Recasting couch

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

SkyPilot — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:29:31 GMT

First Place -- infitsofprint for casting Rutger Hauer as Black Mask.

Perfect. Black Mask doesn't have anything against Batman per se, but he wants Bruce Wayne's head on a platter.

I wasn't familiar with Black Mask, so for people like me here's the setup in the comics: as head of a failing cosmetics company, Roman Sionis makes the mistake of rushing an un-tested makeup to the shelves. The makeup turns out to be a consumer nightmare, disfiguring hundreds of its users. When Bruce Wayne offers to bail the company out of financial trouble, Sionis construes the offer as a horrendous insult.

Sionis creates the Black Mask persona and makes continual attempts to murder Bruce Wayne--who is, needless to say, no pushover. It's just a matter of time before Black Mask figures out who he's really dealing with.

infitsofprint isn't the only person to choose Black Mask, but he's the only person to cast Rutger Hauer in the role. If you recall where Batman Begins left Rutger Hauer's character, he's already halfway to becoming Black Mask. Plus we know from Sin City that the man plays a great psychopath.

Second Place -- Sammyjankis for casting Frank Langella as the Riddler.

Sammyjankis's vision of the Riddler really caught me off guard: an aged game show host who fears becoming obsolete. This would be a really interesting turn for Frank Langella, who normally exudes experience and a sturdy strength, like an antique cavalry sabre. (You might know Langella as editor-in-chief Perry White in Superman Returns or CBS head Bill Paley in Good Night, and Good Luck).

My friend Kevin (porcupine) observed this would open up the possibility of some really interesting scenes of desperate home life. Maybe the Riddler's wife is leaving him, and his grown children want nothing to do with him. To take these pressures that a lot of us are already dealing with, and to place that in the context of a villain's origin, would be pretty bold.

So those are the two Batman pitches I found most interesting. How about you guys? There was a lot of clamor for Harley Quinn to play an obsessed Joker disciple. That might be interesting, but a Joker copycat like Harley seems doomed to be less interesting than the Joker himself.

We're still trying to get a line on Nolan's reps. We'll post any developments on that effort here.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

Joseph_Fett — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:33:07 GMT

Dear Christopher Nolan,

I trust this note finds you well (actually, I’d be delighted if this letter finds you). I hold you and your brother's work in the highest regard. Memento mesmerized me, an experience that happens less often then I'd like. It is one of my favorite films.

That said, I have some thoughts on a sequel for the Batman franchise. Now I have heard that you have no interest in directing a third Batman and only directed the second because the story was too great to pass up. Thus, when I set out to send you this letter, I knew I also would have to attempt to sell you on a great story idea to go with it. So, here it goes.

It's been a few months since Batman has become Gotham's latest villain. Bruce Wayne has returned his attention toward his business, but continues to see to the streets when he can. Despite the fall of the mob, the void in crime has been filled by street gangs that seem to be at constant war with one notable exception.

One gang has banded together under the common goal of protecting the people of Gotham. They call themselves the Knights, in honor of their inspiration, and they fight violence with violence. As the film opens, Batman tracks down their leader, a younger man by the name of Timothy Drake. Batman tells Drake to lay off and Drake (who likes to go by the nickname of Robin, the name of the murdered sister that drove him to create the Knights) promises to do so if Batman returns, arguing that Gotham will always need a force of good that can do things the police can't.

It's an election year in Gotham, and once again Rupert Thorne is running for mayor. He is in his sixties now, and the window for him being mayor is rapidly closing. Time and time again he runs, but Thorne is Gotham's Ralph Nadar, despised by fellow politicians for taking votes away from the "true contestants." Thorne knows that he can do so many good things as mayor, but finally decides that sometimes one must do an evil thing to do a good thing. He sends for help from a person known as a "shady character," but also as a person who gets results. Thus, Rupert Thorne begins his new campaign with the help of one Dr. Hugo Strange.

Strange's deep knowledge of psychology has led him to believe he knows how to sway the common voter. Beyond that, Strange has developed a way of hypnotizing people using a variation on the Scarecrow's hallucinogen. (Scarecrow and his weapons are already in the universe and crime, like anything else, is a copycat business. Thus I don't see this idea as unoriginal, but rather as a tool for deepening how real this world feels.) Strange suggests that Thorne bring down Batman as a way to gain fame and earn votes, and Strange has a way.

While researching the Scarecrow's hallucinogens, Strange had visited Crane many times in Arkham Asylum. It was during these visits that Strange had discovered the wonderfully twisted genius named Edward Nigma a.k.a. The Riddler. Under Thorne's orders, Strange goes to Nigma and asks him for free help, which Nigma refuses. That is, until Strange posses Nigma a riddle: Who is Batman? Luckily, Nigma likes riddles.

Nigma is freed by Thorne on "good behavior" and set out to hunt down Batman. Nigma tells Strange and Thorne to stir up the gangs, because it's when the gangs go crazy that Batman comes out to play. Thus, the police begin applying pressure to the gangs and when that is added to the already high tensions, a gang war breaks out. Like a fire, the war begins to sweep Gotham city as police and the Knights try to quell the riots.

Batman is forced to return and as he does, Nigma begins to unravel his riddle. Eventually, he finds out who Batman is and begins to have fun with him instead of just ending things, as the Riddler is prone to do. Unfortunately for Thorne, who is supposed to be guiding the city through this war, Nigma refuses to tell Strange who Batman is because messing with him is far too fun. When Strange pushes the issue, Nigma disappears.

In the midst of all this, Strange has been going from one major Gotham player to the other with his hallucinogen, earning Thorne votes. Now, it's Wayne's turn. While hypnotizing him, Strange learns that he is Batman, and the Riddler, who is monitoring Wayne, quickly learns what Strange knows. Thinking fast, Nigma sets Strange up as the one who is protecting Batman's identity from Thorne. Now Strange is in Thorne's sights and must go on the run.

Batman has two people out in the world who know who he is, one politician determined to catch him, and a gang war consuming Gotham in fire. When a man is backed up against the wall, how does he respond?

That's my setup for you, Mr. Nolan. I could give it an ending, but then why would you ever take the project. It'd be my story completely and even if that didn't matter, none of my endings were all that good. Usually, I'd think this was too much for someone to handle, but after seeing how well you handled so much in the Dark Knight, I can't see anyone who could handle it better.

As far as casting goes, I tried to look at things from both a talent point of view and as business point of view. I figure you'd need one A-list star to play the Riddler so you could draw in the crowds, and the other parts should be played by strong character actors rather than a bunch of A-list actor. Thus, my cast for the new characters is as follows:

Edward Nigma / The Riddler - Jonny Depp As I said, an A-list star. I know that it's a really popular pick and not very creative, but there's a reason it's popular. People want to see it! Put Depp in this role and those seats will fill, and you will also get a far better version of the kind of Joker the 90's Batman movies were going for. Just watch Ed Wood and you'll see why Depp can play this character.

Hugo Strange - John Malkovich I love Malkovich. Even though he can be a bit crazy, I think he's a great character actor and (if restrained by a good director) could give a creepy presence to this character. He's a great fit as far as looks go and as soon as you hear him, there always seems to be something in his voice that says "I'm better then you" which describes Strange to me.

Rupert Thorne - Edward James Olmos He’s a dark man of politics, an older man who's good at heart but sells his soul to do more good things in the future. Olmos is a slam dunk for this from where I'm sitting. He can seem fatherly to the voters but can also flip the gear into dark rage when he wants to. His role in Battlestar Galactica is further proof that he can do this.

Timothy Drake / Robin - Joseph Gordon Levitt A number of people said that Robin could never fit into this world you've created. I agree that the traditional Robin could not, but this one could. Rather than being a boy, he's a younger man who grew up to be a person who fights crime in the name of his dead sister. He makes the gang angle work, and rather than being agile, you can make him pure brute strength. He believes in trading fire with fire and I think Levitt can do a great job playing him. Brick saw him as a bit of an anti-hero with fists and a sharp tongue. That role would serve as a great base for the kind of role I expect he'd give as a re-imagined kind of Robin. (No costume either. This Robin is Batman's partner on the streets.)

Respectfully,

Joseph E. Kauffman

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

JLD — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:48:01 GMT

“Batman: The Caped Crusader” Villain Casting

Mr. Nolan,

For reasons less obvious to the untrained comic book (er, “graphic novel”) reader, the title for Film Three cannot be “The Dark Knight Returns” as much as we want it to be. Let Frank have his due in due time so he can make his own film out of his own comic book masterpiece. Please, just leave it alone. Each film should stand on the merit of its title, just as “Batman Begins” was an aptly titled origin story and “The Dark Knight” was a more cryptic title that applied to the overall themes of Film Two. F3 will have to be Batman’s redemption tale and he can only be redeemed by sticking to his guns and continuing along the same path he began foraging in Film One. Batman will have to be, (to put it bluntly) a crusader for his cause which makes the title “The Caped Crusader” work all too well...

Rather than going through the motions of re-casting Joker for another go-round “just because the fans want it”, there should instead be that same carry-over attitude which resurrected Scarecrow at the head of F2 and which will show us the Joker’s eventual (and off-screen) escape from Arkham Asylum somewhere along the timeline of F3. Two-Face, as much as we love Eckhart’s performance, needs to stay dead and buried for Batman’s redemption to be complete. And Rachel Dawes, having left a gaping wound in Bruce Wayne’s heart, has provided ample material for another woman to step into Mr. Wayne’s life and cause all sorts of new turmoil. Another Cat-woman, if you will. There are only a handful of villains from Batman’s rogue’s gallery that can fit the criteria for their existence in Nolan’s “realistic revisionist” interpretation of the franchise (my apologies to King Tut and Egg-head), and a simple, over-sexed cat burglar would fill those shoes (or leather boots) perfectly. I also cannot stress enough how badly we need to wash away the stench left on the character by Ms. Berry and Ms. Stone!

