(My dear readers, you have permission to treat this rumor as hostile.)
Not two days after wild rumors started circulating that Angelina Jolie was looking to play Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s third chapter of the Batman Begins series, comes an even wilder rumor from out of the UK that Warner Bros. execs have begun eying top-notch actors Johny Depp and Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman for the roles of The Riddler and The Penguin in the next Bat-flick
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DON’T DRINK THE KOOL-AID JUST YET. For every new rumor of which villains will be featured in the next Batman film, comes another statement from Dark Knight scribes Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer, saying that they are trying NOT to take the obvious route of throwing the second-most iconic villains from Batman’s rogue gallery into the next film. However, as Spider-Man 3 taught us all, when a franchise reaches a certain $tature, the studio’s wishes quickly begin to trump any creative desires. Don’t be surprised to see The Riddler, The Penguin, or both, show up in the final draft of the script.
However, we won’t really know anything until a script for BB3 is actually done. But that hasn’t stopped fan debates from raging 24/7. Personally, I don’t think Goyer and Nolan should be working too hard to try to pull out obscure villains and/or plotlines for the next installment. If Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight taught us anything, it’s that an actor at the top of his or her game is able to take what is iconic and totally redefine it. (And fanboys, really, is that not the essence of all the best comic books: re-definition of the status quo?)
Which villains do you think should make into BB3?
Source: Comic Book Movie
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425 Comments
Wow what a great photo with (Old School), Penguin, and Riddler. !
Having the Joker in the background with his head choped out of the photo was purely a coincidence I’m sure Kofi,,,lol, nice touch, grim but dark like these latest films.
First time I heard of Depp playing Riddler was talking with Stan Lee, over at Movieguysorg a few days ago.
Then next thing I notice a few other ppl are mentioning this on other sites. Next thing its in the National Inquirer. Now its coming from the UK. ((Power of the net my friends.)) Wow. This might just happen due to heavy chatter,,and the huge Depp fanbase.
Nolan has to at least try and come close with another great performance from his villians.
I would hope Dent has some reconstructive work done and also returns as a easier on the eyes TwoFace.
I’m pretty sure Riddler WIll BE in the next chapter. Nolan hasn’t ruled it out like he pretty much has on Robin and the Penguin.
Daniel Day Lewis as The Riddler
Whoever the villains are I hope they are well written and well portrayed .
Thats all I want .
If this rumor holds any water…
I weep for the future.
Nowhereman,,,,
That’s the same thing they said when Ledger got the role to play Joker. ‘-)
Johnny Depp is a good actor, but I don’t think I would be able to overcome the funny side of him attached by the Pirates - he will, I’m afraid, remain Captain Jack Sparrow forever for me.
So I would like if someone else would take the role.
Deep could do the Riddler, I can see that. But I fear you simply cannot match Ledger as the Joker.
Pengiun is a bad idea as the series would lose the dark, gritty edge its kept so well.
I’m hoping now Nolan invents a new character. I wish he would call a retreat, like scientists sometimes do. Take a couple of DC creators and just hammer out something they can keep a lid on, just long enough to get expectation up. Then, slowly leak out the details like clues in a detective story.
Their’s really no downside, except maybe Time Warner’s stock. I guess the company has been doing underwhelming for awhile now.
I hope they won’t make same mistake by making the villains increase every sequel, since the plot will be all cramp up together.
Since Jul 19 2008, I have been wishing Depp to play Riddler and Hoffman to play Penguin at the iMDB forums all the time. Maybe because of my spam posting, these rumors started circulating I guess. Or is it just a coincidence to my wishes?
I wouldnt want to see Depp in a riddler costume playing depp in a riddler costume. His work has been the same for the last decade. Pure wooden performances.
I really hope they have the riddler in, but the penguin i wouldn’t like at all, i don’t like him and never have, i just don’t see how they could make him work for nolans movie style.
The Riddler? Unless he’s played by David Tennant, I don’t think so. Tennant is a great actor with something to prove. This will give him the vehicle to do so. But I doubt the Riddler will be in the movie. If the Penguin is in it, he’ll be the arms dealer or fence — not a major threat. Personally, I think Nolan will go left with the villain choice. BANE…
Think Hoffman could be better as the Mad Hatter.
Agree on not overloading on villains.
First, let me state that I personally don’t think we need another Batman movie. But since we’re talking hypothetically, I think focusing on new villains is a bad move. Ledger’s Joker has been setup as Batman’s ultimate foe. To base a film around any number of smaller villains would immediately reduce the epic nature of a sequel. Additionally, the most important quality of the Nolan’s Joker/Two-Face combo was that it necessarily required Batman to reevaluate himself and his vigilante role. For a sequel to do less would also set it up for failure.
So, I say the best character to bring in for a third Nolan film would be Azrael. Not as a villain per se, but as Batman’s greatest threat; a vigilante more potent than Batman himself. This will allow for the “redemption” of the Batman. In TDK, Batman became, in the end, as bloodied and stained as the Joker himself (in the mind of the city), for the sake of maintaining Dent’s purity. When Azrael, a lethal vigilante, blows open Arkham and goes on a villain-killing spree, Batman will prove that he is still a hero and not the criminal vigilante that Gotham has come to see him as. But more interesting still would be to reveal that Azrael was a pawn, part of a larger plot to eliminate the criminal power base of Gotham so that a mysterious figure could take over.
Azrael would, ideally, be played by Daniel Craig. I don’t necessarily like his work as James Bond, but what he did with the character suits the Azrael role perfectly, and I feel that between him and Bale, the tension would be palpable. Depp would show up as a new, seemingly minor character who wears green as the only hint to his true identity.
I’d like to see Bane come back. They ruined him in Batman & Robin, but he’s one of the mightiest villains that Batman ever faced.
I of course would not mind seeing Riddler come back, but I’d hope it’d be in an unusual role. He wouldn’t be so much a hindrance as an annoyance, for example, like he now is in Detective Comics, where he’s a fellow detective himself interfering with Batman’s cases. Of course, once a Batman rogue…
Nolan relies on a core element of each villain to make them work, rendering that core into a more “real” and therefore more threatening villain (which is why Ra’s al Ghul was such a limp menace IMHO). By having Scarecrow utilize just the burlap mask and the drugs, Nolan made him more effective but no less representative of the comic book character. The same goes for Ledger’s maniacal Joker, whose gritty makeup made his rendition that much more dangerous. And finally, Two-Face’s painfully realistic disfigurement not only made him that much more gruesome but also justified more his twisted nature.
but Bane? his creation was inspired by luchadores. i’m sorry, but even Nolan can’t make that threatening. true, Bane’s combination of brutal intelligence and raw power did make him Batman’s most directly superior opponent, but the character is so bound by comic book convention that it is part and parcel of his identity. Nolan could no more do Bane than he could do Dr. Freeze or Poison Ivy. Nolan’s Batman is a realistic Batman, and those characters are very non-real. even more so, one of Bane’s most important aspects is his “breaking” Batman’s back, and that plotline alone would require at least a second film to chronicle his recovery. additionally, Bane doesn’t provide that deeper design, that twisted element that will really dig into Batman and hurt him and make him question himself, like Joker and Two-Face did, because the next movie will have to have even more sadistic villains. Superhero movies are forced to play this stupid escalation game, and the third Batman movie needs to circumvent that altogether by bringing in Azrael (and his puppetmaster), who will change the whole face of Gotham, much like Joker did.
where did this rumour arrive from that execs actually approached Depp? All the articles I’ve seen just seem to point to another country as the origin.
