise looked very different and would have reshaped the DC Universe. Instead of Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, the filmmaker turned to Nicolas Cage to play Dr. The sequel would have been called Batman Unleashedand its script was written by Mark Protosevich, who wrote I am a legend and Thor. Beyond the Scarecrow, Batman Unleashed would have adapted Harley Quinn for the big screenthis time reinvented as the Joker’s daughter who wanted revenge for his death.
Previous antagonists Joker, Catwoman, Riddler, Two-Face and Penguin would appear in an effort to bring Tim Burton and Schumacher’s films together more cohesively. Unfortunately, Schumacher and Protosevich’s original vision would not see the light of day. The director had hoped to take the franchise in a more serious direction and delve into the psychology behind its characters, but Warner Brothers’ push for family-oriented films led him to make Batman and Robin instead of. This decision ended the franchise due to the film’s poor reception. However Batman Unleashed wasn’t made, Cage’s potential as Scarecrow is undeniable.
Nicolas Cage was almost a scarecrow in The Unmade Batman Unchained
Nicolas Cage fills a unique niche in Hollywood. The actor often plays eccentric and exaggerated characters, which has made him a fan favorite among some viewers. It makes perfect sense that Cage would end up being approached to join a superhero project. Over the years he has been assigned to a few different roles. Interestingly, Schumacher courting Cage to play a villain is a rarity, as he has been cast as Superman, Ghost Rider, and Spider-Man Noir. However, it makes sense for Cage to play Scarecrow because of his unique acting style and the campy nature of the 1990s Batman films.
From casting Cage, Schumacher revealed that the objective was to make Batman Unleashed a heavier experience than Batman forever. The director explained: “It would be very dark; I remember going to the set of Face/Off and asking Nic Cage to play Scarecrow..” After shelving his original concept, he intended to revive Protosevich’s script for the sequel to Batman and Robinand Courtney Love was reportedly considered to play Harley. As previously mentioned, the last film was very poorly received, which was the nail in the coffin for the series.
According to Protosevich, Batman and Robin led failure “over a period of weeks and then over a month“from him”agent bothering Warners.” Before he knew it, “the Batman train driven by Joel Schumacher was taken off the tracks.Interestingly, the studio was also courting screenwriters Lee Shapiro and Stephen Wise, who also wrote a Scarecrow script that would bring back George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell. Although none of these projects were realized, the reboot Batman begins it also featured Scarecrow, played by Cillian Murphy.
Nicolas Cage would have been perfect for the Scarecrow in the original Batman film series
Murphy has made an interesting iteration of Scarecrow, but not casting Cage is a missed opportunity. He is known for playing unbalanced characters, and although his performances are often overly dramatic, the actor is certainly capable of playing convincing villains. Cage’s on-screen presence would be exactly the blend of relaxation and camp needed for a Batman antagonist.
If anything, Cage has only become more suited to the role of Scarecrow over the years. He’s played comical, scary, violent, and more, and often turns his performances up to 11. Cage bringing that energy to Scarecrow would be fitting, as the character uses his target’s deepest fears against them.
Cage’s Scarecrow could have been an ideal villain to mix the horror and silliness of the original Batman film series
The 1990s Batman the films are simultaneously dark and campy. They are tonally inconsistent between entries, with Batman Forever pushing the series in a more comedic direction than Batman and Robin doubled. Regardless of Batman Unleashed came before or after, it had the potential to use Cage as Scarecrow to marry the disparate tones of the franchise. As in the films, he is also exaggerated and dark as a performer. His inclusion along with the return of the rest of the villains would have brought all the Batman films together satisfactorily.
As the ship sails, Cage is still acting. Jonathan Crane doesn’t need to be played by a specific age group. Cage could join James Gunn’s DC Universe as Scarecrow. With more Batman projects on the horizon, bringing in an industry veteran to play the Caped Crusader’s most horror-inducing villain could be interesting.
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