Who would you cast on a Batman show now?

[BatDavidEvanSmith]

I had such a love of the 1966 Batman show, I'm often thinking of how it would be brought to life in present times as a weekly series.

I do think by the present day climate of live-action superhero entertainment, it would be a darker, more serious show, but the weekly villain visiting to cause trouble would be a staple of any Batman series, I believe. I've actually planned out a series, that could potentially span 10 seasons (much like Smallville did), and cover a large chunk of the evolution of Batman and his crimefighting "family." I would also set up an over-arching season "case" to solve or a season-long villain who is enacting a bigger, more elaborate plot, with each episode having a self-contained villain and story.

So who would you cast in a present day Batman series? And you don't need to confine the characters to those who appeared on the 1966 show, but certainly the characters invented on the 66 series are fair game for inclusion...

Here's some of my picks:

Season 1 - Based on "The Long Halloween"
Season One explores the origins of Bruce Wayne (in flashback), Selina Kyle, the crumbling state of Gotham City, and some of its most dangerous and nefarious criminals. While the city is plagued by the Falcone crime family, the combined forces of Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and D.A. elect Harvey Dent work to restore law and order to Gotham, much to the detriment of their own personal lives. A serial killer, known only as “Holiday” is taking a life on a holiday every month, usually connected to the Falcone family. Meanwhile, a new brand of super-criminal is being born, as Gotham is faced with the emergence of Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Riddler, Joker, Catwoman, Hugo Strange, and The Mad Hatter. By the season finale, the identity of Holiday is revealed, Harvey Dent is radically transformed into the insane villain Two-Face, and Gotham City will never be the same.

MAIN CAST
Bruce Wayne/Batman - Matt Bomer (WHITE COLLAR)
Selina Kyle/Catwoman - Morena Baccarin (V)
Commissioner Jim Gordon - Bryan Cranston (BREAKING BAD)
Alfred Pennyworth - James Cromwell (BETRAYAL; SIX FEET UNDER)
District Attorney Harvey Dent - Patrick Wilson (A GIFTED MAN)
Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot/The Penguin - Armin Shimerman (STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE)

RECURRING CAST
Edward Nigma/Riddler - Gabriel Mann (REVENGE)
The Joker/The Red Hood - Steve Buscemi (BOARDWALK EMPIRE)
Hugo Strange - Anders Hove (GENERAL HOSPITAL)
Jervis Tetch/The Mad Hatter - Peter Dinklage (NIP/TUCK; GAME OF THRONES)
Dr. Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze - Sebastian Roché (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES; SUPERNATURAL; GENERAL HOSPITAL)
Dr. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy - Annie Wersching (24)
Julian Gregory Day/The Calendar Man - David H. Lawrence XVII (HEROES)
"Two-Face" - Patrick Wilson (A GIFTED MAN)
Barbara Gordon - Lucy Hale (PRETTY LITTLE LIARS)
Leslie Thompkins - Kate Mulgrew (STAR TREK: VOYAGER)
Lucius Fox - Avery Brooks (STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE)
Vicki Vale - Jennifer Ferrin (WHITE COLLAR)
Detective Harvey Bullock - Greg Grunberg (HEROES)
Detective Renee Montoya - Rebekah Montoya (GENERAL HOSPITAL)
Carmine Falcone - Bruce Weitz (GENERAL HOSPITAL)
Alberto Falcone - Adrian Pasdar (HEROES)
Sofia Falcone Gigante - Aida Turturro (THE SOPRANOS)

That's to start... Thoughts?

[elmrgraham]

The Sea Hag from the 1966 Batman Topps Cards Series.

[elmrgraham]

She could be played by Paulina Gretzky,daughter of hockey great Wayne Gretzky.

[elmrgraham]

Her alter ego would be Dr. Barbara Thompson,an Undersea Marine Biologist with a criminal past.She would be a wily and cunning Scuba Diving foe for Batman and Robin.Her speciality would be plundering Jewels,Gems,and Cash.The goal of The Sea Hag would be to become the Queen Of The Criminal Underworld in Gotham City.Her 1966 Batman Topps Card is Number 14a:"Danger In The Depths."

[elmrgraham]

By the way,excellent picks BatDavidEvanSmith.

[elmrgraham]

A younger Pamela Anderson from her Baywatch Days could also play The Sea Hag.

[High C]

This is an interesting idea for a thread, but I think the problem is that it's tough for a lot of 1966 Batfans, such as myself, to cast a darker version because we just don't think of the show in those terms. It's much easier to cast a more 1966-style version using today's actors/actresses. Just my .02.

I mean, I realize serial killers have a place in the darker Batman, but they don't have a place in the Batman I like. So right there it's kind of a culture clash for this board.

Not hating, just saying. Your ideas are good. I just think it's hard for some 1966 fans, such as myself, to relate.