By the end of F2, there are all sorts of gaping wounds left in the aftermath of Joker’s underworld reign. Criminals are more scared than ever to take on “the bat” now that he is “public enemy number one” and has taken out their fearless leader. And that is why they proposition a mysterious, yet reputable thief to pull some complicated heist jobs for them. She always delivers the goods on time and stays unseen... until Batman catches wind of her. She’ll play with his mind and toss his broken heart around like a ball of yarn, only before coming to understand and love the complicated man inside the bat-suit. Sure it’s cliché as heck, but Mr. Nolan, this is where you excel: Taking those tried and true cliché bits and forcing us to look at them in a new light while making bravado cinema out of them all the while.

We’ve all heard the rumors of Angelina Jolie donning the claws and I have no gripes with her taking on the role, if you see fit. But might I suggest a more fresh and inspired casting choice for the role, in a world that could use a wider variety of strong female leads to cycle through. Why not make a new “name” out of a relatively unknown actress that has the goods? I strongly suggest Morena Baccarin of “Firefly” and “Serenity” fame. She’s got slinky and sultry down to a tee and those eyes of hers are more feline than any other actress I can recall. I can only imagine how fine she would look under some black leather. Mee-ouch!!!

And I don’t care how much Mr. Bale protests it; the idea of a young Dick Grayson stricken by tragedy and adopted by the one man that can not only understand his pain, but perhaps heal his own wounds through their relationship; is an excellent storyline to carry into this Batman mythology. Just keep an open mind, that’s all I ask.

I thank you for your time and consideration.

Bat-fan for life,

JLD

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

kubrickian — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:55:25 GMT

Frankly I think that the Riddler would be an incredibly fun villain, but who for the role? Well, before Heath Ledger was cast, I had two choices for who I wanted to don the white makeup: Brad Dourif and Crispin Glover. Crispin Glover would have made a great Joker, and he would certainly make a fantastic Riddler. Ridder is demented in his own way and you know who else is batsh*t crazy? Crispin Glover! Have you seen his acid-tripped interview on Letterman? What about his recently film projects involving an entirely mentally-handicapped cast? Crispin has the possible mental instability to play Riddler, plus, as a tall, thin man, he would look smashing in a dark green suit and bowler.

But wait! This a sequel and if we've learned anything about superhero sequels, you have to include multiple villains. Enter Catwoman! I could go with an easy answer and say "anyone but Halle Berry," however I have a better and much more specific choice: Rosario Dawson. She has the sex appeal that Selina Kyle/Catwoman needs to seduce Bruce Wayne on the rebound from the death of Rachel Dawes. If you doubt Rosario, just look to Sin City, specifically the poster for the film where she is licking her lips. Don't you just expect her to say "here kitty" ? I think her inclusion a "villain" would be a dream. The Catwoman/Batman/Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne relationship has always been so unique and exciting to read. A villian (of sorts) and a hero (of sorts), trying to make it work. I see a "mediation on" (that being my least favorite critic go-to line) the gray area of morality, which Nolan seems to love so much.

Anyhow, there you go.

~Jonas

My favorite ideas

Cammmalot — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:01:34 GMT

I'm coming to the table late and my ignorance of the Batman universe would truly astound so I'll spare you any false insights. I came up with the same idea as Tanski's suggestion of Michael Keaton's return to the series as the next villian. I think this would be fantastic on so many levels. Of course there are obvious ties such as his over the top performances in the likes of Beetlejuice but I'm thinking a darker more omnious psycho along the lines of Pacific Heights. Or the gum chewing bravado of Jackie Brown & Out of Sight .

As for the best description of this character I loved Sammyjankis' summary:

The main plot (and villain) is, of course, the Riddler. I'm imagining an older man, a former game show host who has a massive chip on his shoulder because he is the smartest man in Gotham but no one notices or acknowledges it. Thus, it isn't enough to simply pull off crimes, he must do it in a way that proves how much smarter he is than his opponents. Where the Joker saw matching Batman's theatrics as a way to cause chaos, the Riddler sees it as a means to achieve glory.

Unlike the Joker's games which were all about misdirection and illusion, the Riddler's puzzles are overt. He is more than happy to tell you exactly what the rules and stakes are, because he is supremely confident that his puzzles cannot he solved. This will be the thematic crux of the film. Impotence. Whereas the Batman has found new strength through deeper brutality, this is an opponent who cannot be beaten through force. 'The Dark Knight' showed us the detective side of Batman onscreen for the first time (in any real way) and that can be deepened here. The Riddler can only be defeated with reason. In this post-Saw world, the character could do more than just give out riddles to solve, he can be obsessed with all sorts of puzzles and design all manner of Rube Goldberg devices to trip up our hero. I could even envision a final action sequence where an entire portion of the city has become a Goldberg device through explosives and physics.

(By the way Sammyjankis is a great name.)

Finally the idea I most wish I had come up with had to be iantx2000's suggestion of Sam Rockwell!

What a brillant idea. He is so prime for a turn as the ultimate super villian.

I'm thinking full on Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Box of Moonlight, Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy mode.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

Ian_T_McFarland — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:28:51 GMT

Mr. Nolan,

Before we get to business, let me submit my appreciation for the great films, and your kindness in taking time to read my proposal.

But enough with pleasantries, let's talk.

Immediately following the events of TDK, Gotham is united against Batman and finally seems willing to fight for a brighter future. That's all thrown out the window, when the shocking murder of the Joker happens. Trying to incite a prisoner-takeover of Arkham, he's fatally shot by a guard in the head. The city, furious that this terrorist gets away easily and without any real punishment, loses hope in a better tomorrow.

This allows the rebirth of the Gotham's mob underworld, led by secondary villain BLACK MASK, who with his gang of False Facers, promise Gotham to bring the now-seldom seen Batman to justice for his murder of Harvey Dent, hoping to gain supporters that will allow Black Mask to gain more power.

Black Mask is convincing in his oath that he will bring some peace to the streets of Gotham; but it's clear that it's just a step he's taking to gain a power he will use selfishly. He could be played by a scarred and haggard Ryan Gosling.

Some of Gotham believe Black Mask is the best alternative to keep the peace, but still more are left unsatisfied. Outraged by the lack of due process given to the Joker, this faction loses faith in government and come around to the villain's argument for anarchy. Inspired by the Joker's image, they pay tribute by wearing green and call themselves THE RIDDLERS, becoming a second mob, this one out to dismantle any form of government, including the justice-promising Black Mask's mob. The Riddlers are led by HARLEY QUINN. A woman of unsound mind kept in Arkham, she was the Joker's only friend and after his death, she becomes obsessed with his memory.

Ruled by this mania but sharing a sense of humor, the role will require a lot of range. Naomi Watts comes to mind, but perhaps there's a more inspired choice out there like Carla Gugino or the heretofore untested Elizabeth Banks.

All the while, Bruce Wayne stays locked up in his recently completed Wayne Manor. Far vaster than the old mansion but almost entirely empty, Bruce finds this existence dull and pointless. He spends his nights starring out the window, upon a destitute Gotham, wishing he could curie it. The one good thing he's got going for himself is his new girlfriend Selina Kyle, who he's started seeing.

Sexy, slinky, competent and without concern for others, I'd like to see Kyle played by a more careless Rose Byrne.

Bruce quickly figures out that Kyle is in fact THE CATWOMAN jewelry thief. In this city full of apathy, Bruce figures it's pointless to try and stop her, and continues to use Kyle as a method of forgetting Rachel.

But as Gotham falls farther and farther, Bruce realizes he can't replace Rachel and, perhaps the only thing more precious to him than his childhood friend, he can't replace Gotham. Knowing that the Batman is the only one with the power that Black Mask, Harley Quinn and her Riddlers, and even the Gotham City Police Department have tried so hard to achieve, he dons the pointy ears once more halfway through the picture.

Objective one - deliver Catwoman to the authorities. This is easy as pie, Batman takes her without having to put up a fight.

Objective two - take down Black Mask. Using detective work, he finds the mob leader and delivers him to Jim Gordon, who manage to lock him up in an unspecified prison outside of Gotham where none of his False Facers can find and break him out.

Objective three - take down Harley Quinn and the Riddlers. This is easier said than done, as it's a widespread guerilla terrorist unit comprised of hundreds.

The public has taken notice of Batman's re-emergence and capture of criminals. But they ask: what separates Black Mask, Quinn and Batman? All are vigilantes that no doubt believe they are trying to fix Gotham; but they've all done damage to the city they love. Indeed, even Bruce understands that the three figures are strikingly similar. As Alfred will tell him, the only thing that can distinguish the three is the public - which one is selected by the people to be of the correct persuasion of justice.

In the end, however unwilling they are to forgive him for the murder of Dent, Gotham's citizens do understand that Batman's mission is clearly the one correct one. And after Gordon urges people to help his police and Batman in the takedown of the gang, Batman and indeed Gotham itself is able to stop them all and put them behind walls.

Bruce, having finally seen Gotham saved by its own determination, sees that the day has come that Batman isn't needed, and the trilogy comes to a close. This series was, after all, never about Batman or Bruce Wayne, but about Gotham and a Bat Man's attempts to force the city into taking care of itself.

Your Fan,

Ian "That's Who I Am and You Are Nothing" McFarland

Kansas City

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

Ian_T_McFarland — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:45:45 GMT

I love you. So much.

infitsofprint:

Here's a bonus submission: Batman 3: This American Double Life

Starring:

John Hodgman as The Penguin

Sarah Vowell as Catwoman

David Sedaris as The Mad Hatter

Dan Savage as Ventriloquist

David Rakoff as Hugo Strange

and Ira Glass as The Riddler.

oh, and Tory Malatea as Lex Luthor (doesn't actually appear in the film, but is mentioned in passing).

