Could Arnold Schwarzenegger Have Been More Than Just a Batman Villain in the Superhero Universe?

A few days ago, at the Oscars, Arnold Schwarzenegger reminded the world that he had played the iconic Batman villain Mr. Freeze in the 1997 movie, Batman & Robin (1997). It was hilarious to watch the 76-year-old and his onscreen ‘twin’ Danny DeVito go back and forth with the original Batman, Michael Keaton. However, Arnie’s 1997 film was such a disaster that it killed all probability of him reappearing in a superhero film.

However, with the renaissance of the superhero genre in the 2010s, thanks to Marvel’s record-setting films, countless actors have donned the costumes of superheroes and supervillains in the last decade. In a 2023 interview with Men’s Health, Arnold Schwarzenegger explained that he would like to appear in the MCU. In fact, rumors surfaced that The Terminator might appear as Titanium Man in a planned Armor Wars film. So it’s only natural to wonder which characters the bodybuilding legend could’ve played in his prime.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was the pioneer

Arnie’s breakthrough came with Conan the Barbarian (1982). In the film, Arnold Schwarzenegger brought Robert E. Howard’s pulp fiction and later comic book character Conan to life. The Austrian Oak had to downsize his massive Olympia-winning physique and rigorously train himself in swordplay and horse riding to portray the character.

Arnie’s muscular and chiseled physique gave a new dimension to Conan the Barbarian. But little did he know that he had pioneered the modern superhero physique. Today’s action stars like Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jason Momoa, Hugh Jackman, and many others aspire to achieve Schwarzenegger’s Conan physique.

Arnie also had no idea that the rights to character would ultimately make their way into Marvel’s hands. After the comic book giant acquired the rights to Conan from the Dark Horse, they integrated the character into their universe. Arnie might be more famous as Conan than The Terminator had the superhero genre been as popular as science-fiction was in the 80s. That being said, there are other superhero characters that Schwarzenegger could’ve played in his prime.

The Terminator in DCU

Similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s outing as Mr. Freeze in 1996, the DC cinematic universe has always stood on rocky ground. While critics butchered the 1996 DC film in their reviews, it didn’t do well at the box office either. Despite its star-spangled cast, Batman and Robin fell flat. While modern DC films also followed the MCU’s ‘connected universe’ formula, most of the films have been hit-and-miss.

While some films garnered praise, many did not. However, playing second fiddle to the Marvel films at the box office didn’t discourage DC and Warner Bros. from making superhero films. Hence, Arnold Schwarzenegger wouldn’t have run into any trouble finding a place in one of the many DC films. While Schwarzenegger might not have been a perfect fit for Superman, one can imagine him as one of Superman’s villains.

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Arnold’s massive physique would’ve made him a perfect fit for the Kryptonian, General Zod. Other characters with superhuman strength and physique, like the Justice League baddie Lobo, also come to mind. Interstingly, Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayed Hercules in his first feature film. The Greek demigod has found a home in the pages of DC comics.

Hence, Schwarzenegger would’ve had no issues portraying Hercules in the DC universe. While we haven’t seen any of these characters other than Zod on the silver screen, that doesn’t mean they’ll never appear. In fact, if Schwarzenegger does appear as Titanium Man in Armor Wars, it will be the comic book character’s MCU debt. Talking about the MCU, let’s look at some Marvel characters that Arnie could’ve portrayed.

Arnold Schwarzenegger in the MCU

If prime Arnold Schwarzenegger got a chance to star in the modern Marvel Cinematic Universe, he might’ve been a good fit for the Hulk. Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Olympia rival Lou Ferrigno actually replaced him as the first live-action Hulk in the 80s. While the seven-time Mr. Olympia winner defeated Lou Ferrigno multiple times, showrunners of The Incredible Hulk chose Ferrigno to portray the iconic superhero.

Although Ferrigno snatched his chance to portray the Hulk, Schwarzenegger would’ve fit the bill for other MCU characters. Fortunately for Arnie, the MCU and DC share some characters like the Greek gods. The Austrian Oak, yet again, would’ve been a great fit for Hercules. He would’ve also been the perfect fit for the time-traveling cyborg Cable.

While Josh Brolin played the mercenary in Deadpool 2, Cable has a lot in common with the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger character, T-800 Terminator. Hence, it’s safe to say that the former Mr. Universe would’ve had no shortage of superhero characters to star as. Whether it was the DCU or MCU, the 80s action icon would’ve certainly been much more than Mr. Freeze, who spewed ice puns with every dialogue.

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