In any case, Depp would be pretty awesome, I just don’t see how we can go from the Joker to the Riddler, to much similarity…crazy dresscode, jokes and tricks and humour.
It’ll be interesting, whatever they do, I think the studio Execs are gonna let Nolan do what he wants, if they interfered in any way with all that’s happened with X3 and Spidey 3, there would be riots on the streets, lol.
… No one’s even THOUGHT about Black Mask? Hmm? Or Hush? Think outside the box, avid graphic novel readers. I think that either Riddler or even Mr. Freeze could be used, as incredibly secondary characters. Sort of as a Hannibal Lector type character, confined to a cell. Not as much Mr. Freeze, but it would work with the character versus having a suit run on DIAMONDS. But Riddler could give riddles as to what another criminal organization is doing, sort of cat and mouse with Batman and Gordon. And unfortunately, I think they will have to recast the Joker. It would be disrespectiful, but c’mon, he is Batman’s biggest baddie. In TDK Joker even said that they could do this forever. Nolan wasn’t counting on Ledger’s untimely death, and his franchise should go on as intended with the characters he intended. Nolan’s sort of like Batman; “Endure, Master Nolan. Take it. They’ll hate you for recasting the role, but that’s the point with your franchise. It can be the outcast, a good comic book franchise.” He can make the choice that no one else can make—the right choice. Haha, I don’t know, there’s just so many routes to take.
sYnthYte,
I understand your points very well. That’s why I’m not saying they follow the comics exactly, and also precisely the reason why I didn’t even mention that Bane should “break Batman’s back” in the movie. Instead, I’d like to see Bane being rendered as a mere henchman - but one tripping on a superhuman drug (think steroids) - that gives him an unexpected and surprising advantage over Batman, beating him almost into a pulp. Instead of his back, his arms and legs would of course be broken, something like that that would give the movie a little more plausibility.
Imagine the challenge of Christian Bale acting as Bruce Wayne having to recover from such a crisis, from being so soundly beaten for the first time in his life as Batman. Does he have to drive to fight back, to heal, not only physically but mentally as well? Or would he give up on his mission of revenge? Meanwhile, Gotham City is under attack by some mastermind - let’s say the Riddler or whoever - and everybody thinks Batman has abandoned them.
It would make a compelling tale.
I think they should think twice before considering Johnny Depp as he’s an odd ball personality that ruined the Willy Wonka remake with his Ridiculous portrayl of Wonka. I like alot of his work but I would not use him for a Batman villian in Chris Nolan’s world. Daniel Day Lewis would be at the top of my list!
Just a word to those who have not seen The Dark Knight. My post assumes you have seen TDK and may use SPOILERS casually.
My take is this: it’s far too early to speculate what actors will be in the next film since they haven’t even decided which villains to use. However, if it were up to me the main villain would be the Riddler and a small supporting role would go to the Penguin. Here’s my take. With Batman now wanted for 5 Police Murders, the GCPD calls in a heavyweight profiler to find out who batman is. This man becomes obsessed with solving the riddle “who is batman” to the point that he starts to commit crimes, leaving clues and hoping to lure Batman into his trap. I almost feel that Edward Nygma should be an alias for the investigator (as the name is just too obviously made to spell E. Nygma, IMHO). In his obsessiveness, the puzzles get more and more dangerous, not only to Batman, but also to the residents of Gotham. Now, what about the Penguin? Well, in the serious world of the Nolans, the Penguin would be a mob boss who steps in after Moroni’s little accident (wasn’t Eric Roberts pretty well perfect in that role?). Let’s not forget that Penguin’s lounge was mentioned in the Viral Adverts for TDK. In the more recent Comics, Batman pays the Penguin for information, so that could be a useful part. The penguin, would simply be a short man who has a predilection for tuxedos. The portrayal need only be a short actor who takes the role of a severe mob boss seriously. For that matter, “The Penguin” is a nickname that he hates (and he reacts rather violently to anyone he hears using it). Forget the lame portrayals with the quacking laughter and Tim Burton’s interpretation with physical defects (good, but not right for Nolan). Oh, and no special umbrellas, except maybe one with a concealed knife.
Who would be suited for such roles?
I think that Johnny Depp could portray the Riddler Quite well (and would be my second choice, actually). For the sake of argument, though, here are some others: Why not get Jim Carrey for the role? I think that he has more than proved he has serious dramatic chops (think Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and would be perfect for the role if he had not already portrayed the Riddler so flamboyantly. Would we be able to separate it from his portrayal in Forever?; Crispin Glover has the perfect balance of smarts, creepiness, and energy to pull it off; Jeff Goldblum would also be a strong choice.
Everyone is saying that Philip Seymour Hoffman would be great for the penguin. Here are some other ideas: Bob Hoskins may be a little too old, but has a strange and distinctive look about him; Joe Pesci could be sinister (and he has the height). Think Goodfellas short fuse Pesci, though he may be getting too old, but then again mob bosses are usually portrayed as older; and (don’t throw things) Jason Alexander. We know he can act like a jerk, but has not been very dark. I think he could pull it off and still be a likable character. And just think of Jason Alexander’s perfect nervousness. I would love to see him against the wall, face-to-face with Batman.
So, my two cents.
Daniel Day Lewis would be incredible as the Riddler. Hell, he could have been spectacular as the Joker as well!
I’m sick of hearing about johnny deep, angelina jolie, and hoffman as these go to actors for movie; Big name hot shots with a little bit of indie cred.
The reason why Batman Begins and The Dark Knight was so successful is that Nolan chose to pick a relative obscure or not obvious choice for the role of batman, the joker, and other characters.
As for The Riddler, Penguin, and Catwoman…as if! The Riddler is essentially “Joker-lite”. The characters are just to similar. The Penguin is extremely hard to translate from the comics to the big screen. As for Catwoman–cheesy on-screen romance anyone?!
I think the next villains with be Black Mask, Deadshot, Hush or Bane. All these characters are grounded on reality.
Sang, we’ve already established that Bane is the most Comic-Booky villain of all the ones mentioned so far and could only work as someone hyped up on steroids. He couldn’t have the “Venom” enhancement, though. I agree that Catwoman would most likely be a bad idea at this point. However, I do trust Nolan to do what is right and not what is expected. Honestly, I believe that he could make almost any villains work.
They need a villain that can amplify the fact that Batman is on the run from everybody.
I want Hush. He’s obscure, he’s strong enough to do it without another villain and he has the dual identity that would make it even more interesting. He’s the anti Bruce Wayne/Batman
I do think Nolan can make all kinds work, judging by what he has achieved so far. When I heard about Ledger as the Joker, I refused to believe it for a while as seemed such a bad idea.
Hush - I did think of him, but then could be a bit Joker like, making Batman runs through hoops.
Another vigilant type for Batman to contend with would be great. I would say get a grown up Jason Todd in, but that has obvious problems.
Hoffman is a good actor, but I won’t watch a Depp film so despite how big of a Batfan I am I will not watch the third film with Depp in it. Personally though I don’t like the idea of The Riddler being in this film at all. To me he is always sort of like Robin campy I’ve never seen him actually dark and I don’t see it as possible.
I would Love to see Black Mas , Bain or David Cain they can do the Bruce Wayne Frame up.
