A Case Against Casting Callan Mulvey As The Joker

ByEmily Flint Hours

Let’s get one thing straight: I have nothing against Callan Mulvey as an actor. But I’m still hoping that the recent rumors that Mulvey will be playing the Joker in Zack Snyder’s upcoming Batman vs. Superman project turn out to be false.

Callan Mulvey and Joker Rumors

The Australian actor recently played a smaller role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and previously worked with director Snyder on 300: Rise of an Empire. In an interview with TMZ, Mulvey refused to discuss his role in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which led the celebrity news website to speculatethat he has been cast as the Clown Prince of Crime. Now, this could be complete nonsense. This is TMZ we’re talking about. But it’s interesting that these rumors are continuing to circulate after the recent controversy surrounding a picture of a playing card that cinematographer Larry Fong posted on his Twitter account. Fong has since denied that this photo has anything to do with the movie but some fans are still suspicious.

Too Soon?

It would be a mistake to cast a new Joker so soon after Heath Ledger captivated viewers in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Even if Batman vs. Superman presents a completely different version of the character, fans will still be making comparisons between Ledger and the new Joker. And with all due respect to Mulvey, I’m not sure any actor could measure up to Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance at this point in time.

Even if these rumors turn out to be false, it seems like Snyder is trying to do too much with this film. Batman vs. Superman will serve as the sequel to Man of Steel and will introduce Ben Affleck as the next Batman. Wonder Woman (played by Gal Gadot) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) will also be featured in the movie and all of these characters will return for an eventual Justice League film. On top of all of that, Jessie Eisenberg has already been cast as Lex Luthor. Do we really need another super-villain in this film? This entire project has the potential to be a convoluted mess.

Personally, I would rather see DC focus on another hero that hasn’t been featured in his or her own movie instead of cranking out more Batman and Superman films. But if they must focus on Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent, then they should at least aim to create a coherent narrative instead of cramming too many superstars in one movie. DC Comics is clearly hoping to mimic the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s success with The Avengers but this strategy could backfire if the character development isn’t strong enough.

Several of the casting choices for Batman vs. Superman, including Affleck and Eisenberg, have already been met with negative reactions from DC fans. If a relatively unknown actor is cast as the Joker, fans’ misgivings about the film will continue to grow. Hopefully, Zack Snyder has something else in mind for Callan Mulvey. The Joker is a popular character but it would be more interesting if the movie included DC villains that haven’t had as much screen time or perhaps created an original character.

Emily is a senior at Dickinson College studying English and Creative Writing. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching "Game of Thrones" and looking at pictures of cats on the Internet.