C'Mon Kids! Lets put on our bat-ear shaped tin-foil hats and look into the future!
The consensus online seems to be that the one of the next villains in line will be (or should be) The Riddler. It seems the most logical, as Christopher Nolan's Batman universe completely shies away from anything magical or paranormal (Sorry, Clayface). Riddler isn't a giant alligator -man, can't control plants or doesn't use ridiculous cold puns while encased in a glass dome; He's just a dude who digs riddles.
He's not the most threatening or scary of Batman's villains, but in the right hands I think it could be done well. Jim Carrey was good in the better of Joel Schumacher's disastrous sequels, although he sort of just aped Frank Gorshin's Riddler from the 60s TV show. The front runner for speculation these days seems to be Johnny Depp, and I think if anyone could pull it off, it's him.
Check out this amazing Riddler-centric fan made poster:
Other than the title, it's outstanding.
Angelina Jolie is apparently gunning for a role as Catwoman, which I think has potential. Although it could just as easily be Scarlett Johansson or any other decently attractive actress with a comic-booky figure.
Just give the public enough time to forget about the cinematic abortion that was Helle Berry's Catwoman film, give her as close to the Ed Brubaker costume as possible, and never, ever have her say "ppprrrrrrr" and we'd be in business.
Extra points if they can make it look anything like this...
Hire Adam Hughes as a consultant...
Another one that keeps coming up is The Penguin, which I have to admit, I think would be a terrible idea. I'm pretty much on board for Riddler and Catwoman but Penguin I think is where a line should be drawn. I like Phillip Seymor Hoffman (who seems to be who the majority of rumors point to) quite a bit as an actor, But I think with the grittier tone of the newer films, some of the more campy villains are going to have to be sacrificed, perhaps first and foremost, The Penguin.
Tim Burton turned him into a Nightmare Before Christmas character as a means of translating it to film, which was bad enough.
and people say Tim Burton doesn't have range as a film maker...
Lastly, perhaps the most polarizing question seems to be the inclusion of Robin.
Batman Begins and Dark Knight were very much based off of the universe started by Frank Miller with "Year One" and continued by Jeph Loeb with "Long Halloween" both dealing with the beginnings of Batman.
Christopher Nolan has stressed that his films are early Batman, and that Robin is "in a crib somewhere", Although The Dark Knight took alot of inspiration from "Long Halloween", and "Dark Victory", it's sequel, taking place in "Year Two" introduced Robin (albeit somewhat hastily).
If you ask me, I think introducing Robin would be a bad idea. I don't think a young boy in a circus outfit really makes sense alongside Nolan's Batman.
However, a couple of months ago, Empire magazine from the UK ran a great piece about Dark Knight, which included a grid which showed various characters and who portrayed them in the various movies and TV show, along with a final column for future picks.
click for bigger.
Suddenly, the Robin idea didn't seem so bad.
Ellen Page as Robin!
She could bring a Carrie Kelly kind of plucky junior crime fighter quality that I think might just work.
Both Dark Victory and Frank Miller's newest series "All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder" serve as introductions to Robin that have Batman in a much darker place than usual. Angrier, Grumpier and more prone to adding "God damn" into his name in the case of the latter (see left).Bruce Wayne is slowly slipping away, overshadowed by his alter ego. It's almost as if he needs Robin to provide a human balance into his life, as The world of the Batman has so overtaken the life of Bruce Wayne. His only way to relate to his newly-orphaned heir in any real way is to give him a costume.
In a sense, Robin saves Batman from himself.
Batman falling deeper and deeper into Darkness? A cute girl in a kato-mask bringing him back from the depths? A crazy villain toying with his mind, leaving riddles at crime scenes? A buxom cat burgler in a PVC Catsuit?
It might not top "The Dark Knight" (and what will?) but it Sounds like a movie I'd go see.
That, or wait like 5 years, and do a shot-for-shot movie of Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns.
- m.
ps. this began as a short blurb to show off that fan-made poster, and turned into one of the longest bits on the site thus far.
I love me some Batman. Here's a final picture, just because it's really bad ass.
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