Let’s not forget one thing: the sure way to destroy the success of TDK with a 3rd movie is to pick villains that no one but us geeks have heard of. Though I like many of them for their dangerous and dark qualities, villains like Hush and Azrael will leave the broader audience scratching their heads. So, at least one of the more popular villains have to play a role.
Sorry but I could not disagree more with you Mark. At this point Nolan’s batfilms are so popular that they could do an unknown Villian if they wanted. Lets not forgot that no matter how popular he is in the comics most other people never heard of Raas either. This new franchise stands on it’s own at this point and would do just fine with Villains that the average public doesn’t know. Do you really think that TDK can become the fastest movie to reach 400M and yet when the next film comes out millions of people will think “i’ve never heard of this guy… I’ll skip that movie” Everyone has heard of Batman and that’s what matters. Because of people thinking that way lots of great villains get left out and don’t get a chance to shine because they were not featured on what the 1960’s Tv Show?
Good read Mark, Crispen Glover would be another great choice for Riddler, and I could even see Jason Alexander as Penguin. (Alexander would really be a hoot). But yeah Penguin, shouldn’t be the main baddy.
One thing to keep in mind is that whoever the Villain will be , Nolan will bring out the best in whoever is cast.
Daniel, Nolan could write the Riddler to be very dark and sadistic, (think about Jigsaw’s puzzles and install that in a larger scale in Gothem )
Forget about the Adam West Riddler, as Heaths performance sure made us for get about Burtons Joker.
I had forgotten about Deadshot, nice one Sang.
I’m warming up to the idea of Azrael, since he did impersonate as Batman during when he was recovering from Bane’s vicious attack.
Oh well, one thing’s for sure, the franchise is in good hands with Nolan. It’s almost as much fun to speculate what he’ll do next as it will be to watch the third movie.
I just hope that they would pick a good villain for the next installment. I think that Johnny Deep would kick-ass as the Riddler because I think he is a lot like Jack Sparrow kinda loopy but I think that he could do it. Philip Seymour Hoffman could do it but not better that Danny DeVito. Angelina Jolie would also kick-ass as Catwoman.
I also think they should put a villain that Batman can actual have a fight scene with that is good. He did fight Raas but not the greatest ever. They need a villain that is a threat like Black Mask, Hush, or even Azrial.
It seems everyone is split on who they want to see as the next villain for the third installment.
But, I’m sure we can all agree…NO ROBIN, NO BATGIRL. As soon as these kiddies show up, the franchise will inevitably become campy.
I think Two Face should retreat to the sewers, where “leper-like outcast” Killer Croc resides. It could be very interesting to use Killer Croc in a more realistic way.
Catwoman could be a vigilante in Batman’s absence. Black Mask would be a good choice to include with Catwoman.
Deadshot was in Gotham Knights, as was Killer Croc, so it is possible that he may be included in the 3rd movie. He could assassinate the mayor and put the city back into chaos, for example.
Hush would need to have a lot of backstory, and The Riddler would be a good compliment to this. The Penguin could definitely be turned into a mob figure with a funny nose and odd mannerisms or funny walk. “The Penguin” could be an insult nickname that people call him behind his back, for example. It could be interesting.
Bane is too extreme.
Poison Ivy is too farfetched as well.
Mr. Freeze is forever poisoned.
correction: Gotham Knight
also, a prisoner on the boat in The Dark Knight has tattoos that resemble Black Mask, and he was rumored in the original drafting of the dark knight script… just saying…
The only Villians I actually want to see are.
Two Face Returning some how
Black Mask
David Cain
Deadshot
Clayface (I know Nolan could come up with something awesome that would work in his world.)
Bain
or Even MR. Freeze
Please do not Use
Mad Hatter
Ventriloquist
Catwoman
I could deal with Riddler, but I would prefer he not be done.
hmmm no answer yet to the origins of this Depp thing.
All the articles I read on the movie sites say its coming from the UK…what does that mean. Is the government sending out a press release, or is UK the initials from some scoop, lol.
Some dude up above had a great idea of how the riddler would be portrayed as a detective who becomes obsessed with the batmans identity and that would be perfect, and we should all agree that the joker has to be recasted, considering that the joker doesnt look like heath ledger at all it shouldnt be all that hard, the only hard part would be topping his performance, the penguin would have to take over the mob boss position, while the main baddy should be Azrial who did impersonate batman during his recovery, and lets not forget about the bats little impersonators in the beginning of TDK.
Daniel Day Lewis, I don’t care who the villian is……excluding only the obvious (Catwoman, & Penguin). Besides that, I don’t care who the villian is, it would not even matter if the villains name was actually Daniel Day Lewis. This man is so naturaly scarry and has amazing acting ranges. He would be one of a few short list of people that I believe could follow up and maybe (MAYBE) surpass Mr. Ledger’s performance! God i’m excited.
i like the idea of talia al ghul and as her body guard - bane
Does anybody remember a DC Comics Special Edition from the early to mid eighties where Batman fought a guy named the Wrath who wore a red costume that was very similar to Batman’s and was Batmans equal in intelligence, hand-to-hand combat and gadgets but was a hitman. He was like a Bizarro Batman or Spiderman’s Venom only he was his equal in every way to Batman…He would have killed Bats too if not for his girlfriend…it was a brutal battle where the only way Batman was going to be able to win was to kill him…
Anybody else ever read this?
Cheers
First, Angelina Jolie needs to stay away from this movie. Second, I sure hope that the execs leave the creativity to Nolan and his crew. Once they get involved the whole thing could fall flat.
The Penguin would work. He could be some mob boss named the Penguin. He doesnt have to be a exagerated or flamboyant. He can be a hard core mob boss like Brando in the God father. I feel like they need to keep up with the mob aspect. Hopefully, we find out Two Face isnt dead and he returns as a boss or an independent who hates both the mob and the cops.
I’ve heard all sorts of crazy rumors about future plans for Bats, and I’m willing to believe almost anything at this point. But it’s silly to speculate, really.
I believe that the Wrath would make a GREAT anti-Batman. Only problem is, he’s quite obscure (A C-lister in my opinion), and Nolan could definitely do him well, but he needs to be complemented with an A-list villain, like Riddler or Penguin.
Make Riddler in the fashion that Bradical Beal mentioned, or have the Penguin be a pissed-off British mob boss who is only called the Penguin behind his back.
Johnny Depp would be an alright Riddler, but I imagine David Tennant would be better. I’ve never watched Doctor Who (don’t hurt me), but I’ve heard absolutely phenomenal things about it, and it has to be good to be on for forty years. I only saw him in Harry Potter 4, and he seems pretty good.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is the only choice for a revised Penguin. I can’t think of anyone better.
OK…I just have to say this and get it out there, cause none of the comments I’ve taken the time to read have said it…Isn’t Johnny Depp too “Tim Burton” to be in a Christopher Nolan film? Yes, he’s an amazing actor and I love his films…but most, if not all, of his roles are based in fantasy and dream-like worlds. Christopher Nolan’s Batman is based in reality. Cold, hard, gripping reality. I don’t think Johnny Depp as the Riddler would keep with Nolan’s style. Depp should have been the Riddler back when Burton was directing (sorry Jim, but it’s true).
