While critics like our own Eric Eisenberg have already been able to revisit Arrakis and provide a Dune: Part Two review, the rest of the world has to wait until this weekend to form our thoughts about Denis Villeneuve's epic sequel. It's a would-be hit that seems to further validate Timothée Chalamet’s choice to get into acting after seeing The Dark Knight – but would he ever do a superhero movie, despite the advice he received from fellow actor Leonardo DiCaprio?
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Career Advice For Timothée Chalamet
The Dune actor has repeatedly spoken about the career advice that Leonardo DiCaprio once gave him. Recently speaking with The New York Times, Chalamet dropped those pearls of wisdom yet again, proudly verifying that they're still part of his strategy. He said,
Well, Leonardo DiCaprio said to me, ‘No superhero movies, no hard drugs.’ Which I thought was very good. … I follow them both!
The point about "no hard drugs" is a no brainer, and that's always a piece of advice that actor and viewer alike should be on board with. However, the "no superhero movies" clause is something that could have infinitely more wiggle room – especially with esteemed award-winners like Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman having dipped their toes into the genre.
So could Timothée Chalamet ever do a superhero movie, despite following the Killers of the Flower Moon actor’s words to live by? As it so happens, Timothée addressed that point in this very same conversation... though with some particular caveats that need to be met to even get him to consider such a project.
Could Timothée Chalamet's Dark Knight Inspiration Lead To Him Doing A Superhero Movie?
In all honesty, not all “superhero movies” are created equal. While there are some less exciting titles on the slate of upcoming Marvel movies and TV series for example, there are some special projects that buck trends. This is probably why Timothée Chalamet not only revealed Christopher Nolan's iconic comic sequel The Dark Knight as his inspiration, but also laid down these hypothetical terms for participating in the genre. He told the Times,
But the movie that made me want to act is a superhero movie, ‘The Dark Knight.’ If the script was great, if the director was great, I’d have to consider it.
From where I’m standing, that sounds like Timothée would be more likely to sign up for something like Matt Reeves’ The Batman saga as opposed to a long-term deals that have partially led to some of Marvel’s current story problems. We probably shouldn't expect Chalamet to show up as a Skrull any time soon, but a compelling villain in an arthouse style comic adaptation just might be the key to the actor getting into the game.
For now, Timothée Chalamet has had no problem following Leonardo DiCaprio’s rules. However, that hasn’t stopped him from indulging in his own heroic (or sometimes anti-heroic) antics. You can see both on display in the month to come, as in addition to Dune: Part Two hitting theaters on Friday, Dune: Part One will be part of everything new on Hulu at the beginning of March. Also, Wonka will be available to stream for Max subscribers starting March 8.