[elmrgraham]

Excellent points,High C.Again,a younger Pamela Anderson from her Baywatch days could be cast as The Sea Hag.

[robinboyblunderer]

Yes, I pretty much agree with High C. Also, what is enjoyable to me, is the 66 show is a place where you can get the classic Dynamic Duo. In most other shows and comics, you either don't get Robin or it's not Dick Grayson. Any type of fun revamping of the show would, for me, include Robin as he was in the 66 show. This isn't meant to derail your thread, just another opinion.

I do like the other types of Batman, besides the 66, too.

[BatDavidEvanSmith]

I thought the tonal shift might be a challenge for devotees of the 60s series. But I loved it dearly and can appreciate other styles as well.

But wait!

Season 2
Season Two features the political rise of Rupert Thorne, a new man with ties to the underworld, who seeks to control Gotham through his political works. Determined to prove to Gotham that Batman is an outlaw, Thorne plans to dismantle Batman’s support system, by installing corrupt Hamilton Hill as Mayor of Gotham City and planning to replace Commissioner Gordon with another man on Thorne’s payroll, Peter Pauling. While trying to maintain an incorruptible authority in Gotham, Batman continues to face off against all villains that appeared in Season One, as well as new foes like Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, The Ventriloquist & Scarface, Bane, Clayface, Black Mask, The Clock King, Killer Croc, Ra’s al Ghul, and his daughter Talia. Harvey Dent struggles with his identity as Two-Face, fixating on Gotham City Police Department detective Renee Montoya, but Montoya’s rejection forces Two-Face to investigate her, out her as a lesbian, and frame her for murder. Montoya receives help in the form of The Question, a masked hero who is dying and wishes for Montoya to take up his mantle when he’s gone. Meanwhile, the Joker's terrorism at the circus has a devastating impact on a family of circus performers.

Rupert Thorne - Richard Burgi (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES)
Matthew Thorne/The Crime Doctor - Robert Picardo (STAR TREK: VOYAGER)
Mayor Hamilton Hill - Mitch Pileggi (THE X-FILES; DALLAS)
Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist/Scarface - Aaron Lustig (YOUNG & RESTLESS)
Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow – John Hensley (NIP/TUCK)
Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn – Kelly Sullivan (GENERAL HOSPITAL)
Ra’s Al Ghul – Robert Knepper (HEROES)
Talia Al Ghul – Nadia Bjorlin (DAYS OF OUR LIVES)
William Tockman/Clock King – Hugh Laurie (HOUSE)
Bane – Dwayne Johnson
Roman Sionis/Black Mask – Christopher Gorham (HARPER'S ISLAND)
Matt Hagen/Clayface – James Marsters (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER)
Waylon Jones / Killer Croc – Willem Dafoe
Dick Grayson - Josh Hutcherson (THE HUNGER GAMES)

Season 3
Season Three explores the tragedy that causes Dick Grayson to pursue justice (or is it vengeance) as Robin for the deaths of his parents following a crime perpetrated by the combined efforts of Joker and Rupert Thorne’s organization. Bruce Wayne blames himself for not having been able to stop the events and save the lives of Grayson’s parents and makes it his mission to save Grayson from a lifetime of crime-fighting like Wayne has lived. Navigating Grayson’s period of grief brings back memories of Wayne’s struggle and causes him to question his own behaviors in the wake of his parents’ deaths. Ultimately, Wayne and Grayson band together to bring the criminals of Gotham City to justice, and avenge their respective parents. The Rogues Gallery of villains returns to cause trouble once again, but with appearances by new villains, like Man-Bat, False-Face, Anarky, Tweedledum & Tweedledee, The Terrible Trio, and Maxie Zeus. Throughout the season we learn more about Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins, their motives and methods. We also learn whether or not Bruce Wayne might have fathered Talia al Ghul’s child.

Dr. Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat – William Fichtner (PRISON BREAK)
Lonnie Machin/Anarky – Keir Gilchrist (UNITED STATES OF TARA)
Maximillian “Maxie” Zeus – Joe Manganiello (TRUE BLOOD)
Lady Shiva – Kelly Hu (ARROW)
The Fox/Warren Lawford - Michael Stahl-David (CLOVERFIELD)
The Shark/Gunnar Hardwick - Matt Barr (ONE TREE HILL; HARPER'S ISLAND)
The Vulture/Timothy Fox - Mehcad Brooks (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES; TRUE BLOOD)
Nyssa Raatko (al Ghul) – Polly Walker (CAPRICA)

[elmrgraham]

Excellent,BatDavidEvanSmith.However, I still suggest that you cast a young Baywatch looking Pamela Anderson as The Sea Hag.

[BatGirl]

I imagine if you were going to bring back a TV show along the same theme of the '66 series you would use actors like Mike Myers, or Steve Carell. Maybe Carell would be the joker he is such a funny guy and full of humour and wit and sarcasm.