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This is digital art I made of a Steve Buscemi photo. I basically just changed his black shirt green and a moody lighting effect. I fan cast Steve Buscemi as the Burtonverse Riddler. That's who I believe Tim Burton would have really cast for his Riddler. Tim Burton had him in Big Fish and praised him in the commentary.

Tim Burton cast Steve Buscemi in Big Fish (2003), as poet turned bank robber Norther Winslow. In the Big Fish commentary Tim Burton said about Steve Buscemi, "He's a guy that just, anytime I see him in a film it just makes me happy, he's just such a great presence and I always wanted to work with him and because I love people that look like they could be in a silent movie. He's one of those guys that just expresses so much without even having to say anything. I love Steve's character, too. He's another that I related to. This guy that is artistic... I just love this character, going from a poet to a bank robber, and then becoming very successful, I always felt very close to this character in a weird way... This kind of Don Knotts gone bad, kind of like if Barney Fife had got on the wrong side of the law type of a situation. Steve [Buscemi is] excellent at improve and again getting kind of a funny tone because when Steve [Buscemi] comes out of there it's actually kind of scary because you don't know if he's gonna shot somebody, get that mixture of comedy and slightly scary at the same time. I would love him [Steve Buscemi] to be [in all of my movies]."

The Robin Williams Riddler rumor dates back at least to 1990 with a Cher Catwoman rumor dating back at least to 1989, along with an Elton John "Tom Thumb" rumor and Al Pacino Robin rumor that must have been jokes.

Batman (1989) scriptwriter Sam Hamm explained about false rumors in Amazing Heroes #159 (1989), "There was this weirdo rumor that hit the papers that [Batman (1989) producers] Guber or Peters was trying to get Cher to appear as the villainess Catwoman in Batman [1989], but there is no Catwoman in any of the [Batman (1989)] drafts. There was also a thing in the paper that Jack Nicholson wanted to get Elton John cast as his deranged sidekick Tom Thumb, but there was no Tom Thumb in the movie either."

In Comics Interview #77 (1990) Jack C. Harris asked, "Have Cher or Robin Williams been approached to play villains?" Producer Michael Uslan explained, "No. You'll discover that 90% or more of all rumors in this business are never true. It's always best to stick by and wait for the official announcements. If you believed the first rumors about Batman [1989], then Burt Reynolds would have been the lead and David Niven would be Alfred."

www.1989batman.com/2013/06/vin…

Tim Burton laughed about the Robin Williams Riddler rumor on The Tonight Show when Jay Leno actually asked Tim Burton on June 24th 1992, "Now this is a rumor going around town - Robin Williams may be the Riddler in the next one." Tim Burton laughed at that Robin Williams Riddler rumor and said, "On the first movie [Batman (1989)] I have press clippings of rumors, I remember ones that said like Al Pacino was donning the tights to play Robin, and all these weird rumors, I don't know where this stuff comes from." Tim Burton obviously wasn't seriously considering Robin Williams for the Riddler or Al Pacino for Robin.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvXJBo…

It was Joel Schumacher that wanted Robin Williams to play the Riddler, Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever script writer Janet Scott Batchler said that the Riddler was not part for the Batman Forever movie project until Joel Schumacher and writers Lee and Janet Scott Batchler took over, and Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever writers Lee and Janet Scott Batchler wrote the role with Robin Williams in mind. Robin Williams confirmed in November 19, 1993, that he had been talking to director Joel Schumacher about the project scheduled to film in September 1994, and he said that he thought playing the Riddler would be "nifty," but the script wasn't finished yet. Joel Schumacher was expecting the script to be in his hands on January 1, 1994.

On January 2nd 1994 Des O'Connor asked Robin Williams, "You've got the Riddler coming up?" Robin Williams said, "Maybe. Yeah, if the script is good I'll do that."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ufWTu…

After reading the script and the studio giving him a final deadline for his decision, Robin Williams turned down the role.

