Johnny Depp As The Riddler In The Dark Knight Sequel?
Aug 2, 2008 by Kofi OutlawAnother crazy rumor has been floated regarding the villains for the next Batman movie
(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
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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I never said that The Riddler and Catwoman couldn’t work.
I said that, in order for it to work, one of them would have to go through an origin phase like Harvey “Two Face” Dent and Jonathan “Scarecrow” Crane did in the previous films.
So, the film would start with The Riddler and Selina Kyle OR Catwoman and Edward Nigma, and by the end of the film, just like Dark Knight and Batman Begins, a new villain would be made and there will both Catwoman and The Riddler. I thought I made myself VERY clear when I said that the first time. Apparently not.
Plus, like I alrady said, what I didn’t agree with was how The Penguin could also be involved. NO! Catwoman and The Riddler would only work if it went through that equation of Lead Villain and one Supporting Villain evolving throughout the film. BUT putting The Penguin in the film too detroys the equation, because that is 3 now Lead Villains. Even if one of these villains goes through the evolving origin story, making them a Secondary Villain, that is still too much. That is the point I made before and I make it now again because apparently it wasn’t cear enough the first time.
It was clear to me Jay P if it makes you feel better. We dont want another incident like with Spiderman 3 with too many main villans. If they are spred out like you say then it should work just fine and we wont have problems.
I think it should start off as Catwoman already starting off her career as a burgler. Edward could be hired by the police to track down batman after he impress them somehow by mabey catching some villans that escaped from the Asylum or something.Edward could then get too invested with his work as start killing people to get too batman. Batman can also start his attraction to Catwoman as well. Now all we need is a mob boss, any suggestions??
Rupert Thorne would be logical
I’ve read all the idea’s and all are good but this what my mind will say….
movie 3 “Riddler”
movie 4 “The Penguin”
movie 5 “Catwoman”
movie 6 “Thorne”
movie 7 “Deadshot”
movie 8 “Mr. Freeze
movie 9 “Black Mask”
movie 10 “Bane”
I like the way you think, Alexander! I’ve enjoyed the first two Batman movies so much; I’d be more than happy to see another eight! Well, I would as long as the plots and dialogue uphold the same fine standard that was set by the first two! Batman has a lot of stamina so would be able to outlast the villains even if he had to take them on one at a time!
Of course if too much time passes between movies, poor Batman will still be fighting crime when he’s in his eighties! 
The third Batman movie should have Wonder Woman appear somewhere around the middle of the movie to help Batman defeat the Mad Hatter. At the end of the movie Batman and Wonder Women get married and Commissioner Gordon cries. Now none of you can complain about this idea, because if you do it is because you are jealous that I thought of it first! Hope you are reading, Nolan.
Yup, Jdawg, you’re right…I AM jealous. I do soooo want to see Batman happily married and Commissioner Gordon cry!!!
I would lagph a lot if I saw that lol!
What would make it even better is if Johnny Depp played Wonder Woman!
If Depp played Wonder Woman I think it would be his way of comeing out of the closet lol
If Depp played Wonder Woman then I think that would be his way of comeing out of the closet lol
He’d definitely be coming out of Wonder Woman’s closet because he’d be wearing her clothes!
wait, that means that batman is takeing a different direction to in his… uhh… life. He has a new lover, Depp!
I see what you mean, Jess. Let’s just scrap the whole Wonder Woman thing…I sincerely hope Nolan is NOT reading these last few posts!
I see that The Dark Knight is edging toward the billion dollar mark. Do you think it will happen this weekend?
I think your right, Nolan would be pretty upset if he saw the last few posts, might laugh but still be upset lol. To be honest it wouldnt suprise me and just wait when the dvd sales hit! Im getting it the day when it comes out, unfortunatly not on blu-ray though.
Ah, blu-ray!!! I’m going to get it on blu-ray…can’t afford it, won’t be able to watch it, but I’m going blu-ray all the way!!! Since last June I’ve been budgeting for an HDTV and blu-ray player with February as the deadline…perhaps I’ll have to rethink my original deadline…I set it before The Dark Knight came out. Hm…if I stop buying food and quit paying utilities, I just might be able to swing it by early December!!:D
lol Im that desperate to get it myself so mabey ill save a few extra bucks and wait a few days after it comes out to get blu-ray. I have a blu-ray player I just dont have the cash to get the blu-ray disc. Gives me an excuse to not let my fiends borrow it.
opps thats suppose to be friends not fiends lol
Ok, it looks like we have gotten a little off topic here, lol. To get back on track, I will throw out Rupert Throne’s name.
What do you think of this character?
Is he a good pick for B3 or possibly B4 or B5?
If so, who would play him?
Just give any opinions you have on Thorne and it will eventually fuel other discussions of the Dark Knight’s next challenge.
So, what do you think of Rupert Thorne?
Ah, yes, we did seem to deviate somewhat. Hm…Rupert Thorne…I’ll have to do a bit of cogitating on that!
i just have a good ol’ fashioned DVD player, works just fine
blu-ray is a good experience though.
Dont know much about Thorne going to have to think about it a bit.
Rupert Thorne could run for mayor against Anthony Garcia in attempt to take over the city. He could either win the campaign or Garcia could win and then get assasinated and Thorne could then take over.
When this happens, Thorne would focus on taking care of Batman. This way he can please the people of Gotham, and make his criminal job much easier as well.
He could even fire Gordon, like it happens in the comics, and Gordon could team up with Batman much like he did in Begins when he has little to no power over what the police department does.
Thorne also hires Deadshot to kill Batman in the comics, so that could work out really well.
John Voight, Randy Quaid, Martin Scorsese, Alan Alda or Jeffrey Tambor would be fine for the part.
