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Warner Bros. upcoming The LEGO Batman Movie has already assembled a brilliant cast of voice actors. So far, the cast includes Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis, Ralph Fiennes and Rosario Dawson. But today via Twitter, the film’s director Chris McKay confirmed another vocal addition — Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face.
He does https://t.co/sf1x4NtRzS
— Chris McKay (@buddboetticher) November 30, 2016
Now, at first glance this is just a good bit of casting. Billy Dee Williams has got an awesome voice and he already has ties to the LEGO Movie franchise by reprising the role of Lando Calrissian in 2014’s The LEGO Movie. But Williams has a further connection to the character of Two-Face. Back in 1989 in Tim Burton’s revolutionary Batman, Williams portrayed Harvey Dent. While Dent didn’t transform into the Two-Face we all fear/love, there were plans for him to transform in future films. In fact, Williams has stated he only took on the role so that he could play the character in Batman Returns. But his role was re-written and transformed into Max Shreck, played by Christopher Walken. Then, when Two-Face appeared in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, he was played by Tommy Lee Jones.
With the release of The LEGO Batman Movie in 2017, 28 years after Batman, Billy Dee Williams will FINALLY play Two-Face, who we’ve already seen in the film’s teaser trailer. While it’s likely to only be a cameo role with Zach Galifianakis’ Joker playing the main villain, this small casting detail is proof this movie is going to be filled to the brim with clever in-jokes and references to the franchises’ past.
“In the irreverent spirit of fun that made The LEGO Movie a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure: The LEGO Batman Movie. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up. Will Arnett will be reprising his role as the blocky caped-crusader teaming up with Michael Cera as Robin to defeat the villainous Joker voiced by Zack Galifianakis.”
The LEGO Batman Movie opens February 2017.
IMAGES: Warner Bros.