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

hegele — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:27:48 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan,

The unfortunate price in the industry with a successful comic book picture is the inevitability of a sequel. Whether the director wants one or not it’s expected and demanded until a franchise is completely dry of creativity or interest. The peculiar case with a Dark Knight sequel is that fans will expect a villain to top The Joker all the while they will forever champion Heath Ledger’s performance and regard newcomers with axes raised. The inevitable comparisons will likely never be favorable to a new face because A. they think it might be a disservice to the legacy of Heaths participation in the franchise and B. The Joker has always been the most popular villain. So how do you top a performance for the comic-ages without doing what your predecessors did and simply multiply the amount of villains on screen? Simple- do the complete opposite and subtract the villain performances to zero. That’s right. Zip. The new villain could be The Riddler, who acts as a narcissistic figure who leaves puzzles at crime scenes. There’s a multitude of fun and suspenseful directions this could take, like how he could demand the riddles to be publicized on Gotham Tonight or in The Gotham Times. You could treat the villain in the vein of The Zodiac or John Doe in Fincher’s other serial killer film Se7en (before the last twenty minutes of course). There could be plenty of plot-turns, such as Batman’s speculation that The Riddler could be Mike Engle, in the wave of attention that the Riddler murders get on Engel’s “ Gotham Tonight”, Batman might find the commonality of Engle’s and The Riddler’s narcissism enough to warrant suspicion that they are one in the same. Of course the pay-off is that we never filnd out and we never, ever see him. This is possibly the only way online hype could top The Dark Knights. Imagine the suspense of viral marketing when The Riddler is announced as a character but the actor playing him is never revealed. The unfortunate initial side effect is that it might lead to an absolute backlash when theory driven fans come to realize that there isn’t a face behind the riddles, but hey… In time they’ll come around and accept it, just as everyone accepts a Joker who wears face paint.

Now I’m not going to completely disregard the topic so I’ll post some casting ideas for other villains that could flourish the streets of Gotham while The Riddler embarks on his crime spree.

The Penguin: A safe bet would be David Suchet. The wonderful actor utilizes a similar penitent for posh fashion to The Penguin as his Agatha Christie character Poirot in the BBC television series, but I’ve never seen him embark on a villainous role. We all know how much you (Nolan) like to avoid typecasting. My pick however would be Peter Mullan channeling a Penguin almost similar to Burgess Meredith.

Catwoman/Selina Kyle: A safe bet would be Emily Blunt. Wonderful up and coming actress, she’s British so you two will get along, eh? My personal pick though would go to Marie-Josée Croze. If only because I am in love with her.

Some other possibilities…

Rupert Thorne (another crime boss): Ciarán Hinds.

The Mad Hatter: Toby Jones. You might see him as a poor guy getting typecast because of his height but hes a hell of an actor.

Your fan,

Andrew

Theron

LadyKaede — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:39:28 GMT

jdamer83:

No offense, but some of these hypothetical castings are too obvious. I mean, Charlize Theron or Megan Fox or Trica Helfer as Catwoman?

The myth that Charlize Theron is "just" hot is understandable, but long since exploded. She can look like anything (as can Bale) . . . and she can also be hot . . . and unlike Megan Fox, we know she can act in an adult drama, which is the first requirement for an installment in this series.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

jdamer83 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:41:13 GMT

Just providing commentary on these entries:

No offense, but some of these hypothetical castings are too obvious. I mean, Charlize Theron or Megan Fox or Trica Helfer as Catwoman? Quite frankly, I'd rather see someone like Olivia Williams or Samantha Morton play Catwoman than some 'super-hot' actress who will just feel out of place in Nolan's interpretation of Batman.

And-- I bet Philip Seymour Hoffman would find it insulting if he were offered the role of The Penguin. I can just see the Warner Brothers execs now-- "well Phil, you're a great actor, and you have the right... physical presence to play The Penguin." Hoffman would turn them down cold.

And as much as I like her, Zooey Deschanel as Harley Quinn is just too obvious and cute. If there's going to be Harley Quinn in Nolan's third Batman movie, she needs to be some f---ed up personality who gets inspired by the Joker and starts reeking havoc on her own time. And, even if this seems like I'm contradicting my previous statement, Amy Adams would be better at playing that.

And Deadshot? Too similar to The Punisher of Bullseye from Daredevil. (And we don't need to be reminded of Colin Farrell's performance in that movie).

Yet, I'm not just all negativity here. I think there are some inspired choices here. Like Guy Pearce would totally fit into Nolan's version of Batman, as well as having Hugo Strange or Hush as the villain. And what about Viggo Mortensen? Hell, I would pay to see Mortensen in just a regular Nolan film. And it would be a shame if we never got to see how Nolan would portray Arkham Asylum. That needs to be in the movie

Now, if I were a betting man, I would say that Nolan is more concerned with the theme of a third Batman movie than possible villains, and I would imagine that Nolan would want to contain his vision in the form of a trilogy. So, here's my guess as to what the theme would be-- redemption/resurrection. Basically, Bruce Wayne manages to 'redeem' himself by managing to rise Gotham from the ashes while 'killing off' Batman (a la Miller's The Dark Knight Returns). And, even if there is a villain, Nolan would return the focus to Bruce Wayne/Batman's dilemma instead of refracting it in the form of other characters like The Joker or Harvey Dent.

And to get this out of the way-- even though Heath Ledger gave a great performance as The Joker and it's a tragedy that he had to pass away, that doesn't mean that the role is completely radio-active, and it doesn't mean that there isn't another actor who could succeed with that role as much as Ledger did. Furthermore, I might not be the best one to say, but I think if there's a third Nolan Batman movie, Ledger would have been humble enough to allow someone to take the role over from him. And there needs to be some reference to The Joker. So, who would be his replacement? Joseph Gordon Levitt. And I'm not just saying this because Levitt has a resemblance to Ledger. In my opinion, after Mysterious Skin, Brick and The Lookout, Levitt is just as developed as an actor that Ledger was after he did Brokeback Mountain. So, I'll conclude by stating I believe in Joseph Gordon Levitt as The Joker.

Signing off,

John

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

jonnygotham — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:05:19 GMT

Hello Everyone:

I realize this has been said before, as I'm joining a bit late in the game, but I agree that the next solid and fitting character for the Batman movies would draw from the story arc of HUSH, by Jeph Loeb.

Nolan has a knack for cutting and piecing together story elements, which is going to come in handy when the need arises to cut out a great deal of characters from this story line - which is practically Batman versus his entire Rogues Gallery. Further, it's something that would need to be done. Some characters would simply be too fantastic to fit the grit of the world that Nolan took so long to create, and for the sake of creating a strong and enjoyable film, you need to focus on the concentrating things rather than diluting the story with too many characters.

That being said, the main villain is HUSH. Thomas Elliot. As it has already been described, Thomas Elliot is an excellent character foil for the Batman/Bruce Wayne character. While having several parallels to both sides of the Batman/Bruce Wayne character, Elliot also has a small, but powerful set of ties and links to the Dark Knight character that make for a great story.

The end of "The Dark Knight" saw the hero finally turn into a villain. Presumably, opinion is now going to be split on the Batman character, with far more of its citizens fearing the hero than begging for his help. This takes the main character away from the previous story push and aim to create a symbol that inspires people, allowing a story shift and pursuance of another avenue that is equally compelling. The hero is locked-in now. No one to pick up the mantle, its just him to save the people... and they don't necessarily want his help.

As a now isolated character without aid or allies, it is conceivable that Batman pushes beyond his limits and actually suffers the injuries that introduce the Hush character to the story (Elliot, childhood friend, is a world-renounce surgeon - the best in his field and the only one they can trust to handle the operation and potential questions about the nature of the injuries). There is a very engrossing story that is possible there, between a hero that's been cutoff and the renewing of an old friend. The equalities of the Elliot character to Bruce Wayne in intelligence, success, and discipline provide interactions that were as interesting, if not more, as the love triangle dinner we saw in "The Dark Knight". The fact that he knows the hero's secrets and is smart enough to exploit the weaknesses Batman has in the wake of the last movie make the story less Superhero flick, and more revenge thriller (as the last film capitalized on making a crime drama, rather than the standard superhero movie).

The costumes are solid and realistic. For much of the story, the Hush character appears as a face-bandaged, trench-coat figure and shadow. This helps, because with the unknown status of the Two Face character, we have an identity mystery - is the villain Harvey Dent? - Now completely mad and face-fully bandaged similar to the hospital scenes in the Dark Knight, or is it someone completely new? Further, with the relative unknown nature of the Hush villain until very recently, this ambiguity helps, because everyone is going to wonder who the next big costume villain is going to be - and they aren't going to get it.

There are a myriad of supporting characters to aid this new story and complementary direction, and I leave their inclusion and exclusion to Nolan. There is something to be said about the possibilities of this new villain though.

We gain a friend that the isolated hero needs. We gain a character interaction that is similar to the friendship between Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne that was left out of "The Dark Knight", and only slightly exploited in the Love Triangle dinner scene. We have an equal, if not smarter adversary, with a distinct advantage over the hero in that he knows the full playing field and all the players, where Batman does not because of the events at the end of the last movie. Finally, we have a good story that isn't filled with Super-ness. It's a pure revenge-angled crime story. Plenty of options with psychosis, flash-backs, inner struggles, finding control within doing good and dealing with anger and violence, etc.

So with the case presented, comes the problem of casting. The character has to match in charisma, acting talent, and needs to be able to switch between friend and foe without the cliches of cinema. He can be the villain without a sinister laugh, vocal change, or costume - the worst villains don't have to LOOK like villains, they're the friends that are trusted and wreak havoc by exploiting their unique positions.

Hugh Jackman would be great because of stature and talent - not Wolverine, but more The Fountain and Prestige. Problem is resurrecting the Bale/Jackman duo without reminding the audience of their previous collaboration, similar in revenge aspect. Further, I'm not sure what happens with contracts and acting in multiple superhero franchises.

Tom Cruise is great, except for stature. While a lot of people have issues with him, he matches in charisma, looks, and seriousness that would be needed. Unfortunately, he doesn't command the same weight in presence due to his size, especially relative to Bale. He would do well though, given the psyche exploits in Vanilla Sky and other work.

I do not like Gerard Butler, as previously noted. I feel like it would become too reminiscent of his previous villain and hero roles and fall victim to the cliches stated before.

