Joel Schumacher once said in an interview that if Arnold Schwarzenegger had not wanted to play Mr. Freeze, Sylvester Stallone was his second choice. Hulk Hogan, who appeared with Sylvester Stallone in Rocky III (1982) coincidentally, was Schumacher's third choice to play Mr. Freeze. Schumacher said he wanted Schwarzenegger for the role, and he threatened not to direct the film if Schwarzenegger wasn't cast.