Plus, I would love to see what Jeff Goldblum can do with Deadshot.
Before Garcia is asassinated by Deadshot . It should be asserted that Deadshot is Rupert’s main asassin. Now you have Deadshot be a minor villian,Rupert be the main villian.
But I just don’t think that Rupert has what it takes to become a lead villian. But Nolan has set the situation up well enough to have Rupert take over the Gotham underworld since Maroni was killed by Two-Face, making Rupert a main mobster. Thus also staying consistent with the comics. The bit about Rupert haunted with Hugo Strange visions should be omited as Batman’s identity is unknown, for now, and you would not want to introduce too many villians into the mix.
For the next movie, you want to tie up all the 3-4 main characters(including Batman) by one main villian-one who is played by an actor at the top of his game.
Rupert should be a minor villian though. When you think about it, there is really not enough to explore in him when compared to a villian like the Riddler or Black mask-Black mask has his uttlerly brutal interrogation techniques of appling slashes with a red-hot knife, and has a grudge against Bruce wayne-this would allow Nolan to develop a fourth personality to Bruce Wayne-one that is seeking refuge as Batman rather that shying away from it, because The Dark Knight told us that Bruce Wayne wants a normal life nt to be Batman-he never actually avenged his parents deaths.And Riddler is looking for Batman’s Identity and to challenge Batman’s intelligence.
Also, Rupert Thorne would also have worked in the 1989 Batman film to make Bruce Wayne avenge his parents death fully by putting Rupert Thorne in jail – Rupert Thorne hired Jack Napier/The Joker to Kill Bruce Waynes’ Parents.
I am currently working on a script for Batman 3, just for fun, to post up on this thread. let me know what main villians you want me to use-and have a reasoning behind your choice. This script can be a fan script just for this thread. I hope it will get CHRISTOPHER’S NOLAN’S attention.
@Jay P
Love your plot involving Rupert thorne, I am seriously considering it.
SCRIPT UPDATE:
New Gadgets: I only want to introduce 3-4 new features to Batman’s tech. There should not be too many gadgets as this will take away from the story line. We only want to show with these gadgets that BAtman is improving and that Fox builds them for versatility. And some of his gadgets are iconic like the batmobile. The gadgets will not be goofy ones like a remote control batarang. They will be ones that Batman will seek consant usage out of.
New gadgets include:
An improved batank-This Battank will have similar features of the older Battank, but will have better aerodynamics, look like half a rocket, with a pointed end that is almost touching the ground. It runs on one front wheel instead of two to
allow for better maenovurability.
The left ear of the clow will now be fitted with a police radio to insure that Batman can foresee the police coming and to be able to communicate with with Gordon if needed.
Gas mask in the clow to prevent him from breathing in tear gas and – SWAT teams always use this sort od gas to eith flush their opponents out of hiding or to blind them. And since Batman is a villian, it will come of some use.
Personality- This movie can only be about batman if it is depicted that Bruce Wayne/Batman has a new personality. This fourth personality will depend upon the main villian and/or something dramatic happening with Alfred and/or Fox and/or Gordon.
Let me know what you think should be removed/added in the script- give your reasoning to you choice as well.
*Bat Tank-correction of Batank and Battank in the previous post.
I don’t think Depp should play Riddler at all.
The joker didn’t die in the film so I think Depp would be the perfect choice to take over from the late Heath Ledger and play the joker in a future Batman movie (but def not the next one!!!).
A female villian would be ideal – an evil catwoman?
Jay P, I like your proposed plot line. It has some interesting possibilities, that’s for sure!
Fred, I like the idea of the police radio in Batman’s headgear. Communicating with Gordon is a must and the easier you make it, the better! I’m a little iffy on your suggested redesign of the Bat Tank though. One wheel in the front would make it very unstable and difficult to handle. The old design was perfect because it was almost impossible to roll that vehicle…always landed on it feet, so to speak! Also the fire power fitted between the front wheels was really handy!
And Rix, I’m with you on the villain choice; I really want to see Catwoman!
@mattali
Yes, point taken. I’ll just make it that Fox rebuilt the Bat Tank with added features such as extra shielding to stop bazokaa impact from wrecking the hull. The Bat Tank really does not need any improvements-why was I thinking about upgrading the Bat tank? I do not know. And I am not even going to touch the Batsuit, it is fine the way it is . I will give Batman a stun gun as one of his new gadgets, as it is the most effective way to incapicitate an enemy without killing them or causing fatal damage, fits in with his code . Also fits in with his fear of killing somebody-thus resorting to this weapon.
I am still pondering about a rational way to portrait Catwoman into the script for Batman 3. I only have 15-20 mins for an origin. However, I will not bother going into an origin story for Catwoman as it is better to show Catwoman as a catburgular, thus being a side villian. I will make her have various gadgets for burgulary strictly . But I am not going to create a romance between Batman and Catwoman, just subtle sexual tention. I just don’t want the romance to take away from the magnitude of the plot.
As tempting as it is to connect Catwoman with the main villian, I really want to make them seperate concepts. The only thing connecting the Main Villian and the Side Villain will be the fact that the Main Villian will order certain jobs to be ordered of from the side villian. I will make it so that Catwoman does use some sort of combat art when Batman tries to stop her. But Catwoman really takes away from the intensity from Nolan’s movie- The Dark Knight, so I am having difficulty in actually sticking to a dark and intense story line with Batman 3 while using Catwoman. I will try to explore how her klyptomaniac behaviour lead to her having to abuse stealing drugs and how her rehabilitation lead to her becoming Catwoman. That seems like the most logical, realistic way to sucessfully do this. I am still seeking a main villian.
Any suggestions?