Warner Bros. and DC’sThe Batmanis the latest live-action interpretation of the Caped Crusader and his universe, and it appears this incarnation of the character will face enemies that are going to be relatively grounded. However, a digital artist has imaginedFast and Furiousstar Vin Diesel as one of the most iconic and far-from-grounded villains in Batman’s rogue’s gallery: Mr. Freeze.
Directed by Matt Reeves,The Batmanwill follow Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight during his second year of crime-fighting. Based onthe first trailer forThe Batman, Reeves is going for a similar tone and aesthetic to that of Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy, where Gotham City and the villains are relatively realistic compared to the superpowered and non-human foes the Caped Crusader has faced in the comics.
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Of course, future installments ofReeves’Batmanfilm seriescould dive further into the more fantastic side of the DC Universe, which would mean villains such as Mr. Freeze could be introduced. Now, a digital artist known asm.design34has unveiled a new piece that imagines Diesel as Mr. Freeze, complete with the character’s classic glass helmet and Cryo-Suit. As fans likely know, Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze designed the cryo-suit after a tragic lab accident lowered his body temperature to sub-zero levels, forcing him to wear the outfit to stay alive.Batman: The Animated Seriesreimagined Mr. Freeze’s origin story in an episode that introduced his terminally ill wife Nora Fries, whom Victor was keeping cryogenically frozen until he could find a cure for her illness.
Prior to this reimagining, Mr. Freeze was introduced in the comics as one of the ‘joke’ Batman villains and was actually named Mr. Zero. The new tragic origin story fromBatman: TASoffered fans a more complex take on Mr. Freeze, and it also provided a more sympathetic reason for his criminal deeds, which now served as a means to fund his research. This fresh take on Mr. Freeze has since been incorporated into the comics and was adapted for the character’s appearance inJoel Schumacher’sBatman and Robin, in which he was portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
While Vin Diesel is more known for his tough-guy roles in theFast and FuriousandtheChroniclesof Riddickfilms, fans shouldn’t discount his ability to portray a sympathetic Mr. Freeze. After all, Diesel broke hearts as the voice of the titular robot inThe Iron Giantand demonstrated his dramatic acting chops with his role in Steven Spielberg’sSaving Private Ryan.
Still, it appears Reeves’Batmanuniverse is sticking to grounded villains like Catwoman and the Penguin for the time being. Of course, the director has already confirmedThe Batmantakes place in its own universe, separate from the rest of DC’s live-action films, so perhaps Diesel could portray the ice-powered Mr. Freeze in a different corner of DC’s multiverse.
The Batmanis scheduled to be released in theaters on June 28, 2025.
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