Viggo Mortensen Comments on Man of Steel, Batman Begins, Joker, and Doctor Strange Rumors

Whenever a comic book project is announced and fans start to theorize about who could be bringing iconic characters to life, a certain group of names often emerges, with Viggo Mortensen's leading-man chops often earning him a number of rumors regarding casting, with the actor recently reacting to some of those reports. When speaking with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, host Josh Horowitz specifically asked Mortensen about rumors regarding his involvement in Joker, Batman Begins, and Man of Steel, with the actor implying there was some truth to some of those rumors, yet clarified that there was one Marvel project that he wasn't ever in talks of joining.

"I wasn't offered Doctor Strange," Mortensen confirmed, while adding that "some of those sound right, yeah."

The actor isn't opposed to taking on a comic book role, however, having previously starred in the adaptation of the graphic novel A History of Violence, directed by David Cronenberg. Fans will surely know that Mortensen also is open to bringing beloved and fantastical figures to life, having played Aragorn in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Mortensen went on to detail that his son Henry is a major comic book fan, so he would likely ask his opinion of potential projects he'd join, but that his interest starts with the story being told.

"Henry is a comic book encyclopedia, he knows everything about DC, Marvel, other comic book lines, but, I mean, if I have a doubt and it is that sort of thing, if there's something about the story or the director, but especially the story, for me, story comes first," the actor confessed. "I don't care who the director is when I first read the script, I just wanna see if this is something that I would wanna see. I know that's subjective, but it's like, 'Would I wanna go see this?' And if I think it's that good a story, is the part that I could play or I could audition for, that I'm being considered for, does that part scare me a little bit?"

He continued, "And, if so, does it scare me because I'm not sure I'm up to it and it's something I haven't tried yet or does it worry me because I think I'm absolutely not the right casting for it? Which is slightly different. But if I have a doubt, and I'm thinking, 'Well, it's not bad,' if it's a comic book thing, I would definitely show it to Henry, of course."

Stay tuned for details on Mortensen's possible future in the comic book world.

Is there a character you'd like to see Mortensen play? Let us know in the comments below!