Michael Jackson Wanted To Play This Iconic Batman Movie Villain

Could the Dark Knight have handled the King of Pop? We'll never know the answer now, but in the late 1990s, it was a near possibility. Following Tim Burton's game-changing "Batman" duology, Joel Schumacher was brought on board to take the iconic DC hero into a bright, family-oriented direction, which would result in 1995's "Batman Forever."

Amongst catching whiff of the production, pop icon Michael Jackson made an effort to be cast as one of the film's antagonists, the Riddler. Schumacher and Jackson had crossed paths previously, with Schumacher having previously helmed the screenplay for 1978's "The Wiz," which saw Jackson star as the Scarecrow. In a 2003 interview with Chicago-Sun Times (via Screen Rant), Schumacher described what went down, saying, "He called me a few times. He wanted to play the Riddler in 'Batman Forever,' and they wanted me to do his 'Scream' music video. There was really no role for him in 'Batman Forever,' and I was working on something else when the 'Scream' video came out." 

Alas, Jackson joined a list of actors including Robin Williams, Kelsey Grammer, John Malkovich, and Brad Dourif who were said to be in consideration to play the green spandex-wearing villain before Jim Carrey took the part. Unlike most of these performers, however, "Batman Forever" would not be Jackson's final attempt at appearing in a comic book film.

Michael Jackson's desire to play the Riddler in "Batman Forever" never manifested into much, but that didn't stop him from trying his hand for other comic book roles. But this time around, Jackson eyed superhero roles from rival company Marvel, leading to some larger-than-life behind the scenes stories. 

He first showed interest in portraying Marvel's poster child, Spider-Man, in the 1990s. Jackson not only set out to play the iconic web-slinging superhero, but even made plans to buy Marvel, which was in rough shape at that time, having filed for bankruptcy in 1996. Jackson was in touch with Stan Lee regarding the matter, with the late comic writer recalling the time with Moviefone (via Comics Alliance). "I knew Michael Jackson," Lee said. "And with the things he discussed with me, I felt he wanted to be Spider-Man. That was the character that interested him."

Even then, Jackson gave one last go at headlining a Marvel production. In 1999, the King of Pop discussed the potential of playing Professor Xavier with director Bryan Singer and the team behind "X-Men," a role that would go on to be immortalized by actor Patrick Stewart. To show what he could do, Jackson presented a short film that saw him in makeup as an angry elderly white mayor. Unsurprisingly, he was never considered for the part, with a former 20th Century Fox executive telling The Hollywood Reporter, "Michael was already in the thick of all his allegations by 'X-Men.'" Michael Jackson may have brought audiences years of entertainment, but it's probably for the best that his comic book movie roles — and other potential blockbuster parts — never materialized.