I personally think the rumor of Mr. Reese from TDK being the Riddler would be brilliant if true (get it? Mr. Reese = Mysteries). I wonder, however, if Robin would play a role in the next Batman movie…and who would play him. How would, or should, they introduce his character?
p.s. Whoever said Azrael could be in the third movie is a genious…cause it would be a good way to turn around Batman’s character from where he is left off at the end of TDK.
Anyone who thinks The Joker could just be re-cast for the next movie is delusional. Even if the actor cast is an amazing actor, Ledger obviously brought something personal to the role that touched us all mentally and emotionally when we watched the film. Re-casting would just be insulting & disappointing to all.
TwoFace needs to come back in the third movie…whether another villain really needs to be introduced? I really don’t think so.
I’d hate to see them bring back Two-Face. That would be a cop out and hurt the integrity of the series. Speculation aside, the guy should be dead at the end of TDK.
I think Azrael would indeed be a great villain. Personally I hope they take their time and do it right if they make a third film. This one is going to be very hard to top.
Vic
I don’t think Nolan is going to crap out on us and cast Hollywood types for the next movie. Most of the main actors aren’t from the U.S., which I think rocks but anyway…
it shouldn’t be to important to have a familiar villain in the next movie just looking back/ahead at all the other superhero movies for example iron man is going to use Mandarin and has used iron monger which neither is really famous and
Spiderman used Sandman which was crap but still a money making movie.
Sooooo Im gonna still wish for Hush(which needs the riddler anyway) but Azreal is a good second. However if they use Azreal they shouldnt stop at a 3rd movie.
Spark you make some good points and then you say iron man is going to use manderin,, what’s your point & source on that ?
And do you really think Nolan is going to go with Hush and Azreal, 2 villians the mainstream has NO idea who they are ?
790, it’s been made clear many times before that whether or not a villain is “mainstream” is pointless. Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze are relatively mainstream villains but look how badly they got screwed up, then look at how awesome Ra’s al Ghul was in Batman Begins. PPnkof’s idea of having the Riddler starting out as a detective obsessed with capturing and unmasking Batman would make him a perfect behind-the-scenes character who manipulates Azrael into defeating Batman for him. Again, if the studio insists on making a sequel to Batman, Nolan’s best move would be to pair a grittier Riddler with Azrael. Again, the movie could be prefaced by an even cooler ARG based around the Riddler, and Azrael could provide the sort of intense action sequences that the series has been keeping under restraint, all the while maintaining the profound depth of story set by TDK.
If anyone else has a better idea as to who should play Azrael (preferably not an A-lister), I’d be interested.
since bruce wayne’s love interest is no longer around, i wouldn’t mind seeing selina kyle WITHOUT her being catwoman. she could be a villain to bruce wayne, not batman. without cat suits suits, crazy mystic stuff, 9 lives crap, you could then have another villain for batman, that would give bruce/batman problems on both sides of his character…
more villains means less character development. we still need to address bruce’s personal losses…
as far as batman is concerned, lets not forget these are the early years of batman, and a great story was the long halloween. i realize that this story is in part an origin story for two-face (which was already told) but its original, based more in the real world, and follows the “true crime” style of story telling of TDK.
as the backdrop, you would have the city believing the batman is behind the killings, with jim gordon starting to believe that batman has indeed gone too far and losing his faith in him…
heck, you could even keep the riddler sequence where he is spared by the holiday killer…lets not also forget the dark victory villain the hangman. imagine corrupt police officers who happen to be on the batman case being found dead and gordon thinking batman is suddenly going to far.
my point is simply this…one of the many reason’s TDK was so awesome was because it stood on its own as a great story. if you took away ALL the costumes and comic book aspects out if it you had nothing more than a DETECTIVE story of good vs. bad and a hero fallen.
keeping with the theme, the bad guys don’t need costumes or superpowers. they need intentions and behaviors.
in case i have to pick a costumed villain though, my choice is the Reaper form batman: year 2
Vic Holtreman I have to disagree I think it’s more insulting to the entire history of the comic, all the fans and the Character him self to leave Two Face dead. He was one of the all time greatest villains in comic history and to just kill him off 10 mins after creating him is insulting.
Daniel,
I meant within the context of the movie series, not the comic book.
Nothing worse than killing a character only to bring them back and say to the audience “Psyche! He wasn’t really dead.”
I flippin’ HATE that.
Vic
so i found some crazy pic (http://flickr.com/photos/26546166@N06/2689071548/)
Depp is about the same height, weight, and his face is structured about the same as heaths, so why not? Depp could mimick heaths performance like a mirror
Kyle
I remember reading that and was blown away..I went into my collection last night and hauled it out and I have to say that it holds up VERY WELL…I was blown away again…I think The Wrath would work brilliantly because he was hired to kill Gordon, he figured out who Batman was , threatened to take Alfred’s life…I mean if we are talking about taking the Batman character to the next level with him having to choose between ALfred & Gordon or killing the Wrath…I mean that would be a great stroy for the last movie of Nolans trilogy….
Also Kyle I would not consider him a C-lister just because he is not well known in the Batman mythos..That is exactly why he would work as being the anti-Batman, his complete opposite in every way but at the same time his equal in every way..his obscurity would help this storyline work and with the way they can virally market things now the Wrath would be a well known quantity by the time the movie is ready for theaters…Gerard Butler playing the Wrath would be awesome too…his intensity playing off Christian Bale’s intensity…IMO it would be an amazing story line for the next movie…
For those of you unaware to the version of the Wrath I am talking about this is the original take of the character from 1984 and created from the Batman Special #1 published by DC Comics and created by Mike W. Barr and Michael Golden and was based on an essay by Aldous Huxley..not the retcon character created by Tony Bedard and Rags Morales in Batman Confidential # 13….here goes
“The first Wrath was a member of Batman’s rogues gallery, where he served as a sort of anti-Batman. The Wrath’s appearance and motivation are reminiscent of Batman’s, but with notable differences. The Wrath (like Batman) is distinguished by perfectionism and obsession in what he does. His costume is also very similar to Batman’s (though colored in crimson and purple with a W-insignia on the chest and cowl).
The Wrath’s parents were a couple of burglars, similar to Joe Chill. They were shot by a young policeman who mistook them for committing a robbery (in actuality, they were crawling out of a window to “skip out” on paying their rent). Due to this, the Wrath dedicated his life to a campaign of revenge against law and law-enforcers. As he had grew up, the burglars’ son became a professional assassin. For years, he traveled the world to work as a gun for hire.
When the Wrath finally returns to Gotham City, he comes to kill the man who had shot his parents. The Wrath’s target turns out to be James Gordon, commissioner of the Gotham City Police and an ally of Batman. Thus, a clash with Batman becomes inevitable. In the course of their impersonal battle of wits, the Wrath learns of Batman’s secret identity as Bruce Wayne and proceeds to attack several of his friends; Alfred Pennyworth is hospitalized, and Leslie Thompkins is taken hostage by the Wrath.
In the end, the Wrath dies during his showdown with Batman, having fallen from the roof of a building in Park Row. This happened after he was caught in a fire set earlier by the Wrath himself.”
From wikipedia
Cheers
Thats the thing though at no point in the movie did they say he was dead. So it’s not like they just brought him back to life.
Brother I
Well Chris Nolan is apparently doing some other movie next (adapting some old British TV show to screen) so it’ll be a few years before we see another Batman movie.
And I think it may be a little too soon tell who’ll be in Bat3, because when “Batman Begins” was first announced in ‘03/’04 Guy Pearce was supposed to play Batman, and that obviously changed.
