Marvel and DC’s Biggest Stars Are Teaming Up In A New Serial Killer Comedy
Robert Downey Jr and Robert Pattinson will appear in Average Height, Average Build, a black comedy film about a serial killer.
Back in the day, comics fans were treated to the occasional unexpected team-up between Marvel and DC superheroes. We haven’t seen that happen on the big screen, yet, but the next best thing is when a movie joins some of our favorite actors from hot Marvel and DC properties. And it doesn’t get hotter than this: Deadline reports that Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr and Batman actor Robert Pattinson will join many other stars in Average Height, Average Build, a black comedy film from Succession showrunner and Oscar winner Adam McKay.
Aside from blowing us away with Succession (no, really, you need to go watch it), Adam McKay has established that he has a particular MO with feature films like Don’t Look Up: to reflect the anxieties of the modern world in a dark and funny way. And the director has enough clout to fill these movies with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. For example, in addition to starring Robert Downey Jr and Robert Pattinson, the movie also stars Amy Adams and Forest Whitaker, two performers who know how to make a meal out of any role.
However, it looks like the central drama of Average Height, Average Build is going to revolve around the characters played by Robert Downey Jr and Robert Pattinson. In the film, Pattinson plays a serial killer who is understandably worried that a retired cop played by Downey Jr is getting too close to cracking the case on these murders. So in a wildly postmodern twist, Pattinson links up with a political lobbyist played by Amy Adams with the goal of changing the laws and making it easier for him to get away with his bloody crimes.
The movie is already being described as a very dark version of the classic movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. That old film was meant to shine a rather unflinching light on the gulf between political ideals and political realities, but this newer film looks like it will instead shine its own light on the relationship between political legislation and mass murder. And by casting Robert Downey Jr and Robert Pattinson, Adam McKay has ensured that the legions of fans that each actor has will tune into this modern tale of dark money and darker deaths.
And considering that bother Robert Downey Jr and Robert Pattinson know what it’s like to get typecast by different fandoms, we can only imagine they will enjoy the opportunity to do some good, old-fashioned character work. Each actor is very good at doing such performances, with Pattinson dazzling us all in The Light House a few years back. And as for Downey Jr, well…we can only assume he’s looking forward to finally doing a post-Endgame movie other than the critically-reviled Dolittle.
While we’re looking forward to an onscreen team-up between Robert Downey Jr and Robert Pattinson even without their superhero outfits, we may have a long time to wait. Adam McKay has a script and a cast and even a production company in place, but he is still shopping everything around to different studios. Let’s hope this new killer comedy isn’t killed by the scariest Hollywood villain of all: development hell.
