It wasn’t a surprise that The Batman reboot, rebooted for the umpteenth time, was a box office success. So, when a sequel was announced, it would make a lot of sense for fans to deliberate on who would be the next villain for the film. Of course, there is some hope that fans will see Mr. Freeze resurrect his cinematic debut after the appearance from Arnold Schwarzenegger in the much worse Batman & Robin.

Plenty of actors certainly have the caliber to play Freeze, and it seems best to try and revitalize the villain, and give him his proper justice. In the comics, Freeze went by an alter ego named VIctor Fries, and was trying to develop a cure for his terminally-ill wife, Nora. However, his obsession with his wife’s health turns him into the Batman villain that many fans know him as.

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Let’s take a look at some of the actors that could potentially play the beloved baddie in a future sequel to The Batman.

Aaron Paul

     AMC

Aaron Paul has certainly proven his range as an actor, as Jesse Pinkman in AMC’s Breaking Bad. Audiences have seen how angry and intense he is as the aforementioned character, and have also been sympathetic towards his plight as a meth dealer, and the trauma that he endured over the course of the series.

Paul’s performance as Freeze could be something wonderful to behold, as his villainous side could come out while emulating the tragic villain. Paul’s anger and frustration seem almost synonymous with himself as an actor and seeing a maniacal Mr. Freeze, while still being portrayed as a sympathetic character might be a good thing for the filmmakers to think about.

Thomas Haden Church

     Fox Searchlight Productions

Thomas Haden Church has a long pedigree as an actor, which includes an Oscar nod under his belt for the 2004 film Sideways. Many Marvel fans know him fondly as the Sandman from Spider-Man 3 and Spider-Man: No Way Home, and that is what makes him perfect for the role of Mr. Freeze.

In both Spider-Man movies, Sandman, a.k.a. Flint Marko, intends to steal money to help his ailing daughter, which he explains to his nemesis Spider-Man. In a final act of redemption for the villain, Spider-Man forgives him for past transgressions, and he turns into a pillar of sand and blows away.

In the same vein, Church could play Freeze with the same sympathetic tone of him turning to villainy to save his ailing wife, and comes across Batman as an obstacle in the same dynamic as in Spider-Man 3.

Kevin Spacey

     Netflix

To be fair, there is a lot of hate and controversy surrounding Kevin Spacey, with the actor’s recent sexual assault charges and many big-name studios refusing to hire him. However, given the fact that he is not only an Oscar-winner, but was also known for portraying Lex Luthor in Superman Returns; it seems reasonable that Kevin Spacey would be able to pull off a Batman villain like Mr. Freeze.

His sinister performance might be something that could be pulled off for a villain that the Caped Crusader could go toe-to-toe with on the silver screen, and might be a comeback vehicle for him.

Andrew Garfield

     Sony

This entry will most likely tilt a few heads, but Andrew Garfield is an Oscar-nominated actor with a range of talents beyond that of playing Spider-Man. His characters are often tortured or conflicted when trying to decide between what is right and what is easy.

With all that in mind, it might be a nice turn to see the actor in a darker and more villainous role for a change. In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spidey loses his girlfriend Gwen Stacy at the hands of the Green Goblin, and becomes distraught at the notion. A similar theme could be used with the actor playing Mr. Freeze, in which, in an altered comic-book adaptation, he could lose his wife at the inadvertent hands of Batman, and go on a revenge-spree because of it.

The character might seem to be an odd fit for Garfield, but many casting decisions have raised a few eyebrows while the final product was amazing.

Christian Bale

     Warner Bros. Pictures

In a twist of fate, what might be a great option is to employ a previous Batman actor. Christian Bale has not only played the Dark Knight, but has won an Oscar for his drug-addled performance in The Fighter. Bale is currently set to play Gorr The God Butcher in the Marvel film Thor: Love and Thunder.

Given that Bale would be playing a villain of revenge, and that he has already been introduced to Gotham City before, it might seem like a match made in heaven that he be the next Mr. Freeze.

Bryan Cranston

If Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman doesn’t tickle your fancy as a super villain, maybe Walter White himself will. Bryan Cranston is the leading star of Breaking Bad and seems to be more knowledgeable than his costar Paul, within the series. Cranston seems to exude the quiet villainy that every Batman baddie has. With that being said, it would make the most sense if he were to play Freeze in the sequel.

Cranston could easily transcend the character into a rage-fueled monster, brimming with the fear of his enemies, and make the comic-book character a force to be reckoned with, as he has already done for Walter White.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

     Warner Bros. 

What seems both obvious and unlikely would be if the filmmakers cast Arnold Schwarzenegger once again in the role. In 1997’s Batman & Robin, the actor played the villain in a campy and comical way, which nearly ruined the franchise. A lot of fans were disappointed in the performance of the actor and the film itself.

However, in a world of “everyone deserves a second chance”, it might seem appropriate if the actor were given another shot at the villain with a less campy execution in the film, and a darker take on the character.