I had to wrack my brain, and I'm still on the fence a bit (because there might be someone more fitting), but among the many options in Hollywood, perhaps James Caviezel would suit the role well. He has strength in previous roles: Thin Red Line, Count of Monte Cristo, Passion of the Christ, etc. He has similar stature to Bale, if only slightly taller than Bale (according to IMDB), and he evokes a feeling of sympathy for his characters, no matter the act - which helps when crafting a villain. You don't just need Batman to trust him, you need the audience to trust him.

There is enough in the HUSH story to bring old characters and villains back to help minimize "noise" in the story, while it also has enough options to introduce new characters to help with transitions and plot development.

Hopefully, you'll all see some merits in this, and maybe find a more suitable player to fill the shoes, but either way, the villain of Hush presents a pretty strong case to fill out and end Nolan's work with the Batman franchise. Three films is enough for the current ensemble - enough to be great, and still has potential to leave its fans wanting more.

Thanks for the patience in reading.

Best.

jonny.gotham

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

jbost002 — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:35:54 GMT

Dearest Chris,

What a great job you have done with re-booting the Batman franchise. Now, it is time for you to choose the next villain. Hugo Strange. This villain perfectly fits in with your theme of Batman running away - what villain besides Hugo could bring him back? He is a very dark character who needs a very dark actor to portray him. Enter Gary Busey. Can you imagine anyone else playing a "strange" character? Didn't think so. Runaway sequel. Count your benjis.

Yours truly,

Josh Bostic - Roanoke, Va

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

SkyPilot — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:47:24 GMT

infitsofprint
Posts 4

8/6/2008 12:33 AM
posted 2 days ago

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

I'll make this a bare-bones proposal, Mr. Nolan:

Your theme is: "Past vs. Future"
One of your primary locations is the half-completed Wayne Manor, into which Bruce has just relocated.

and of course, your villains:
Zooey Deschanel as Arleen Quinzel, aka "Harley Quinn," leader of a mob of young, disaffected Joker disciples, inspired by his brief reign of terror to commit similar acts of nihilism.

Guy Pearce as Dr. Thomas Elliot, aka "Hush," Bruce's Childhood "friend" returned to Gotham with sinister intentions against Bruce himself.

Ben Whishaw as Floyd Lawton, aka "Deadshot," a sharpshooter and former Batman copycat who, finally taken in by the media's portrayal of Batman as a murderer, finds his adoration turned to anger and disappointment. Further deceived and manipulated by Elliot (see above), Lawton is convinced that justice demands Batman's destruction.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

lotr-sam0711 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:10:30 GMT

The Joker is just such a great character that it will be hard to let him go. So why not the next best thing with his sidekick Harley Quinn? I though around several names and couldn't really think of an actress that struck me as both creepy and crazy. Then it hit me. Elen Page would be idea. Now I know most people are thinking of the lobvable Juno but before that she did a movie called Hard Candy. She's creepy, menacing, brilliant and hilarious in a perverse way and that's just what the character would need. Watch that film and I dare you to tell me she wouldn't be an idea Harley Quinn.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

geoffvl5 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:44:26 GMT

In The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger’s role as Joker set a potentially unreachable bar for superhero villains. His unfortunate passing following the making of the film has undoubtedly added to the magic of that performance. Because of this, any new batman villains will be immediately compared to Ledger’s Joker creating a daunting task for any actor or actress. Villains such as Catwoman or Bane would seem like lame caricatures, and would feel like a step down from The Dark Knight. If you bring back Two-Face, the third movie would almost seem like a Dark Knight spin-off; it would be using the energy from the second film instead of creating something new. This leaves us with the all important question: which character in the Batman universe has the ability to outshine its predecessors and put a satisfying cap on the Nolan Trilogy? The next villain in the Batman trilogy should be none other than the leading man himself: Batman.

Let’s make Christopher Nolan’s Batman a complete reinvention of the “superhero genre”. What happens if the superhero becomes the supervillain? Of course the idea seems ridiculous at first, since it would completely contradict the idea of a “superhero movie”. But Nolan has showed that his version of Batman surpasses this “superhero” label. These movies have the ability to do more than just fill the stereotype. It would be invigorating to go to a Batman movie without 100% certainty that he will emerge as a hero in the end. I’m not talking about the end of Dark Knight where he is considered a villain by the people of Gotham; I’m talking about Batman being considered a villain by everyone. Why not make Nolan’s Batman the next Anakin Skywalker or Michael Corleone? People love the villain, and Nolan’s Batman has the potential to be the greatest villain of all time. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight give us glimpses to why Batman will become the villain. Maybe his turn to villainy will start off unintentional, like his immoral use of sonar in The Dark Knight. His idea of “For the Greater Good” will turn into recklessness and irresponsibility. In the end he will be unable to distinguish between what he thinks is good for Gotham, and what is actually good for Gotham. Replacing Batman as the hero would be Gotham City itself. The message this would send would be that realistically society shouldn’t rely on individual heroes as much as it should focus on coming together as a community. Individually we are fallible, but in a community we can band together and construct our own heroism. This can tie in with The Dark Knight, as it is discussed that maybe Gotham doesn’t a hero to become heroic (the boat standoff scene serves as an example, as both boats accomplished an honorable feat due to a villain’s wrongdoings). I don’t think Batman’s transformation should be played out like a Shyamalan twist; the viewers should see to what extent a man with good intentions can be broken and transformed. This gradual transformation would parallel Harvey Dent’s transformation, and in a way it would ameliorate the Two-Face complex that some felt was tacked on to The Dark Knight. This would make for a very dark movie, however I believe that people have come to appreciate the dark tone of Nolan’s Batman, as this tone is part of what sets Nolan’s Batman apart from other Batman recreations. Making Batman the villain will by no means be a simple task, however I believe that in the right hands this remolding could reinvent the superhero genre and create an unforgettable trilogy. Heck, Batman has survived as a hero for a long…long time. And as some would say, you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

SporkyReeve — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:16:44 GMT

This is my first time at Spout, and my first time responding to one of the Filmspotting contests. Apologies for the length, I listen to Filmspotting on long car trips so I had plenty of time to think about it. Here it goes:

Dear Mr. Nolan,

Now that The Dark Knight is making enough daily cash to turn a third-world country into a mid-sized industrialized nation, you may be tempted to enjoy lighting cigars with $100 bills, rolling in vaults full of coins, and other rich people activities that cartoons assure me are totally accurate. But, I urge you not to rest on your laurels, because eventually you'll need to make another billion or so dollars. And for that, I offer humble advice.

For the next entry into the Batman franchise, I suggest you explore Batman's other nickname: the World's Greatest Detective. Of course, this name is hampered by sounding incredibly dumb, so I'd recommend using that as a theme rather than the title. Picture this:

We open on a cheshire grin, harsh light casting a shadow over the scars on the Joker's face. A Heath Ledger look-alike is cast mostly in shadow, as remixed voice samples and outtakes provide the conversation with series continuity. Comissioner Gordon sits at a table opposite the madman.

"You're chasing the wrong puppy, Commissioner," he says with a sinister growl. He claims the killings are too meticulous for a person as truly pathological as the cop is set on. Gordon insists that his men are on the right track, that his lead detective is second to none, but Joker will hear none of it. "Then why do you come here for our little chats?" he asks mockingly. Gordon starts to rise to exit the room. As he knocks for security to open the door, he tells the Joker: "you created him." Gordon exits and we hear Joker's cackle ring out along the halls of Arkham Asylum.

Cut to the opening title.

Gordon hasn't been sleeping well lately. After the closed-casket -- and completely put-on -- funeral for Harvey Dent, he started searching in earnest his alter-ego Two-Face, who escaped the warehouse shortly after his fall, while Gordon was speaking with Batman. As a man deceased, Two-Face had no where to turn but to burrow deeper into criminal activities, and soon found a knack for getting his way. He started taking over the gaping hole in Gotham's crime syndicate, and Gordon is wracked with conflict over how he can bring in the criminal without destroying the renewed sense of honor brought to the city by the hero worship of Harvey Dent. His job is to stop the quickly rising mob boss, but any revelation of Two-Face would crush Gotham's spirit.

His search is aided by a young and promising detective named Edward Nygma (James McAvoy), hot on the trail of Two-Face's growing crime syndicate. The detective has a clever eye for investigating the various mob slayings that have risen in Two-Face's ugly wake. He's driven by the desire to prove himself a detective more helpful to the department than Batman ever was. Unfortunately, the District Attorney's office is no help in stopping the crimes, headed by Julie Madison (Amy Adams), living in the shadow of Harvey Dent. In the wake of Batman's revelation as a criminal, her office is inundated with appeals from criminals put away by the crusader, insisting that he committed the crimes himself.

This forces Batman to meet with Gordon in the utmost of secrecy, as discovery by Nygma or the DA would be disastrous. His investigations into Two-Face's killings are hampered by the restrictions, but he reluctantly agrees with Gordon when the Commissioner presents the Joker's theory that the mob slayings are the work of someone other than Dent. Two-Face's increasing mob influence could be coming after Batman harder, he points out, but the Harvey Dent half of him still considers the Batman as an ally. This has convinced Bats that his "good" side still has a voice in matters, which would suggest another murderer to these grisly crimes.

Of course, any Batman afficianado knows Edward Nygma, and the meticulous mob slayings are the work of his own hands in an attempt to frame Two-Face and take credit for his capture -- to do what Batman never could. When Gordon lets slip that he suspects Two-Face is innocent of these particular murders, Nygma panics. He sets about systematically killing every detective involved in the case, including faking his own death. After Batman stops a brutal slaying of Commissioner Gordon by Nygma, the ruse is ruined, and Nygma takes on the twisted persona of the Riddler. Now driven by a desire to humiliate the Batman, to prove he's more clever, he starts a series of seemingly senseless violence, mocking Bats to find the pattern of his crimes. He leaves a small clue behind at every crime, egging the dark knight to find him.

Meanwhile, Batman is also getting closer to finding his former friend, who he still believes is Harvey Dent, the decent person he had faith in. When he finds him, Dent flips his coin and acts cordially, but Batman ultimately feels he's lost to the dual nature of his psyche. But at a loss to solve the Riddler's pattern, he makes the unconscionable choice to turn his former friend like a weapon towards the killer. By revealing to Dent that the Riddler tried to frame him for several murders, he hopes to create a distraction that will force Nygma's crimes to grow more sloppy. Two-Face flips his coin, and decides that Nygma will die.