Entertainment Weekly reported in 1994: "Holy casting coups! Super-hot Jim Carrey — and not Robin Williams — will play the Riddler in Batman Forever, scheduled for release in 1995. While both the studio and Carrey are declining comment, a source says it took just 30 minutes of negotiation to cast Carrey, who’ll earn $5 million and the chance to show his face to an international audience. But why did Williams forfeit the role? The comedian had no comment, but an insider says, 'He believed the character was too intellectual and not as comedic as the Riddler played by Frank Gorshin on the TV series.' Williams was reportedly also concerned that his Riddler would be overshadowed by the film’s other Bat-foe, Harvey (Two-Face) Dent, especially after Tommy Lee Jones was cast in the role."

ew.com/article/1994/06/03/cast…

Joel Schumacher said in the Calgary Herald newspaper [October 7th 1994], "I went to Robin (Williams) a year ago. I'd heard he wanted to play the Riddler, and he told me he did. Then it became yes - no - yes - no - and finally he said no. Again, I'd met with Jim Carrey by this point and decided if Robin said no, it would be Jim. Jim has been this brilliant always. The trouble with Jim has been that they only way to use him properly is to make a Jim Carrey movie. He was a lot like Robin Williams in that you pretty much had to go with it. He was inventing it in front of your eyes."

Joel Schumacher said on Charlie Rose in 1995, "I called Robin [Williams]. I said, 'Play the Riddler.' He said, 'I'd love to.' And then a year went by and he was still saying, 'I'd love to, Joel.' But he couldn't say yes. So by that time I met with Jim Carrey and I felt that there must be a reason Robin isn't saying yes. Either it's me or the project or the part."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNX_ZI…

Tim Burton didn't even like the movie title Batman Forever. Tim Burton said in his book Burton on Burton (1997), "I always hated those titles like Batman Forever. That sounds like a tattoo that somebody would get when they're on drugs or something. Or something some kid would write in the yearbook to somebody else. I have high problems with some of those titles."

Description

This is digital art I made of a Steve Buscemi photo. I basically just changed his black shirt green and a moody lighting effect. I fan cast Steve Buscemi as the Burtonverse Riddler. That's who I believe Tim Burton would have really cast for his Riddler. Tim Burton had him in Big Fish and praised him in the commentary.

Tim Burton cast Steve Buscemi in Big Fish (2003), as poet turned bank robber Norther Winslow. In the Big Fish commentary Tim Burton said about Steve Buscemi, "He's a guy that just, anytime I see him in a film it just makes me happy, he's just such a great presence and I always wanted to work with him and because I love people that look like they could be in a silent movie. He's one of those guys that just expresses so much without even having to say anything. I love Steve's character, too. He's another that I related to. This guy that is artistic... I just love this character, going from a poet to a bank robber, and then becoming very successful, I always felt very close to this character in a weird way... This kind of Don Knotts gone bad, kind of like if Barney Fife had got on the wrong side of the law type of a situation. Steve [Buscemi is] excellent at improve and again getting kind of a funny tone because when Steve [Buscemi] comes out of there it's actually kind of scary because you don't know if he's gonna shot somebody, get that mixture of comedy and slightly scary at the same time. I would love him [Steve Buscemi] to be [in all of my movies]."

The Robin Williams Riddler rumor dates back at least to 1990 with a Cher Catwoman rumor dating back at least to 1989, along with an Elton John "Tom Thumb" rumor and Al Pacino Robin rumor that must have been jokes.

Batman (1989) scriptwriter Sam Hamm explained about false rumors in Amazing Heroes #159 (1989), "There was this weirdo rumor that hit the papers that [Batman (1989) producers] Guber or Peters was trying to get Cher to appear as the villainess Catwoman in Batman [1989], but there is no Catwoman in any of the [Batman (1989)] drafts. There was also a thing in the paper that Jack Nicholson wanted to get Elton John cast as his deranged sidekick Tom Thumb, but there was no Tom Thumb in the movie either."