But personally I hope that the story line contines to dictate what comes next the way it has in the passed 2 films, because if they just start throwing random villains on screen we’re going to end up back in Joel Schumacher-land and nobody wants that.
On the story side though, I think they’re going to need to find a new Joker, because he motives almost ever aspect of the plot in TDK, it seems like it’d be kind of tough to write him out. Two-Face on the other hand seemed pretty dead to me at the end of the film, and story wise he pretty much served his purpose, plus it must of cost a Million Dollars a minute to generate that CGI face effect, so I think it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll see anymore of Two-Face, except maybe in flashbacks or “nightmare dream sequences” or something.
I wouldn’t mind Johnny Depp & Phil Hoffman as Riddler & Penguin, because Hoffman is such a pro and Depp was pretty intense in “The Libertine” I think he could pull off something that’d work. I don’t know how likely Riddler/Penguin are story-wise, unless they’re going to try and soft the blow of a new actor as the Joker by loading the next film with all the iconic villains, which could be pretty cool or it could totally suck, but cramming all the villains in the next film would be a great way to keep up the “non-stop” “action packed” pace of TDK.
Logically though Catwoman seems like the best choice for villain, Because Bruce Wayne’s love interest is now dead and Batman sort of an outlaw, and Catwoman is a potential love interest and sort of an outlaw, and she would play well into the themes of “morality & corruption” that run through the first 2 film.
I don’t know about Angelina Jolie though, I love in some things, but not so much in others. She has a strong “Screen Presence” but she’s not really the “chameleon-like” type of “Character Actor” that Nolan tends to cast.
Daniel: Exactly…they never said he was dead, and it would be aweful if they killed off this villain right after creating him.
Greenknight333: I wanna see this story come to life…I was actually wondering (now that his love has been killed off) when Alfred would be attacked.
Bradical: Yeah, that is a freaky resemblance, and Depp could pull off the look…but the acting? I think he would be too much like Sweeny Todd mixed with Jack Sparrow: Dark, yet kind of flamboyant. Heath’s joker is like an evil clown…not just dark, but evil. Something in his eyes…and he was funny, but not in a way that makes you want to be on his team…cause he was freakin’ nuts! He’ll feed you to the dogs.
And ok, does Batman really need to have a love interest in the next movie? I just don’t see Catwoman (even if she’s just Selena Kyle) fitting into the movie.
Ok, I’m sticking with my thoughts on Catwoman…but, maybe in a few years, when the DVD has been out for a good long time, and fans start to get over Heath’s untimely death, MAYBE people will be ready to accept a new actor as the Joker, just in time for the next Batman movie…so I pose the question: WHO should play that role…and no Johnny Depp please…?
If you’ve seen There Will Be Blood, then you can understand Daniel Day Lewis’ awesome ability to portray pure sinister evil…much the same as Ledger. If The Joker is not recast, then the series loses the “Darkness” that makes this reboot so amazing. The other part is that watching the characters and the storylines, it is plausibly by real world standards. To include Penguin, Riddler, or a lesser villian would only dilute the cynical view of the city of Gotham.
Nolan understands one thing very well…the struggle between good and evil and how circumstances lead to choice, which ultimately define a person’s character. Just remember Bruce’s choice in Begins, he DOES NOT kill his parents murderer; thus, he chooses a life of justice over a life of crime. Nolan’s purpose is simple: Good and Evil wage war, but good wins because truth is truth and light always overcomes darkness…
Characters do not matter as much as the general theme…if they make a third movie! Hypothetically though, Azreal is the best option, or a second opinion would be a Nighthawk and Bane storyline, Remember Nighthawk? Really though, the story of the Angel of Vengeance (Azreal), Jean Paul Valley…He took over while Bruce recovered from his broken back, created a new suit with tons of ways to KILL, and really forced Bruce to evaluate who Batman is and why he does act as a vigilante…this would be the best choice to continue the “Dark Knight” storyline. Whether or not the writers tie in Bane, Nighthawk, and “Knightfall” is another story, but definitely Azrael would be an awesome choice.
This would ultimately lead our hero to question the validity of his efforts. He would have to examine and question his purpose, just as Heath Ledger’s Joker did in “The Dark Knight.”
‘Nuff said…
As far as Catwoman is concerned…
She should be allowed a five minute cameo to re-introduce her own movie, but please…I hope you guys will just drop the idea of her character from entering The Dark Knight. I mean when I was involved with sports, the number one faux pas was to have a girlfriend to detract from my stored up testosterone. Plus, why introduce a love interest that Batman can actually love? If she’s in, it can only be a minor role, nothing too big, b/c then we’ll end up with a movie like Batman and Robin, wherein too many villians lead to interupted plot development.
Maybe this time…
I’m done writing…
Some rumors are saying that Maggie Gyllenhaal was signed to do 2 Batman movies. What if she comes back as Catwoman…what if she didn’t really die? On one hand, it could be a slap in the face to fans. On the other hand…actually, I don’t know if this would be good because…how could they make her Catwoman without it not being realistic in the Nolan world?
When will we get to see Batman fight Predators and Aliens in an alley for 2 hours though?…
Might be too light next to the brutally dark Dark Knight, but I’d watch this movie:
Gotham is on the fence about the Batman after the false revelations at the end of Dark Knight that he’s a killer. Harvey Dent has been declared dead, but Two-Face is actually locked up in Arkham, as is the Joker (and the Scarecrow, for that matter). The criminals of Gotham have been emboldened by the Joker’s wave of chaos, and more costumed freaks are popping up, but so far, none as big a threat as the Joker. In fact, things are getting more silly than scary. (Handled right, this can be a direct commentary on the campy eras of Batman in the 60s and again in the 90s with the terrible, overproduced and underwritten Schumacher films.)
One of the new rogues is a sexpot female cat burglar who we see famously evade capture by the Batman multiple times, leading to the media dubbing her Cat Woman (”If he’s the Bat Man, she’s the…”). Batman’s star seems to be fading… he’s old news and Gotham is becoming jaded. The media is actually celebrating the villains now (at least this Cat Woman character).
Catwoman gets under Batman’s skin … he’s rebounding and reeling emotionally after Rachel’s death in Dark Knight, so she is able to find a way in, to exploit his emotional wounds. Catwoman is part of a bigger ring of criminals, and she is working the Bat at their request, toying with him. A game of cat and mouse, until she’s ready to pounce. But Batman is no chump, and he is manipulating her right back, using her to get to the bigger fish. And he’s even maybe getting through to her a little, influencing her to get out of the darkness and do something for the side of right.
And running parallel to this, a recast Joker (with an actor willing and able to follow Ledger’s template) is taking part in the Nolan-zed version of “Mad Love,” where he first meets Harlene Quinzel (sp?) in Arkham and manipulates her into breaking him free from the asylum and becoming his obsessed plaything/sidekick/henchwoman, Harley Quinn.
We’ve got Batman luring Catwoman out of the darkness and the Joker sucking everything light from poor Harley Quinn, and the story can climax with the Arkham breakout that Harley sets into motion, which devolves in the Nolan universe into something less Bruce Timm and more Grant Morrison’s “Arkham Asylum.” Inside the Asylum, we’ll get the quickie cameos by more of the growing rogues gallery as Batman and Cat Woman work together to shut down the escape.
