Skip to main content

Zach Galifianakis will be the Joker in new Lego Batman movie

lego batman looks at zach galifianakis joker
RoldRanger/Shutterstock
With a February 2017 debut sneaking up, we’re starting to get a better feel for just what the Lego Batman spinoff movie will look like. As reported by Variety, it appears the Dynamic Duo, voiced by Will Arnett and Michael Cera as Batman and Robin respectively, have found their antagonist in Zach Galifianakis, who has been cast to play the Joker.

The often sluggish (and always hilarious) Galifianakis may seem like an off-the-wall choice to play the amped up, chaos-loving criminal nearly as integral to the Batman cinematic universe as the hero himself. However, as Sarah Connor once said, “In an insane world, it was the sanest choice.”

After all, it was Arnett’s quirky take on the Caped Crusader — defined by his sarcastically gruff voice offset by overconfidence and not-so-bright decision making — that got this spinoff the greenlight from Warner in the first place. With a canvas so ripe for cartoon buffoonery, it only makes sense that the film’s Joker should be subtly miscast, offering plenty of chances for Galifianakis’ self-deprecation, sardonic one-liners, and erratic temperament to shine through. Nothing is set in stone yet, but we’re hoping the rest is just details.

Not long ago, the idea of the Lego Movie itself seemed a stretch for a feature film, prompting many to give a head-cock and ask “How are they going to make a movie about a building block?” But any misgivings were quickly put to rest after the film debuted to roaring box office numbers and critical acclaim — even if it was snubbed at the Oscars.

That success put in play so many stories that might not have seen the light of day: Incoming are similar animated ventures based around laughingly simplistic ideas, including The Minecraft Movie, which Warner Bros. acquired shortly after The Lego Movie soared, as well as Sony’s new plans for an emoji movie, and, of course, Lego Batman.

The film will be directed by The Lego Movie’s animation supervisor, Chris McKay, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller producing, and a script penned by Seth Grahame-Smith, Dan Lin, and Roy Lee.

With a cast that appears to be quickly loading up with comedy favorites, a brilliantly-styled animated universe to build upon (pun intended), and one of the world’s most iconic superheroes in its pocket, Lego Batman is starting to look better and better.

Editors' Recommendations

Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
Most popular DCEU movies, ranked by box-office gross
Justice League character shot.

Beginning with 2013's Man of Steel, the DC Extended Universe has had a tumultuous 10-year run. While some of its films were tremendous success stories, some didn't fare so well, and others have gone down as some of the worst superhero movies ever made.

All this has given the franchise a mixed reputation and has made some audiences eager to see how James Gunn will reboot everything with his new DC Universe. As the DCEU nears its end, now is a good time to rank the most popular movies in this cinematic universe in terms of box-office gross.

Read more
The Brave and the Bold: How the DC movie could work as a Batman anthology series
Cover art for Tomasi and Gleason's run on Batman and Robin.

The future of DC Comics on the big screen has finally gotten a bit clearer in recent months, as co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have unveiled a piece of the initial slate for the upcoming DCU, with The Brave and the Bold being the introduction of its Dark Knight. It's admittedly somewhat whiplash-inducing that fans are, once again, speculating as to who will play another live-action version of DC Comics' beloved brooding superhero, namely since Matt Reeves' tantalizing crime-noir The Batman Part II is also on the way.

Nonetheless, The Brave and the Bold already has a unique hook to it, as it will seemingly venture more into the fantastical and feature Robin as a co-lead. Just as well, the forthcoming Dynamic Duo venture has a unique chance to differentiate and peacefully co-exist alongside Robert Pattinson's rendition, as The Brave and the Bold could evolve into its comic-book namesake by being a Batman-themed anthology series.
Tapping into comic book routes

Read more
James Gunn’s Batman can bridge the gap from movies to gaming
Batman and Robin in Grant Morrison's run on the comic book series.

James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-CEOs of DC Studios, recently unveiled the initial slate for the DCU's upcoming first phase, er, chapter, and with it came the answer to Batman's interconnected cinematic future in the form of an upcoming film called The Brave and the Bold. This announcement, titled "Chapter I: Gods and Monsters," revealed that Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson's crime-noir rendition of the superhero would fall under the DC Elseworlds banner, and will include the upcoming sequel The Batman Part II.

But Gunn also made a point to involve the DCU and Elseworlds labels in the video game industry, which poses an exciting potential proposition for how this new Dark Knight's world could be expanded on more than one front. The Brave and the Bold is set to introduce an established Bruce Wayne in this universe -- along with Damian Wayne as his Robin -- which paves the way for plenty of prequel storytelling opportunities for this Batman in the gaming world.
An exciting and established canon to play with

Read more