In Comics Interview #77 (1990) Jack C. Harris asked, "Have Cher or Robin Williams been approached to play villains?" Producer Michael Uslan explained, "No. You'll discover that 90% or more of all rumors in this business are never true. It's always best to stick by and wait for the official announcements. If you believed the first rumors about Batman [1989], then Burt Reynolds would have been the lead and David Niven would be Alfred."

www.1989batman.com/2013/06/vin…

Tim Burton laughed about the Robin Williams Riddler rumor on The Tonight Show when Jay Leno actually asked Tim Burton on June 24th 1992, "Now this is a rumor going around town - Robin Williams may be the Riddler in the next one." Tim Burton laughed at that Robin Williams Riddler rumor and said, "On the first movie [Batman (1989)] I have press clippings of rumors, I remember ones that said like Al Pacino was donning the tights to play Robin, and all these weird rumors, I don't know where this stuff comes from." Tim Burton obviously wasn't seriously considering Robin Williams for the Riddler or Al Pacino for Robin.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvXJBo…

It was Joel Schumacher that wanted Robin Williams to play the Riddler, Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever script writer Janet Scott Batchler said that the Riddler was not part for the Batman Forever movie project until Joel Schumacher and writers Lee and Janet Scott Batchler took over, and Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever writers Lee and Janet Scott Batchler wrote the role with Robin Williams in mind. Robin Williams confirmed in November 19, 1993, that he had been talking to director Joel Schumacher about the project scheduled to film in September 1994, and he said that he thought playing the Riddler would be "nifty," but the script wasn't finished yet. Joel Schumacher was expecting the script to be in his hands on January 1, 1994.

On January 2nd 1994 Des O'Connor asked Robin Williams, "You've got the Riddler coming up?" Robin Williams said, "Maybe. Yeah, if the script is good I'll do that."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ufWTu…

After reading the script and the studio giving him a final deadline for his decision, Robin Williams turned down the role.

Entertainment Weekly reported in 1994: "Holy casting coups! Super-hot Jim Carrey — and not Robin Williams — will play the Riddler in Batman Forever, scheduled for release in 1995. While both the studio and Carrey are declining comment, a source says it took just 30 minutes of negotiation to cast Carrey, who’ll earn $5 million and the chance to show his face to an international audience. But why did Williams forfeit the role? The comedian had no comment, but an insider says, 'He believed the character was too intellectual and not as comedic as the Riddler played by Frank Gorshin on the TV series.' Williams was reportedly also concerned that his Riddler would be overshadowed by the film’s other Bat-foe, Harvey (Two-Face) Dent, especially after Tommy Lee Jones was cast in the role."

ew.com/article/1994/06/03/cast…

Joel Schumacher said in the Calgary Herald newspaper [October 7th 1994], "I went to Robin (Williams) a year ago. I'd heard he wanted to play the Riddler, and he told me he did. Then it became yes - no - yes - no - and finally he said no. Again, I'd met with Jim Carrey by this point and decided if Robin said no, it would be Jim. Jim has been this brilliant always. The trouble with Jim has been that they only way to use him properly is to make a Jim Carrey movie. He was a lot like Robin Williams in that you pretty much had to go with it. He was inventing it in front of your eyes."

Joel Schumacher said on Charlie Rose in 1995, "I called Robin [Williams]. I said, 'Play the Riddler.' He said, 'I'd love to.' And then a year went by and he was still saying, 'I'd love to, Joel.' But he couldn't say yes. So by that time I met with Jim Carrey and I felt that there must be a reason Robin isn't saying yes. Either it's me or the project or the part."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNX_ZI…

Tim Burton didn't even like the movie title Batman Forever. Tim Burton said in his book Burton on Burton (1997), "I always hated those titles like Batman Forever. That sounds like a tattoo that somebody would get when they're on drugs or something. Or something some kid would write in the yearbook to somebody else. I have high problems with some of those titles."