BURBANK, CA–It really is the era of fan-favorite actors reprising their roles from decades ago. Warner Bros. has greenlit a Mr. Freeze solo movie, with Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising his role as the iconic villain from the critically acclaimed 1997 film Batman & Robin.

A Mr. Freeze film has allegedly been in development for quite some time but had just been put on ice for a while. “I’ll be back,” Schwarzenegger famously predicted in 1991–six years before his first onscreen appearance as Mr. Freeze. Nonetheless, the actor also noted that, to get back into character for such a complex role, he’d have to do a Total Recall of his time filming Batman & Robin.

Warner Bros. CEO and president David Zaslav commented on what inspired them to develop this film. “Look, we know it looks like a weird move, but we really didn’t have a choice. When Arnold was governor, he made an executive order that forced us to sign a contract for another film if we wanted to keep our Burbank office.”

In the style of the Joker film, Mr. Freeze will be a deep, psychological look at a tortured man’s descent into cold-hearted villainy. Martin Scorsese has signed on to direct, already describing the project as the magnum opus of his career.

The film will follow young scientist Victor Fries as he explores cryogenic technologies (Schwarzenegger, 77, will be digitally de-aged for the role). When Victor’s wife Nora (Uma Thurman) becomes terminally ill, he cryogenically freezes her until he can find a cure for her condition. But Victor’s plight forces him to steal and kill–through use of his freeze ray–in search of the technology he needs, gradually becoming more desperate and morally ambiguous. Promotional material features Victor saying, “I have a wife, and she’s sick. That makes it okay for me to break the law.”

Along his twisted psychological journey, mild-mannered Victor struggles with keeping his anger and obsession concealed until he eventually gives into them and becomes a vicious killer. Schwarzenegger will perform a musical number of “Let It Go,” with Idina Menzel providing voiceovers.

Like the film’s predecessor Joker, no Batman-adjacent film is complete without featuring the onscreen murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne. The Waynes are rumored to appear in this film as well. Sources say they’ll be among Victor’s first murder victims (he first tries out the alias “Joe Chill” before landing on “Mr. Freeze”) due to Wayne Enterprises having access to critical medical technology Victor needs. Schwarzenegger’s son-in-law, Chris Pratt, will provide the voice for a young Bruce Wayne.

Mr. Freeze hits theaters in 2026.