Joker executive producer Michael E. Uslan believes Mr. Freeze's portrayal in Batman: The Animated Series would make for a compelling film. It has been a year since the release of Joker, one of 2019's most notable films. Fans have wondered if Arthur Fleck's story will continue in a followup. In November, director Todd Phillips said he was open to a sequel if there was resonating material like the first.
For a while, Joker continually made headlines. Before release, the film was notable for generating pre-release controversy for its subject matter. It was the first comic book film to focus on a multilayered character study. Audiences praised Joaquin Phoenix's performance as Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill man driven to insanity by the world around him. Love or hate it, Joker was a fascinating take on the Batman mythos. It also did big business for Warner Bros. as the only R-rated film to gross $1 billion at the worldwide box office. A popular discussion point is considering what other DC villains could benefit from a character-driven story like Joker.
During a Wizard World virtual panel, Joker executive producer Michael E. Uslan was asked which character from Batman's rogue gallery he would like to see first in a film like the 2019 thriller. The producer states Mr. Freeze, bringing up the character's appearance in the episode "Heart of Ice" from Batman: The Animated Series. In "Heart of Ice," Mr. Freeze received his well-known tragic origin, something that has remained with the character in the comic books to this day. Uslan believes the villain's backstory from that episode could do well in a movie.
"What Todd did, and his genius, can be applied to I think any other villain. If any villain was studied like that... and there are some great possibilities. One of my favorite episodes of Batman: The Animated Series — which I love, absolutely love — dealt with Mr. Freeze and the loss of his wife. The empathy, the emotions that that created, I could see [making a movie]."
Uslan emphasizes that he is talking as a fan, not hinting that there are plans for a Mr. Freeze movie. The icy antagonist has only appeared in one live-action film to date, the infamous Batman and Robin. Past the campy dialogue, the film nonetheless retained the character's tragic origin. In a film made today, Mr. Freeze could certainly draw in viewers with his turmoil regarding his lifeless wife. Back in 2018, Keven Smith expressed interest in seeing a Mr. Freeze movie.
"Heart of Ice" was a seminal episode on Batman: The Animated Series. If Mr. Freeze ever received a character study like Joker, grabbing from the episode would certainly be a wise idea. Perhaps the strongest part of "Heart of Ice" is the ending, which has Mr. Freeze lamenting in prison that he failed his wife. Although Mr. Freeze is a villain, one can't help but feel genuinely sorry for him. A Joker-styled story about Mr. Freeze could be a compelling tragedy.
Source: Wizard World