John Mulaney loves movies. He's been at the top of the list when it comes to hosting the Golden Globes and Oscars, as evidenced by the unanimous praise that his brief appearances at award show events have earned.
Despite this adoration of the medium, Mulaney doesn't have much of a film career to speak of. He has been more of a television and stand-up presence than a cinematic one. This could change, however, if the actor manages to land a blockbuster DC franchise. The comedian talked about the possibility of playing the beloved superhero Plastic Man during a recent GQ interview.
Mulaney joked that he would need a huge salary
Mulaney was intrigued by the possibility of playing one of DC's lesser-known heroes, but he took a very realistic (and frankly, very funny) approach to the idea. He noted that superhero films have been huge earners over the last two decades, but that the genre has dwindled in popularity in the last few years.
As such, the paycheck for suiting up as Plastic Man would have to be just right. Or, as he put it:
"It’d be a money thing. Apparently these movies pay a lot but that is also changing in today’s ever evolving media landscape."
Mulaney has very few film roles to his name
Mulaney's profile is higher than ever these days. He recently hosted Saturday Night Live, and was responsible for the most-viewed episode of the season thus far. His own show, Everybody Lives In L.A., received near universal acclaim from fans and critics. Netflix has booked the comedian for a second talk show as a result.
It would be fascinating to see Mulaney take on a big screen role, given how much time has spent crafting his public persona. It remains to be seen whether he would be able to convincingly portray a character other than, well, John Mulaney, but it would certainly inject life into a superhero genre that really feels like it's on its last legs artistically and commercially.