Riddler's killings seem to grow more erratic as Two-Face closes in, but more frequent as well. The city starts to panic, citizens stay indoors at night, leaving the streets clear. Just as Batman discovers the pattern of Riddler's murders, Two-Face has used his underworld contacts to track down the man as well. The Riddler holds DA Madison hostage when Two-Face finds him. Two-Face holds a gun toward Riddler, discompassionate for the lives of both him and Madison and threatening to simply shoot them both. Riddler's hostage is useless to protecting his own life.

Batman intervenes, insisting that Nygma be brought to justice, as news cameras watch. The citizens of Gotham are glued to their TVs as the Batman, the wanted criminal, urges calm to their supposedly dead White Knight, and argues to let the legal system he used to work for win. Conflicted by the reminder of his Harvey Dent self, Two-Face flips his coin once more, and Batman uses the opportunity to strike down both Dent and Nygma in one shot of his Batarang. Madison watches as he rushes off into the night, leaving both criminals incapacitated when police arrive.

In the morning, Gotham is a very different place. The city's image of heroes has been turned on its head, and news pundits are talking about the events of the previous night. Gordon smiles as he feels Batman's presence behind him. Gotham isn't sure what to make of the dark knight anymore, he explains, but the DA is convinced enough to let Batman assist on cases in secret. In fact, he already has a case: a series of buglaries with a bizarre link between the stolen items. When Batman asks what it is, Gordon chuckles to himself. "Cats."

Credits roll.

(Nygma as a detective isn't unheard of in the comics; he's recently reformed. This idea takes that notion and simply places it before his criminal history, rather than after.)

-Steve

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

andrewoh — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:09:02 GMT

I'm not all too familar with the Batman universe but of what I do know, the Mad Hatter would make a great addition to the new batman movies. And as soon as I thought who could play him, the first name that popped into mind was Guy Pearce. Seeing him in Memento, I know he could pull off the delusional, schizophrenic, homicidal maniac.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

forticus — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:13:08 GMT

The Joker was brilliant in Dark Knight so lets all wait a movie or two for his better half -Harley Quinn.Although if you can't resist how about casting Keira Knightley? Lets put a smile on that Face. Domino and Atonement .

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

Iantx2000 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:37:49 GMT

A few more casting ideas:

If we must have the Riddler, why not Sam Rockwell?

Poison Ivy: Audrey Tautou

The Penguin: Paul Giamatti

Black Mask: Lawrence FIshburn

Mad Hatter: john Malkovich

Ras Al Guhl's Daughter Talia: Kate Beckinsdale

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

axeofiele — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:10:11 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan,

The logical path for the Batman series to take with The Joker now out of the picture is to bring in a 'replacement'. We can't re-cast him, but we CAN send him to Arkham Assylum, have him somehow meet an untimely end and bring in Harley Quinn to continue his reign of terror: A psychiatrist at Arkham, somehow fallen in love with the Joker and determined to avenge him.

I like this route for two reasons: first, it actually could allow for Ledger's passing, and second, it brings in a new supervillain we HAVEN'T seen on the big screen before. Who would I cast? That's more difficult. I envision Harley as cute... somewhat naive... she herself is not psychopathic in any way. We know her motivation: avenge the Joker, but she wants to achive the same level of terror in the public eye as her idol.

Who to cast? I think Zooey Deschanel could pull it off quite nicely (and she needs to reboud from The Happening). Alternatively, I think Ellen Page could definitely capture the bitterness of the Harley I have envisioned, and it could be a good change of pace for her. Or, if Mr. Nolan wants to go out on a limb and take a chance, try Brittany Murphy; she has the perfect look and the perfect voice... but does she have the chops? Sin City proves that she might

Sincerely,

Kelsey Lindstrom

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

infitsofprint — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:39:29 GMT

While this just occurred to me, I'm a little surprised nobody else has thought of it yet:

Batman Begins ended with Bruce Wayne totally screwing over the greedy and cruel CEO of Wayne Enterprises, William Earle (Rutger Hauer), and he hasn't been heard from since. While I can't think of an existing Batman villain he could become, Nolan could always just pick an alias to re-imagine. Black Mask, maybe.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

juanloya — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:43:15 GMT

The single best reason Dark Knight was so compelling was that it offered Batman an adversary that was his opposite, a dark mirror that was a perfect anti-thesis to everything the Caped Crusader stands for. It's for that reason that a sequel featuring Catwoman or the Riddler would just not feel up to par in any way.

After the Joker, there's only one other character in the DC Universe that can contrast Batman so completely, and that character is Superman.

Both are orphans who's costumed adventures were born out of tragedy, but one is a symbol of hope while the other is a symbol of fear. And aptly, theDark Knight concludes with Batman on the run from the law. Who better to attempt to bring him to justice but the Man of Steel himself.

Mr. Nolan, I think its time to call up your cowriters to begin hashing out the screenplay, and call up Mr. Guy Pearce to practice leaping over tall buildings, outrunning locomotives, etc.

EDIT: Since a lot of people are suggesting Pearce for other roles (presumably because of his previous Nolan collaboration, which was my motivation as well), I'll offer another choice for Superman. Lee Pace, who does meek and mild-mannered on Pushing Daisies, and bold and adventurous in The Fall, would make a decent and unconventional Supes.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

infitsofprint — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:10:33 GMT

Here's a bonus submission: Batman 3: This American Double Life

Starring:

John Hodgman as The Penguin

Sarah Vowell as Catwoman

David Sedaris as The Mad Hatter

Dan Savage as Ventriloquist

David Rakoff as Hugo Strange

and Ira Glass as The Riddler.

oh, and Tory Malatea as Lex Luthor (doesn't actually appear in the film, but is mentioned in passing).

Re:Cast BATMAN 3 Australian Cast

estela — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:26:43 GMT

Noddy I am taking up the challenge

Here is an all Aussie recast let me know your Aussie version.

Batman- Hugh Jackman

Joker - Russel Crowe

Rachel Dawes - Rose Byrne

Harvey Dent - Guy Pierce

Lucius Fox - Geoffry Rush

Alfred - Barry Humphries

Gordon - Sam Worthington

Future Batman Movies

Poison Ivy - Isla Fisher

Peguin - Brendan Cowell

Riddler - Noah Taylor

Catwan- Emily Barclay

Noddy:

well considering this was inspired by Heath Ledger again, I would suggest its only reasonable to make it an all-Australian cast.

To start with Batman, for whom I would cas.........

....

....

ahhh, forget it.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

infitsofprint — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:45:31 GMT

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

cyclometricus — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:05:20 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan,

When we left our Caped Crusader, he was a fugitive for crimes that he did not commit. With Batman in hiding, and the mob left in scrambling after the Joker's sadistic crime spree, an effete gangster nicknamed The Penguin (Daniel Craig) because of his affinity for wearing expensive tuxedos - never mind the blood stains, makes his big play for political control of the city. Meanwhile, a mysterious serial murderer known only as The Riddler (Sam Riley) taunts the citizens of Gotham with cryptic, sinister messages sent to the local newspaper and acts of violence that are seemingly random - or are they? Crippled with fear and angered by the dwindling number of honest police officers and Batman's seeming betrayal, some citizens turn to violent vigilantism. Their leader? A single working mother who, by night, is called Catwoman (Tilda Swinton). Will Batman clear his name? Will Gotham city tear itself apart? Will three villains create too much plot for a single movie? Tune in next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel!

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

bness — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:17:57 GMT

Dear Chris,

It's time for a female villain, just because it is; so Catwoman is the next obvious choice-particularly since the Batman's girlfriend just died.

Angelina Jolie is too trite, but she would be excellent none-the-less. I fear she would out shine Bale however. Cate Blanchett would, no doubt, do a fine job but once again, she might kick Batman's ass. Charlize Theron is the best bet in my book.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

CinemaCentric — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:15:06 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan,

At this point, I'm sure you're still enjoying your time by counting all the money hauled in thus far by The Dark Knight dollar-by-dollar, but before you get wrapped up in another project perhaps it is a good time to begin entertaining ideas for your next Batman film.

Honestly, you really should spend as much time as possible pondering this given that the unfortunate death of Heath Ledger has left you in quite a quandary in crafting the next installment.

I'm sure the natural reaction from the studio is to push another big name villain like the Joker into the epicenter of Batman 3. Unfortunately, you've created a world so precise, gritty and amazing that few big names in Batman's villains gallery would realistically fit. I'd urge you to refrain from choices such as The Riddler and The Penguin, who would so greatly contrast this great Gotham atomsphere you've designed.

Therefore, my most desired choice of a villain for the next film is not as famous as others, but is perhaps one of the more famous "modern era" Batman adversaries, and that villain is:

HUSH

Hush is Dr. Thomas Elliot -- (from Wikipedia) a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. Like Bruce Wayne, Elliot was born into a wealthy family. Unlike Wayne, however, Elliot hated his parents. Driven by his desire for independence and wealth, he cut the brakes on his parents' car, causing a crash that killed his father. His mother was saved in an emergency operation by Dr. Thomas Wayne, which enraged young Elliot. His anger was fueled further by the subsequent murder of the Waynes, which put Bruce Wayne in just the situation Elliot had hoped to create for himself. Elliot's mother later succumbed to cancer, leaving him with the family fortune. Although he went on to Harvard and became a successful surgeon, Elliot continued to hold an irrational grudge towards his childhood friend, which manifested into adulthood as Thomas becomes Hush with the intent to destory the Batman after discovering he is Bruce Wayne.

For more Hush info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hush_%28comics%29

1. Hush allows you to mine more of the ideas you've already delved into in the previous films, which are:

A) Escalation -- Hush manipulates several villains into helping him mentally and physically break Batman, giving you the opportunity to raise the villain quotient even higher with narrative reasoning, not box office padding (using primarily smaller name Bat-villains).