In the end, Harley and the Joker will make it out while Catwoman has to rethink her line of work as she has now painted a target on her back by siding with Batman against the baddies.
Many of you have good ideas. D18 Matt, I like your treatment the best for a story that includes Cat woman. I propose that you take it one step further and have a Joker copy cat that Harley falls for in the prison. He’s such a perfect copy, even if he seems second rate, Harley thinks he’s the real deal. Make her in charge of treating a list of other patients. She’s denied access to the Joker’s files or any of the “Real” nut jobs, including this copy cat. Her training and performance are inferior, but since the copycat isn’t in the intensive wing, they are able to interact. She sees him initially as a professional challenge, and forbidden fruit, later she falls for him. The real Joker never sees Harley, have him buried deep in Arkham. The warden, an out of state Psychiatrist, the commissioner, plus four guards that have been intensively trained, are the only ones that have access to him.
Of course no matter how good it is, the plot points have to be on the decision makers agenda!
I think the original Bob Kane villains would be the best choices, becase they require the least amount of back story.
Like The Joker is a bank robber who wears clown make up… Why? Because clown make up is a great disguise if your robbing banks. It’s completely self explanatory, then you don’t need to spend a half hour of screen time explaining who this guy is and where comes from, you can just cut to the action and get to the story.
Catwoman is great because “she’s a female cat burglar”… why? because she needs the money. Penguin is crooked businessman with a funny nose… why? no reason he just has a funny nose, and the fact that he’s deformed is the reason he grew up to be such a jerk. The simpler the villains are the better.
I don’t think the Riddler would work as a stand alone villain, because like Scarecrow and Two-Face you need a lot of back story to make the Riddler plausible. I mean as much as I liked Batman Begins, it’s a little dull because it’s like 2 hours of back story and 30 minutes of action, and all the more recent villains are going to have the same problem because they all evolved over several issues of comics. I really don’t want to spend $15 in IMAX theater, wathing the oringins of Bane unfold for 2 and half hours, I just don’t care.
My vote for the premise of Bat3 would be, make the Penguin the new crime boss in town and give him henchman named the Riddler who’s trying to lure Batman out of hiding. “meanwhile” there’s a new female cat burglar prowling the streets of Gotham, and the Scarecrow helps The Joker bust out of Arkham Asylum, because Scarecrow knows Arkham pretty well, and then mayhem ensues…
They should recast the Joker, but it should only be for a brief a scene or two. Batman visits him in Arkham Asylum for information, or curiousity (he never did get to hear about how he got his scars), or for some deeper purpose.
Give a new actor a chance to show he’s good enough to equal what Ledger did, without making him carry half the film and give the audience time to tally up the differences between him and Ledger.
The Joker is too important to Batman to never have him in the films again. Heath Ledger did a phenomenal job. But another actor, if he’s good enough (and there are actors who are good enough) and if it’s written well, can earn the audience’s respect too.
And Two Face has to stay alive. I never thought for a minute he died at the end of the TDK, and was surprised when someone else did. The only problem with Two-Face is his suit. They can’t just do the half-and-half thing. It’s too campy.
Digdug, there is a rumor going around that there were scenes filmed at Arkham with Ledger that Nolan cut from the film.
(I so hope those rumors are true!!)
^
I’m with you on Twoface , but he should have some work done closing up his jawline and all.
And, as a rival vigilante: Azriel
Here’s the treatment so far:
Film opens with Temple Fuget (The clock king) walking into a Gotham corporation in broad daylight. He’s spent weeks casing the place, and has a series of watches strapped to his arm set with timers counting down moments of movement, ie, he has every employee/security guard’s habits down to the second so he knows when they’ll take a leak or look away from his desk. This brazen robbery goes perfectly, until he stumbles upon a couple getting randy in a supply closet he ducks into. It’s a clock hand blade for those poor bastards. The Clock king makes into the CEO’s office just as the guy goes to piss, downloads files onto a jump drive and walks right out again.
Meanwhile, in the narrows, we see a young man sitting in a dark, dreary apartment staring the wall. Suddenly the old, cracked TV set turns on revealing a wall of flames, a coin appears in the middle of the flames reading “St. Dumas”. A speaker recites rhetoric demanding the young man avenge those slain in the Clock King’s robbery, by decree of St. Dumas. The young man stands up, pulls his hood over his head and leaps from the window.
The Clock King meets with the last of Gotham’s mobsters not arrested or slain by the Joker, delivers the flash drive and is paid handsomely. The mobsters depart, Clock King is on his way out when he runs into Azriel. CK is amused, thinking it’s Batman and at worse he’s going to jail; until Azriel pops his arm blade and informs CK that “he has him confused with someone else.” Azriel kills CK, fulfilling the cause of vengance, and disappears.
Comissioner Gordon and his men show up to investigate the CK’s death. Gordon’s cops are all convinced it’s Batman but Gordon knows better. Batman and Gordon have a convo in the shadows (Gordon steps away, he’s started smoking since Two-face’s attack on his fam) and Batman pledges to find this new copycat killing bad guys.
The mobsters take the CK’s stolen flash drive to the one man left in Gotham who can help them: Oswald Cobblepot. See, Oswald was a mobster, but was smart enough to launder money the right way and go legit. Publicly, at least. Just don’t call him “the penguin” or you get shot. The Mobsters have stolen a database of all Gotham’s corporate ventures across the board, including Wayne Tech. Scared by Batman (even more scared by the Joker) they have a new plan: mix their illicit fortune with corporate money, thereby “buying” majority shares in Gotham’s top companies and ergo, “buying Gotham.” The penguin lets them know he has the smarts to help them, if he gets something out of it. A deal is struck.
The mayor, feeling public pressure, declares that since Batman is now seeming to kill on a whim, he can’t leave it up to Gordon’s discretion to bring the vigilante to justice. So he’s appointing a special investigator to track Batman down, a serial killer wiz who happens to have a knack for crossword puzzles and other newspaper brain-games. His name is Eddy LAST NAME and he’s been looking for a challenge like the Batman, whose motives are unknown, unfamiliar, original. Gordon thinks the guy is nuts.
Final thread: Bruce Wayne has nothing but Batman left in his life. He sits in the cave under Wayne Manor 24/7 working overtime to both eradicate the remaining, warring mobs, the new crops of costume crazies springing up, and bring Batman up to the stature of a hero. It’s draining him, more than anyone would like to admit. One night in the gave Bruce has an ill feeling and starts tossing Batarangs into the shadows. Sure enough, ninja have invaded the gave, seemingly aware of the Bat/Bruce connection. A quick fight ensues until a pair of hands clap and the ninja fall back: Talia Al Ghul makes her entrance. She gives Bruce a speech about how her father groomed her to be his successor (until he met Bruce) and how the League of Shadows had a splinter cell known as the Order of St. Dumas. When Ra’as fell, The Order was activated as plan B, and Azriel was dispatched to Gotham (the Joker’s appearance expedited the League’s plan, as Gotham appeared to be producing the worst evil imaginable.) Talia was curios about Bruce and so came to see for herself who this 1 in a million man was: she explains that he is the only man EVER to carry out the fight for justice at sacrifice to all else in his life. Azriel she explains, is a programmed sleeper soldier, only-semi aware of his vigilante actions, controlled by syblminal suggestions (The “program”) inculcated in him by The Order. Talia’s motives remain unclear, leaving Bruce wary, but, attracted nonetheless.
