Many of the central stars in the AI trailer were major names in the 1990s. However, there are also some truly surprising choices, especially when it comes to the supporting cast. Consider Vin Diesel playing Black Adam. This is likely a cheeky reference to Diesel’s feud with Dwayne Johnson (who plays the character in “Black Adam”) since the Fast and the Furious franchise star wasn’t exactly a household name in the 1990s. Diesel’s “Saving Private Ryan” co-star Matt Damon is also an inspired choice to play Robin, as he spent the 1990s making movies like “Good Will Hunting” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley” instead of the more action-oriented roles he started taking in the 2000s. Your mileage may also vary about “Friends”-era Jennifer Aniston as Harley Quinn, bona fide star Uma Thurman as the relatively minor character Huntress, or Richard Gere as John Constantine.
On the other hand, there are roles that the trailer absolutely nails. Christopher Lee would have made a truly imposing Alfred Pennyworth. Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, Winona Ryder, and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Sarah Michelle Gellar are pretty neat choices as Nightwing, Green Arrow, Batgirl, and Black Canary, respectively. Russell Crowe’s Hawkman would essentially be his “Gladiator” character with wings, while Sean Connery as Superman’s dad Jor-El would be a fun take on Connery and Cage’s dynamic in “The Rock.”
Perhaps the most interesting choices the trailer makes are the main villains. Based on his turn as Green Goblin alone, it’s probably safe to say that Willem Dafoe as the Joker would be terrifying … as would John Malkovich as Lex Luthor.