B) Light/Dark - As you know, Hush/Thomas is perhaps the exact opposite of Bruce/Bats, which offers the opportunity to further explore how easily one can be "pushed" onto a darker path of action. Also, in terms of opposites -- Hush uses guns, which Batman has sworn off. And, in essence, each man would be using the wealth they acquired through their parents deaths to fund their efforts in bringing down each other.

C) Another friend character - we saw Rachel claimed by war Batman fights. Now another childhood friend is claimed, but this time as an opponent rather than a causality.

2. Visually Hush fits well into the dark, realistic look of the villains and characters already set forth (meaning no hokey beanpoles in bright green tights w/ question marks to deal with or fat toads stuffed in tuxes w/ top hats and wielding umbrellas). Just do a quick google search or follow the previous link provided for a visual, and you'll see Hush can be translated quite nicely on screen with some slight alterations.

3. With other villains, like Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, etc., you are fighting years and years of backstory that you have to adhere to and adjust in order to be faithful to the spirit of these characters while ironing out a storyline. With Hush, he's such a new character that you can more easily manuever him into plot directions that suit your vision without violating sacared fanboy ideas of the character. It's a nice perk when you can add to the character through adaptation rather than alter or take away.

Aside from these points, if needed, Hush has some interesting comic story ties to other Batman villains (Riddler, Two Face, Joker) if you choose to use introduce them or bring them back in Batman 3 or sequels thereafter. I don't think it'd be outlandish to suggest that Hush could have very well been a patient of Dr. Crane/Scarecrow at some point.

And finally, with an eye toward acting ability while still retaining some box office panache, the perfect casting choice for Hush is:

GERARD BUTLER

I do not think it is a stretch to say that Butler's name does carry some weight w/ the target audience and comic book genre given the critical success of 300 and perhaps more importantly the box office success. Plus, Butler's performance in this film alone displays his acting chops and the ability to bring the kind of tenacity exuded by the Batman films.

Further, Butler is a near match in regard to height and age to Christian Bale, making for a believable childhood friend and physical equal. Not to mention I think their acting styles mesh well, and could result in an explosive scene like the Joker/Batman interrogation exchange.

Additionally, I realize that the paradigm you've constructed for these films thus far typically allots for the inclusion of two featured villains. While I stand by making Hush the emphasis, I would suggest the secondary villain as Catwoman and I'd like to see a less obvious yet inspired choice for the role such as Vera Famiga.

In closing, if you use my suggestion, maybe you could do me a favor work one of my favorite Batman villains -- Victor Zsasz aka Mr. Zsasz into the film for a full sequence as part of that escalation idea (no remembers that kind of lame cameo in BB). Come on, you know a Lector like serial killer who carves a tally mark on his body for every one of his victims, and thus is covered in gnarly slash wounds, would be great. Do it right this time, and cast Guy Pearce in the Zsasz role!

Your Biggest Fan,

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

Noddy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:29:09 GMT

well considering this was inspired by Heath Ledger again, I would suggest its only reasonable to make it an all-Australian cast.

To start with Batman, for whom I would cas.........

....

ahhh, forget it.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

dirtyluck — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:08:25 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan,

In keeping with the themes found in Batman Begins and The Dark knight, themes of justice vs. vigilantism, order vs. chaos, light vs. dark I believe I have found the fitting story arc and villains for the upcoming Batman film.

Firstly, I would recommend the title of "Gotham Knights", the reasons will become obvious as I continue.

I believe the story arc found in the "KnightFall" series of Batman comics should be the basis of this third Batman film.

The third film finds a broken and melancholy Batman. With the death of Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent, and a city who has grown to hate him Batman finds his fight against evil harder and harder to wage. His mind wanders, he makes mistakes he isn't accustomed to making. Perhaps his ineffectiveness even leads to the death of innocent victims. On top of this a new crime fighter appears, Azrael. Azrael begins to attack criminals with a voracity much like Batman. Azrael is dangerous though, he does not follows the same rules as Batman. He has no problem killing a bad guy.

I see Azrael played by Ryan Gosling.

During this unsure period the first villain appears:

The first villain would be Bane, a man who seems intent on one thing; destruction. In this role I see the actor Clive Owen. I know he does not fit the archetype found in the comic, but I see an ability he could bring that could place this character into the real and dark world you have formed in the previous films.

Bane appears in Gotham and immediately begins to wreak havoc. His motives seem unclear, as if his only interest is the mayhem itself. During the first battle, it becomes clear that Bane is not a normal villain. He seems to be unfazed by any attack and returns with a brutal force unseen by Batman before.

Through his fights with Bane, Batman is pushed to his limit. He can barely fight at any level, let alone one to combat Bane.

Bane eventually attacks Wayne enterprises and in the process attacks Bruce Wayne. As the police arrive, a beaten down Bruce Wayne manages to sneak away and becomes Batman. A battle royale begins until our crisis moment: Bane breaks Batman's back.

As Batman recovers, Azrael decides to take up Batman's place. He even goes as far to wear the bat suit. As Bane and Azrael destroy the city, one in the name of justice and the other in the name of chaos Batman investigates a way to recover more quickly.

Eventually Batman returns, albeit with an extremely vulnerable back. Of course, during our climax Batman defeats both Bane and Azrael.

Thanks for your time

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

jbost002 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:14:56 GMT

This is quite simple. The next Batman villain should be Black Mask.

A more recent Batman villain and relatively unknown, his storyline fits perfectly with the dark nature of the rebooted Batman series. His family having been long associated with the Wayne family in a negative way, Black Mask dons his "black mask" as an insult to the Wayne family, hating the "masks" they wear in public. He begins by kidnapping executives from Wayne Enterprises and the battles ensue. Batman makes the wrong choice to save him from his attempted suicide, leaving Black Mask permanently scared, as the "black mask" is now permanently burned into his face. In the end, Batman proves to be no match for Black Mask as the super-villain has him trapped and near death. Enter Catwoman, exit Catwoman. Batman 4, here we come!

Add in the bonus that Black Mask is a sociopath who carved the original Black Mask from his mother's grave and who talks (a-la-Lars and the Real Girl) to a mannequin modeled after his late girlfriend and you have a great followup to "The Dark Knight"!

Now, for the casting choice: Vincent D'Onofrio

Private Pyle...what more needs to be said? I can see him bringing Black Mask to iconic evil villain status - this would also be a great chance for this actor to somewhat distance himself from his current role in Law & Order: CI. Why not continue the streak of terrifying villains with a Pyle-esque performance from Vinnie?

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

AScrimm7 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:18:07 GMT

Dear Chris,

Please have the next two villains be Catwoman played by Angelina Jolie and Harley Quinn played by Megan Fox. The only way they can defeat the bat is in an epic, Gotham shaking, threesome.

Your Pal,

Christian Bale

Latest Batman

Iantx2000 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:42:57 GMT

The biggest challenge for a new Batman movie will be finding a way to up the stakes from Nolan's most recent effort.

How does one top, or even come close to, the exhilarating Dark Knight?

The answer is to make a very different movie. The focus of this film should be a Batman distraught with his failures. The loss of Rachel and Harvey should weigh heavily on Batman.

But here is the plot:

Part 1) Two Face is not dead. In efforts to "save face," his identity was changed to protect him from mobsters who would want vengeance on Dent for his life as DA.

Two Face should re-emerge and hunt mob bosses.

Part 2A) Hunted by cops, shunned by the public, haunted by failure, Batman should hit rock bottom here. Part of the Venom story line (found in early issues of Legends of the Dark Knight) can be adapted here; maybe Batman can turn to performance enhancers to keep up with the swelling challenges of Gotham City.

If this story line is going to be used, Bane could be a logical choice for villain. Although one may want to use a cartoonishly beefy actor, I would rather see Javier Bardem play the South American Crime Lord.

The lowest point for Batman could come when, over fueled with the drug, he pummels Two Face into oblivion.

The main problem with this story is that it may seem too similar to the story arch of Spiderman 3, with the venom drug conveniently replacing the symbiotic costume). Although I will go out on a limb here and say that Spidy 3 was garbage and that this could be way better.

Part 2B) if the drug abuse story is too far fetched or cliche, another option could be a Gotham City filled with bat-bounty hunters. this would allow Nolan to still center his story on the Batman-Two Face conflict, but also squeeze in smaller characters who are trying to take Batman down or find out his identity.

This story idea gives Nolan incredible flexibility in making Batman rogues into believable characters.

Hired private investigator E. Nygma--the Riddler-- could be played by Guy Peirce. LA Confidential, anyone? Memento?

Clayface -- done here as a master of disguise rather than a T1000 style freak could be played by Benecio Del Toro

Batman obsessed policeman Detective Harvey Bullock played by Tom Sizemore

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

CharlesInCharge99 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:48:19 GMT

The Riddler played by Matthew Lesko.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

Bachmelle — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:31:47 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan,

With the unfortunate passing of Heath Ledger, you may find it hard to fill the void left by this tremendous actor. It's time for a new villain to enter Gotham City. So in which direction do you go?

Do you go with The Penguin? No. The Penguin just doesn't fit well into modern day society with his top hat and monacle and umbrellas. Stay away from camp.

You all don't want to get into the supernatural. You were able to make character like The Joker and Two-Face believable. For some characters, this might just be too hard to do. I'd say don't even consider the likes of Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Clayface, Killer Croc, Man-Bat, etc.

Maybe go with Harley Quinn. But without The Joker by her side at leat once, her story arc suffers.

You may be tempted to bring in a new romantic interest for Bruce Wayne. Don't be tempted by Catwoman. Catwoman has been done to death. The last nail went into the coffin with 2004's Catwoman. You don't want the bad taste from the movie lingering in this new series. Maybe years down the line, but right now, it's too soon.

What you need is someone sadistic yet believable. Enter, The Riddler. The problem with the Riddler is that he has been plagued with camp for decades right down to his green spandex. I believe you can take this character, and bring him into the real world. For insperation, I suggest you study the murders of The Zodiac Killer. Many parallels can be drawn between the two. The Riddler is all about egotism. He can commit these vicious murders and probably be able to get away easily. However, he just can't resist taunting law enforcement with cryptic riddles that could lead right back to him. Lose the spandex and make this character an enygma (what a concept, right?).