The rest I’m mapping out in my head but it involves The mob using the penguin’s contacts to hire Bane; Bats and Azriel having a physical/moral rivalry; Bane kicking the shit out of Batman; Azriel running around Gotham unchecked; Eddy the investigator realizing that Batman’s absence and Bruce Wayne’s “skiing injuries,” combined with Bruce’s tramatic history make him the Batman; Bruce using Azriel in the Bat suit to thwart Eddy’s theory, humiliating Eddy and driving him to become E. Nigma; Injured Bats recruiting Azriel to help stop Bane, forming a bond between the heroes; Bruce and Talia getting it on; Talia having a doomsday plan for Gotham should Azriel fail; E. Nigma using his smarts and cop credentials to aid the Mob and Penguin with their plan; Talia seeing how Bruce/Batman changes Azriel from an assassin to a hero and calling off the League of Shadows, believing that Batman can truly save Gotham’s soul (and she’s secretly crushing on Bruce.)
So what do you think? Good movie potential? (trying to hustle this script!)
Kofi; Love the density of your plot. It distills down what most people want to see, and has the feeling of “knightfall.” Do you think it would be hard to sell, given the studio thinks most viewers are idiots, unable to follow it? Maybe sell them on the idea that it bears up under repeat viewings. The more often you see it, the deeper it becomes. As long as the studio isn’t bucking “Cracked’s” article you gotta shot..
http://www.cracked.com/article_16176_8-pointless-laws-all-comic-book-movies-follow.html
Good Job and Good Luck.
i think that another very good joker possibility would be james franco. i mean he’s got the long hair now because of the pineapple express. and i think he looks very similiar to ledger. plus he has bad guy experience of of spiderman 3.
Tayor;James Franco would be a good choice for the Joker, I think Jude Law would be pretty good too, he’s played a few pretty creepy psycho killers, in “Road to Perdition” and “The Wisdom of Crocodiles” plus he one of the guys filling in for Heath Ledger in “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
James Franco needs to stay in the Spider Man universe, dead btw.
(IMO) once actors portray a superhero, they shouldn’t do any other superheros…
Franco especally.
somebody tell that to james marsden…geez. i HATED how he was in xmen and superman…not quite as bad as the silverhawks having the same EXACT voices as the thundercats, but still he was annoying…
Good point Comic Geek, for some reason I didn’t have a prob with that. Maybe becasue Cyclops was killed off so randomly in X3. ???
Also he went from Marvel to a DC film. ???
I don’t have a problem with actors being in multiple comic films. To be honest I like it. However I don’t want James Franco in the new batman films because frankly I think he is terrible.
so i saw a picture of johnny depp with heath ledger’s joker make up on and it looked just like him. i think he could do it. but i like the james franco idea too. he could possibly pull it off.
OK, I got bored reading it. You gotta stop viewing characters as heroes and villains. Everyone’s a hero in their own mind. And it’s been that way for Ra’s Al Ghul and the Joker.
Apparently Aaron Eckhart is signed on to the third film, so he’ll probably be in it. So long as he doesn’t redeem himself in some morally self-righteous way, it’s all good.
Johnny Depp can do dark, and could do the Riddler. But there’s no point trying to guess who’ll be in the film, since Nolan and Goyer will pick someone better. It’s their story so our suggestions are just fueling the pressure from the producers to add certain villains and certain actors.
Best just leave it to them.
Why ? Why can’t we have fun throwing out guesses and saying what we would love to see? Who is it hurting?
I agree with Daniel, that’s what these threads are all about !!!
Okay, I have read this forum with great interest and there are a lot of great ideas on here.
One thing that eludes me though is that no one seems to understand (or has at least acknowledged) that they MUST create a new female lead for the next Batman. With Rachel Dawes dead, there is not a single female character left. The lead does not have to be a romantic interest, but there at least has to be a woman in there to bring some sex appeal to the male-dominated audience.
I am more inclined to believe that the new female lead will have some romantic interest with Batman and/or Bruce Wayne. Here’s why. In TDK, Batman did make a selfish decision in the name of love. When given the opportunity to save Rachel or Harvey, he chose Rachel. Therefore, this shows that Batman valued the prospect of being with a woman that he loved over doing what was best for Gotham; saving the city’s most prominent public hero. In BB, Batman also risked the lives of many when racing Rachel back to Wayne manor after she had been poisoned by the Scarecrow. Nolan has given us a Batman who is susceptible to becoming selfish in the name of love over protecting Gotham. Also, in TDK, Bruce Wayne was considering allowing Harvey Dent take up his place as Gotham’s champion. This sets up, in my humble opinion, an epic conflict for the next (potentially last) installment; is Bruce Wayne truly capable of forever being the selfless protector of Gotham or would he put his personal pursuit to be with a woman he loves over the safety of the city (as he has shown himself capable of)?
Here are the possibilities of villains:
Does it have to be Catwoman? No. But, if you will remember when Bruce is talking to Alfred about needing a new batsuit, he asks if the suit will hold up to dogs. Alfred replies something to the extent “Dogs no, but it will stand up to cats”. This perhaps foreshadows, or at least flirts with the possibility of having Catwoman.
The next recognizable choice is Poison Ivy. Personally, I agree with those that have said in earlier posts that it will be difficult to make her character realistic.
When I read the suggestion of Harlequin earlier, I was certainly intrigued. While I don’t remember her having a romantic interest with Batman or Bruce Wayne, I think that she is a distinct possibility considering that the Joker is already in the series. The writers have also proven that they are willing to bring in villains that haven’t been used before in the movies as well.
Next might be Talia al Ghul. While Ra’s was unique to show Batman’s origins, the league of shadows is…yawn. Oops I fell asleep. Cross her out.
The Hangman aka Sofia Falcone doesn’t seem to be witty and intelligent enough to survive Nolan’s realistic Gotham. One additional letter to her message as she continues to kill cops? Give me a break and cross her out.
The last female I can think of is Ruby Ryder. There is the need for a new crime boss (there has been a major one in both films) and she would be very easy to write in. She could also fit in well with dating Bruce Wayne in the public eye but becoming his enemy as Batman.
Let me know your thoughts!
Actually Bruce was talking to Fox not Alfred.
I disagree they don’t NEED to add another female lead. I’m sure the studio will cram one in but it is not needed. In fact I feel the movie would be better without one especially if the female is Catwoman.
Daniel has a point. Why does every movie of a franchise have to hit all plot points? Afraid that another movie won’t get made because of it? A third movie to me is kind of like the last half of a second term president.. What you gonna do if s/he loads up the supreme court or passes that unpopular bill that even the presidents’ own party might not like?
