With the DC Extended Universe continuing to take shape, a growing list of iconic roles to be cast is amassing. One of those is Oswald Cobblepott, also known as The Penguin. With the Batman villain dominating the small screen thanks to Fox’s Gotham, his appearance in the DCEU wasn’t a given for many fans. That is, until Josh Gad (Beauty and The Best, Frozen) brought DC fans into a frenzy.
Videos by ComicBook.com
About a week ago, Gad tweeted a context-less picture of The Penguin, leading some to believe that he had been cast in the DCEU version of the role. The fire continued to be fueled by several DC Entertainment folks following Gad on Twitter, as well as Gad’s emoji-only response to a piece of fanart of him as The Penguin.
And now, Gad appears to be confusing fans even more, thanks to a recent tweet. During a Twitter Q&A, a fan asked Gad if he is going to be playing The Penguin. And Gad, as with his previous tweet on the subject, responded with an emoji – in this case, an eye roll.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) May 9, 2017
There’s no indication of how to interpret that eye-roll, but it does bring up a few possibilities. Gad could in fact be cast in the role, especially given the Gotham-centered films currently in development in the DCEU, including The Batman, Gotham City Sirens, Batgirl, and Nightwing.
There is also a chance that he hasn’t been cast yet, but is campaigning for the opportunity to play The Penguin in the future. This wouldn’t be unheard of for the DCEU, as Big Hero Six star Ryan Potter caught attention last year for his viral campaign to play Tim Drake/Robin.
And of course, the final option is that Gad could just be trolling DCEU fans, although there are almost too many factors – see: the Twitter followers – at play for that to be true. But then again, this isn’t unheard of for the DCEU either, as anyone who has followed Armie Hammer’s social media in recent months can attest.
There is a chance, if Gad is trolling fans, that it could in fact lead to his casting. While some were hesitant about Gad playing The Penguin, quite a few have come around to the idea.
MORE JUSTICE LEAGUE: LEGO Sets Give First-Look At Steppenwolf / First Look At Flying Fox And Nightcrawler LEGOs Revealed / LEGO Set Names Give Major Movie Hints
Justice League is directed by Zack Snyder, from a screenplay by Chris Terrio, and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck (Batman), Henry Cavill (Superman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Ezra Miller (The Flash), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Ciarán Hinds (Steppenwolf), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth), J.K. Simmons (Commissioner Gordon), Amber Heard (Mera), Kiersey Clemons (Iris West) and Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor).
DC and Warner Bros. have a full slate ahead, Wonder Woman on June 2, 2017, followed by Justice League on November 17, 2017. The Batman is expected sometime in 2018, with The Flash debuting on March 23, 2018. Aquaman is set for October 5, 2018, and Nightwing’s solo feature is due sometime in 2019.