Now an obvious choice is to go with Johnny Depp. But, what I like about you is that you don't go for the obvious choice. The obvious choice for Two-Face was not Aaron Eckhart, and the obvious choice for The Joker was in no way Heath Ledger. You think outside of the box. Why not take an actor whom I think is just about ready to break into the spotlight. The actor I have in mind is Michael Pitt, who has shown his acting chops in movies such as The Dreamers and Funny Games. Under your direction, I think you can take Pitt to the next level. He's not well known, so the audience will have the chance to watch a character instead of an actor playing a character.

I wish you continued success with the franchise

---Nick M.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Funny Games (2007)

The Dreamers (2003)

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

forticus — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:38:52 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan or To whom it may concern,

The Dark Knight Returns. While a man hunt is issued for Batman’s capture his crusade for Gotham continues.

I want to begin by keeping the realistic, post 911 world that Christopher Nolan has created in Begins and Dark Knight, by continuing to instill paranoia and chaos, the Joker created, thru new characters introduced in Batman 3 (The Dark Knight Returns).

It's open season! In my version of Batman 3, I would introduce my spin of the Holiday Killer (son of Carmine Falcone). The Holiday Killer (Joaquin Phoenix) is a mysterious serial killer that begins murdering the helpless citizens of Gotham at random . The HK remains a mystery for most of the comic book stories, but his method is always the same. The HK's weapon is a .22 caliber pistol (using a rubber baby bottle nipple as the silencer) with the handle taped and the serial number filed off. Also, every crime takes place on a holiday and a small trinket representing each holiday is left behind at the crime scene. Beginning on Halloween and continuing for a full year until the next Halloween. There are red herrings that appear to deepen the mystery of the HK making it almost impossible for Gotham's finest to figure out who he is, pushing Gotham's Dark detective (Batman) to further evolve his detective skills that Nolan established in Dark Knight.

Edward Enigma (Guy Pearce) , a paranoid, OCD employed by Wayne Enterprises becomes fixated on solving the mystery of the Holiday Killer. He deduces who the Holiday Killer is but every one ignores him. The longer the HK is left free the more Enigmas’ paranoia of becoming a victim grows. Enigma’s investigation of the HK Leads him to the underbelly of Gotham City where he witnesses a masked vigilante who shoots and kills a petty criminal. Enigma thinks the HK is Batman; he also thinks that Batman has seen his face. Enigma creates a disguise to protect his identity and vows to make Gotham citizens safe from the big bad bat once again. A lover of games he starts leaving Gordon riddles to help capture Batman. Gordon discards the riddles knowing Batman is not the Holiday Killer. Edward learns of this and forms the notion that there are two HKs working together and that they are Gordon and Batman . After the capture of the real Holiday Killer Batman's image is restored in the public eye. Edward believes that everything is a farce and that the American people have been lied to and demands justice on a grand scale. Edward vows once again to capture Batman and make him tell the truth. Let the games begin.

Gregorian Falstaf ( Michael Keaton) is a reclusive billionaire and business rival of Bruce Wayne who time and again tries to put Wayne Enterprises out of business.

I love the speculation of Philip Seymour Hoffman being approached for the role of a British Arms dealer AKA the Penguin ,since he would be perfect for the role.This makes sense because in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight, Batman dealt with the mob now let’s take care of the guns the criminals use. The chain smoking ,social elite Penguin, would make a cameo role in Batman 3 when Batman goes over seas to Europe. Doing this would open up a number of areas, it would allow Batman his James’s Bond moment like he had in Hong Kong (Dark Knight), it would introduce the Penguin for a future role, and it would further establish Gotham City as a real city and part of "our" world. I can imagine them calling him the Penguin because of his savvy tux, because of the way he walks and the black shiny gloves he wears to cover the disfigured shape of his hands both a result of a gun deal gone bad compliments of Batman. A further connection between the Penguin and Gotham City could be established by the viral marketing done for the Dark Knight. The marketing included a Gotham Times Newspaper Ad for the Iceberg Lounge, one of the Penguin's many establishments. You could provide the idea of Penguin owning the night club in which Batman confronted Maroni (Eric Roberts) in the Dark Knight. Penguin has established the club as a legitimate business front for his real operation of gun running for the criminals of Gotham.

With the loss of Rachel Dawes, you would need to fill the role of the love interest, a character that not only Bruce Wayne desires but Batman can relate to. A woman that has her own dark secrets. Up curtain on Selena Kyle (Amy Adams), an ex-patient of Arkum Asylum. Selena is one of the many escapees at the end of Batman Begins. Selena already a head case was further traumatized during the escape when she was shot and left for dead in the alleys of the Narrows by frantic police officers. (lending to her dislike of guns) Selena is awed by the power and attention the masked bat commands from Gotham City‘s criminals. Selena becomes inspired by Batman to create a persona of her own with a taste for the theatrical. No respecter of person, Selena prowls through the night streets as a cat burglar terrorizing the police and stealing from the rich in order to feed her addiction to the Fear-toxin based drug Scarecrow was selling to the Russians at the beginning of Dark Knight. By day Selena poses as Vicki Vale a Psychiatrist at Arkum. Sickened with herself and the inadequate capture of her fellow inmates, Selena takes justice into her own hands and becomes the self proclaimed doctor of the “sick” prescribing her own version of medicine. Thus Cat woman is born.

Scarecrow can still remain as a lesser villain confined in the walls of the newly established Arkum Asylum (for now).

The character of Harvey Dent AKA Two-face will remain pending for future installments. (or are there two Holiday Killers?)

Not enough praise can be given to Heath Ledger for the role he portrayed as Joker in Dark Knight. The essence of Heath Ledger’s Joker could never be created the same. With that in mind, the Joker character would not be re-invented or used for this movie. The greatest trick the devil ever played, was convincing the world he didn't exist. A scene at the end between Gordon and Batman would tie up any loose ends concerning the Joker. A prison break? Something like, With the help of a crooked cop (Harley Quinn) Joker escaped and vanished with out a trace except for leaving behind a harlequin jester card pinned to the cell wall by one of his knives. It's too soon to have a "new" joker like character. This leaves open the option of Harley Quinn being used in a 4th Batman movie as a copycat joker.Do you wanna know how she got those scars? Go filmspotting!

New Roles played by:

Holiday Killer…Joaquin Phoenix

Edward Enigma…Guy Pearce

Penguin…Philip Seymour Hoffman

Cat woman…Amy Adams

Gregorian Falstaf...Michael Keaton

Honorable Mentions

Holiday Killer...Jason Stratham ...Elias Koteas

Edward Enigma...David Tennant ...Sam Rockwell

Penguin...Albert Finney ...Stephen Graham

Catwoman...Angelina Jolie...Sienna Miller

Gregorian Falstaf...Tim Curry ...Chris Sarandon

Sincerely,

Brad Hawkins

Cast BATMAN 3

Briscoe5 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:59:10 GMT

Dear Christopher Nolan,

I have an image of what the future brings, and it is:

BATMAN: LEGACY

July 23, 2010 brings the arrival of the long awaited third Batman film, Batman: Legacy, has Batman dealing with his many losses -- the loss of Rachel Dawes, the Joker's inoccent victems and Gothams almost white knight, Harvey Dent. He refuses to deal or confront any of these matters by being totally absorbed in his work as Batman. Meanwhile, his former mentor, Ra’s Al Ghul (Liam Nesson – reprising his role from Batman Begins) is now back in the crime business, and Ra's continues with his original vision to take over Gotham City. Accompaning him is his daughter, Talia Al Ghul (Summer Glau, of Serenity fame, now sporting a more grown up look, at age 28) who throughout the film Bruce Wayne warms up to. When Ra’s offers Wayne a partnership in his business, Bruce turns Ra's down and begins infiltrating his illegal actions as Batman. It doesn’t take Ra’s long to deduce who is behind the mask, and instead of getting his own hands dirty, he hires Deadshot (Ryan Renoylds) to go mono-a-mono with Bruce and Batman. 2010’s summer blockbuster takes us around the world as Bruce fights not only the League of Shadows, including Lady Shiva (Michelle Yeoh), David Cain (Robert Downey Jr.) and Ra's, but his love for Talia too, in order to do whats right. Can Batman retain his conscience and morals, or will he let go of his better judgement and give in to everything Bruce Wayne has ever wanted?

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

Jonnyboy117 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:16:41 GMT

Mr. Nolan,

I know you like casting some actors through multiple films. For an obvious solution to the villain problem in Batman 3, I would suggest Robin Williams as The Riddler. We've seen that he can act well, sometimes in very scary roles such as your remake of Insomnia. The combination of his capacity for terror and legendary comedic skills make for an actor who is up to the task of playing a Nolan-ized version of The Riddler, far more sinister than Jim Carrey's outlandish version in Batman Forever.

