Universal Studios
New York magazine had some foresight when they titled a 2009 Michael Cera profile “Boy Wonder.” According to THR’s Heat Vision blog, the actor has signed on to join his Arrested Development uncle as a lead voice actor for The Lego Batman Movie. Will Arnett is reprising his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne from The Lego Movie, while Cera will portray the brick-based version of his sidekick, Robin. More like Motherboy Wonder, right?
This, of course, won’t be the first comic book hero for Cera, who previously starred in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. What’s more interesting is that they’re going with the traditional male Robin rather than the female incarnation, as is rumored to be the case for the live-action DC Cinematic Universe. But if the Lego Cinematic Universe follows the Lego DC Super Heroes line, it won’t be the original Dick Grayson Robin, but Damian Wayne, who is also Batman’s son. Or it could be Tim Drake. Or it doesn’t matter.
I’m surely not the first person to think this, but now can we just have the rest of the main voice cast be mined from Arrested Development? I’ve already seen it suggested that Jessica Walter play the Joker (she was actually once a superhero movie villain, y’know). I’ll add Tony Hale for the Penguin, Alia Shawkat as Catwoman (not just because of her name), Mae Whitman as Batgirl, Portia de Rossi as Harley Quinn, Jeffrey Tambor as Commissioner Gordon, David Cross as the Riddler, Jason Bateman as Nightwing and Ron Howard as the narrator.
Hopefully the DC hero voicers from The Lego Movie will be reprising their roles for at least cameos, too, because then you’ve also got a Superbad reunion with Jonah Hill’s Green Lanter – the others were Channing Tatum as Superman, Cobie Smulders as Wonder Woman and Jake Johnson as the Flash.
The Lego Batman Movie, which will be scripted by Seth Grahame-Smith and directed by Chris McKay, is due in theaters on February 10, 2017.