Robert Downey Jr Would make a great riddler! He has the physicality intimidating enough to match batman. He could capture the attention of the audience. And his name as the riddler, is really all i could imagine that could match the hype of ledger as the joker
I agree Matt, its too bad he works for Marvel and IS the Iron Man,,,,,,,
Can’t go for a crossover on this one !!!!!!
ok just one thing to say judge all you want write or wrong only one man can play the riddler and he did an amazing job umatchable unfourtunatley he already was about ten years ago and it would be stupid to bringe him back but if they did i would love it and im speaking of jim carrey forget the kiddie batman movie that shumacher made he is a very talented story teller but he was all wrong to direct that movie if it wernt for jim it would have been a total loss but as far as depp is conserned he will do a great job i leave it at that
Wow, there are some great ideas on here. I enjoyed reading them all so much that it inspired me to think of what I would like to see out of the final installment of this trilogy from Christopher Nolan. So I did some thinking and my research and here it is, my take on Batman 3, I would call it The Crusader Endures. Okay I went into great detail about how I want this last film to go so hopefully it can all fit into this post (and Christopher Nolan if you happen to be surfing the web and find this site and like this idea then we can discuss it in more detail later!):
The Crusader Endures
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Main Cast of Characters:
Batman/Bruce Wayne- Christian Bale
Catwoman/Selina Kyle- Scarlett Johansson
The Monk/Niccolai (first showed up in Detective Comics #31)- Jay Hernandez
LA Times Reporter- Gabrielle Union
Commissioner Gordon- Gary Oldman
Alfred- Michael Caine
Lucious Fox- Morgan Freeman
Mayor of Gotham- Robert Duvall
Here is my interpretation of how the trilogy should be rounded out and who I pictured as the cast. I have provided the base skeleton of the script and it traces major character development so it jumps around a bit. Some rough (very rough) dialogue is provided to show plot developments. This is merely the story I would love Christopher Nolan to take and expound on and put his creative genius to.
The opening scene takes us five years in the future from the end of The Dark Knight. We find out via tv newscast (Anthony Michael Hall as Mike Engel reporting) how Gotham has been over those five years. Engel says “today marks the five year anniversary of Gotham PD locking up the madman known as Joker in Arkham Asylum. There have been over 300 failed attempts to break him out by various criminals over these five years, but we are proud to say he is behind the walls and security of Arkham Asylum today. We are so proud to report that when we thought we were in for the worst, it actually was about to become the best just five ago. The Gotham PD with the assistance of Batman, love him or hate him, I feel a bit of both these days, have kept Gotham safer than it has been in hundreds of years over these past five years. It is hard to be upset with Batman for this change, but I am one who does not want people to forget at what cost Batman made this happen, having innocent people die mind you, and one of those being our hero, DA Harvey Dent but that is a topic for another day. Back to Gotham as we mark its resurgence on this anniversary day. Over these past five years our population has grown with new industries coming in every day it seems like, it is truly a good time to be a Gothamite. Who would have known? So many criminals have been locked away for good in these years from the long line of organized crime stemming back to the Falcone days. We literally have just a handful of mobsters left in this city it is truly unbelievable…okay oh wait I am getting interrupted by my bosses that we have an important call to take on air, interesting that he would call right now, but here is one of those few remaining mobsters, Mr. Sal Maroni, okay go ahead Mr. Maroni sir.” On the phone truly is mob boss Sal Maroni (played again by Eric Roberts). Maroni says on the call that those remaining mobsters were going “to prove their allegiance” saying that it was now or never for them. “We may be few in numbers, but you will soon see what our mission is, we carry the uniform name of the one you are celebrating today and we will take out this city on our way to freeing him”. We then flash to different points all over the city where many men are dressed as the Joker destroying various parts of the city (they are the mobsters dressed as Joker). This is a great (lengthy) action sequence as the police fight them off unsuccessfully, but then Batman shows up and takes them all down all over town (including boss man Sal Maroni). It is a great homage to Heath Ledger’s Joker to see all these guys dressed up like him and acting like him. The next scenes show the accolades being poured upon Batman for ridding all the crime bosses from the streets (he has the support of the new mayor (played by Robert Duvall), but also shows people up in arms over these accolades, wanting him to pay for what happened to their hero Harvey Dent and the fallen police officers. So these dueling views of Batman are played out in various ways over these scenes, but it is all in a peaceful Gotham. One scene in here is at Selina Kyle’s apartment as she watches a newscast of Batman just ripping up everyone in Gotham. She swoons as she watches (her apartment is full of pictures of and articles on Batman) and talks to her cat about how someone like him could enver notice a simple girl like her. Then she concocts a plan to fake being attacked so he will rescue her, this happens in the next scene and Batman shows up and beats up the guys “attacking her” and they have a discussion afterwards but clearly she has not caught his eye. This makes her angry and thus puts in motion her getting freakishly in shape and donning her Catwoman costume and becoming this persona. She says, ‘Oh I’ll get him to notice me all right”. Another scene in here during the peaceful Gotham stage of the movie is of the dedication of Gotham Cathedral. Gotham Cathedral is an immaculate Catholic Cathedral and this scene shows the groundbreaking with big time donor for the project, Bruce Wayne, cutting a ribbon. Gotham Cathedral is a symbol for what is currently good in Gotham, it is the first building to be erected in the Narrows since the terrorist attack and symbolizes rebirth in Gotham and specifically this area of Gotham. Present at the groundbreaking and honored on stage for their humble service to this new Cathedral and the community of the Narrows are the monks of the Cathedral (one is highlighted, a young Hispanic monk named Niccolai-played by Jay Hernandez), Bruce Wayne shakes each of their hands after the ceremony. After the ceremony we follow the monks to their quarters and stay with them a while. We see their pious life, but that something is very different with Niccolai. We follow him through his night as he puts in vampire-like teeth and stalks his victims, murders them and then devours them. We see him later weeping and confessing these sins to the eldest monk at the cathedral. He says in confession that he didn’t know what happened, that this evil desire just came over him. The eldest monk jumps out of the booth and drags Niccolai out and says he has done such a horrible thing he is never welcome back at Gotham Cathedral and if he ever sees his face again in Gotham City he will call the police, may God have mercy on his soul. Niccolai starts to pack up and then gets that look in his eye again and heads for the eldest monk’s sleeping quarters and proceeds to murder and devour him as well. The next scenes we see are of an LA times reporter (Gabrielle Union) coming to Gotham to do a piece on Batman. Of course her first stop is by Wayne Enterprises to meet the famed Billionaire Bruce Wayne. They hit it off (and by Alfred’s pushing and prodding Bruce takes her out on a date. This is after Alfred says to him, “it has been five years since you have even looked a girl’s direction Master Bruce.”). They hit it off even more at dinner though the conversation keeps coming back to Batman. She is in Gotham because she says, “the majority of Americans and people all over the world are becoming more and more curious about this Batman and I want to report the truth about him.” Throughout the movie she is the main force for bringing people to an understanding of Batman and how good he really is. She decides not to write just one article, but a six article continuing story that comes out in the Gotham newspaper once a week (through these articles the Gothamites get to understand the true hero they have in Batman and the movie audience does as well. In the fifth article she gets Commissioner Gordon’s wife to interview about the truth about Harvey Dent. This seems catastrophic at first, but is actually what ends up bringing Gotham’s people to Batman’s side. In her sixth and final article she calls the citizens of Gotham to embrace their hero and call him no longer the Dark Knight but she gives him the new name- Caped Crusader.). Batman is now understood and can protect the people with their full support. Her and Bruce Wayne grow extremely close through the film (even sharing Bruce Wayne’s first on screen love scene), but toward the end of the movie she reveals (after having a conversation with Batman-she tricks him into meeting her with a fake phone call) to Bruce that she is leaving Gotham because she is in love with a man that can never love her back-Batman. She says he loves Bruce, but it just won’t work. Bruce tells her he could never be Batman so he understands. He is, of course, sad to see her go, but you can see this has refreshed him as a man because of the love she showed him and he felt for her, it gives him hope for the future. So I have skipped to the end of the