For a more obscure but potentially more interesting villain, I would suggest The Reaper from Batman: Year Two. He is a famous vigilante from before Batman's time who returns to Gotham and succumbs to the temptation to once more prowl the streets. The Reaper is a fascinating foil to Batman, as they are both trying to clean up the city, just in very different styles. The Reaper is a vicious fighter, slashing up criminals with his scythe blades. When Batman tries to stop him, The Reaper even pulls out a pistol and seriously wounds our hero, who grudgingly decides to resort to the same weapon as the only way to bring down his opponent. The Reaper is an imposing, complex, cunning, and physically adept "villain" with clearer motivations than The Joker or most other Batman villains. And unlike The Joker in The Dark Knight, he does tempt Batman into betraying his own self-imposed rules in the name of justice. This is exactly the kind of moral quandary for Batman's character that you hinted at in the latest movie but never fully delivered. And who could play such an intelligent, athletic man in his 60s and be fully believable up against Batman? Just convince Sean Connery to come out of retirement. It's the hip thing to do these days.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

archie157 — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:07:29 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan,

With Joker presumably locked away in Arkham, who will take up his mantle and ensure that Gotham remains the most chaotic city in America? Perhaps a better question would be- who will take advantage of the weakened state of organized crime in Gotham? With all those criminals currently in the cooler thanks to Gotham's late White Knight, the criminal underworld has taken a serious hit. Of course, with Gotham's crusading D.A. out of the picture, many of those prisoners may soon be back on the street. Either way, Gotham's underworld needs some serious revitalization, a new leader. But who? Enter The Penguin- a suave, debonair, chain-smoking sociopath, who like the Joker, is happy to watch the world burn. For The Penguin, however, it is about the money, as well as sending a message. With no social conscience whatsoever, the Penguin's only goal is to make himself rich, and to run the city with every corrupt official in his back pocket. Unlike the Joker, the Penguin promotes organized chaos, with a purpose. In many ways, Penguin is the typical sophisticated English gentleman- he plays the piano, perhaps, has an encyclopedic knowledge of great English literature, and knows fine wine. But he is also a ruthless tyrant who crushes anything and anyone that stands in his way. But who does one cast as this man of pure evil? Sure, you could go with one of the actors receiving all the buzz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, for instance. But really- what underrated, underused, underappreciated, but truly versatile actor should one cast? The answer-Tim Curry. Just imagine- the Cheshire grin, that evil gleam in his eyes. That smooth, bendable voice, that can be manipulated any way you see fit. With Tim Curry you get a slim Penguin with a gentlemanly exterior, but a truly evil core. Curry is notorious in the fanboy world for being passed over for the part of Joker in favor of Jack Nicholson by Tim Burton in 1989. But in this post Burton and Joel Schumacher Batman world, perhaps more unconventional casting in the tradition of Heath Ledger's Joker is what we need. Often the best thing about mediocre films, Tim Curry has proven himself a more than capable villain in film after film. When the casting of Heath Ledger was announced most Batman fans were not only surprised, but skeptical. Could Heath Ledger really handle the part? Turns out, he was brilliant. With your guidance, Mr. Nolan, the already brilliant Tim Curry could be on his way to giving the performance of a lifetime.

With all due respect,

Tom

SkyPilot:

CAST BATMAN 3

The unfortunate passing of Heath Ledger made The Dark Knight an even bigger cliffhanger than it was meant to be. If the Joker's story isn't resolved, it'll be like if Han Solo had never been freed from carbonite.

On the other hand, maybe there's another villain worthy of taking the spotlight after the Joker's turn in The Dark Knight.

Pick a villain and an actor to play him. Write a brief letter to Christopher Nolan, convincing him your villain is worthy of being the Dark Knight's adversary in Batman 3. Some people are saying Johnny Depp would make a great Riddler, but is the Riddler a great villain?

So choose a villain and an actor, and the most exciting pair wins. The hard working publicists at spout.com will try their darndest to get the winning choices in front of Christopher Nolan. No guarantees, but it's worth a shot, huh?

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

sammyjankis — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:11:27 GMT

So all the interesting ideas that have been suggested so far aside, I don't think there's any chance we'll see anybody up on the screen that isn't a well-known member of the rogues' gallery. So that means probably the Penguin or the Riddler. I also think that we WILL get a Catwoman. Since we've already had a CW/Penguin film, I think CW/Riddler is more likely. So let's start from there.

I think Bruce's depression will lead him into an even darker place emotionally and physically. I think we'll see him dishing out even more pain than usual on the criminals he fights, both out of an internal need to lash out and as a way to further the public's new vision of a deadly Batman (I wouldn't be surprised if we see a re-enactment of the famous "he's young, he'll walk again" scene from Miller's The Dark Knight Returns).

So picture this, Bats stops a mugger from assaulting some women one night, unaware that the girls are prostitutes. He is scorned by the Madam of the group, the gorgeous Selina Kyle who insists they can take care of themselves. He becomes fascinated with her (she's dark where Rachel was light) and even starts visiting the brothel as Bruce Wayne.

Meanwhile he is investigating a series of upscale robberies throughout gotham which are being committed by a talented, daring robber calling herself Catwoman.

Of course, it doesn't take long for both to realize who the other is, but neither will reveal it to anyone else as it deepens their bond to each. It is a dark partnership of sorts.

This would be the primary subplot.

As I said, the character will be older, easily beatable if Batman could ever get his hands on him. His 15 minutes of fame was hosting a game show 40 years ago where he was a quizmaster under the pseudonym Edward Nygma. On the show he wore a green suit with a purple question mark on it (a uniform he pulls out of the mothballs for his final battle with Batman so that when he wins, the world will remember him from all those years ago).

Who to play him?

I think Frank Langella would be a perfect choice, particularly after seeing 'Starting Out in the Evening'.

My second choice would be a bit of stunt casting (since it would be a riff on a role he's played before) and that would be William H. Macy.

For Catwoman? Angelina Jolie - too obvious

Michelle Monoghan - a little too cute. She could never be a madam.

Megan Fox - Sorry, we've already had one bad actress in this series

My Pick is Tricia Helfer. We know she can act from Battlestar and she pulls off damaged goods very well. Plus, her in a cat suit. Uh, yeah.

Honorable mentions are Maria Bello and Sienna Miller (she might have been my first choice if she weren't already putting on the catsuit for G.I. Joe...still, Nolan does love his fellow Brits).

Ok, that's my list. Enjoy.

-Jack

P.S. I forgot to mention that I think Lucius Fox's comment about 'it might stop a cat' was an overt hint that Catwoman is in the plans for the third film...

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

JediShaft — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:31:25 GMT

Batman 3 should be a murder mystery. With Batman branded a murder the police would be after him as the likely suspect. The Dark Knight's ending has left the next movie with the potential for a theme of trust. I would have that play out in the different storylines:

a) Batman and Gotham

B) Gordon and his wife

C) Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle

D) Batman and Catwoman

E) Bane and Selina Kyle

Basically I would have Bane hunting down Catwoman, and establishing a criminal enterprise in Gotham City. A series of murders make suspects of Batman, Catwoman, Bane, and Deadshot.

I would cast...

Catwoman .... Michelle Monaghan

Bane .... Javier Bardem

Deadshot .... Johnny Depp

Why Monaghan, because she can play the sympathetic femme fatale (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang)

Why Bardem, because he has proven himself able to embody a unstoppable force like Bane (No country for old men)

Why Depp, because he is the only man who can sport the pencil thin mustache.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

benthams_head — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:38:02 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan,

Let’s face it, although your Joker was brilliantly conceived, he was also a complete failure.

Why?

He was, after all, quite successful at murder, destruction, and terror, but those were only tools used to achieve a broader goal: devolution. His wanted to remake Gotham into his chaotic fiefdom in which everyone’s basest instincts were brought to life. Of course, his tactics had the opposite effect. Whether it involved evacuating hospitals, or refusing to ignite detonators that would ensure personal survival at the cost of someone else’s life, Gotham’s citizens time and again thwarted the Joker’s Pied Piper complex. His imminent capture by Batman was an afterthought. Gotham had rendered the Joker impotent.

Mr. Nolan, your next villain needs to step it up a notch. If Gotham can’t turn on itself by way of the Joker’s social experiments, you need someone who can force it into madness through more direct means.

Enter the Mad Hatter.

The Hatter is not merely a mad social scientist; he is an expert in neurology and hypnotism. If he were to somehow get a hold of Batman’s cell phone tracking technology, perhaps by kidnapping Luscious Fox, think about the type of urban cacophony he could create.

Selecting the right actor will be difficult. You’ll need someone who is ostensibly affable, but who hides a troubling well of obsessive-compulsive and schizophrenic tendencies. This actor should also be rather diminutive in size and have a toothy, shit-eating grin that simultaneously makes you want to hug him and punch him in the face. He should have star power, but his resume should not tilt too heavily towards villainous roles. You’ll want to generate buzz by offering something new and unexpected from a familiar face.

Enter Tom Cruise.

Please hear me out. Even though Mr. Cruise has gone on auto-pilot in recent years; playing a series of inter-changeable heroes, his best performances have always come with more treacherous characters; most notably: the hedonistic doctor in “Eyes Wide Such”, the vainglorious self-help guru in “Magnolia”, and, of course, the batshit Lestadt in “Interview with the Vampire”. Plus, his recent public behavior, such as his bizarre marriage to your former Rachel Dawes, would provide the perfect outside narrative to his portrayal of an utterly mad character.

Please consider it, Mr. Nolan.

Sincerely,

Citizens for the Advancement of Fictional Malefactory

Losin' It (1982)

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

jbooza — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:24:57 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan,

I would like to get to the point. You may be a very good director but you are also a businessman. As a businessman, it is all about money in the end. To hell with the fanboys. Your first two Batman films have been great successes, both directorially and financially. No matter what you touch next, it will turn to gold. My goal is to make sure that your success continues well after that. The feel of the next Batman flick must be the same as your others. Sure you can add more CGI, terrible villains like the Riddler, Catwoman, Bane, or god forbid the Penguin. Sure the film will make $400 million. But sir, please keep your self respect. You don't want to be talked about in the same sentence with the likes of people like Ratner and Schumacher. Mr. Nolan, I give to you the key for future film respect and more importantly success.

Your grouping of plain clothed villains and supervillains has worked very well so far, so I feel that you should keep to that trend. More importantly, we need to be able to tie in The Dark Knight with your 3rd film and also leave an opening for another film. With that said, the two villains for your next Batman film will be Tony Zucco and Harley Quinn. Zucco will keep the mafia element to your films and also, and most importantly, show the demise of the Grayson family. This definitely opens up future possibilities for the franchise. As for Harley Quinn, is the the tie that binds TDK to its sequel. Considering that not much of the Joker story can be continued (you will be burned alive if you recast), Quinn is the obvious continuation. Imagine the darkness you gave to the Joker and apply it to a female.

As for casting, I will first give you the sure thing. Viggo Mortenson will play Zucco. Firstly, he has proven that he can bring in box office cash. Secondly, he has also shown he had play a VERY good mobster. And now for the stretch. You will either look like a fool or the genius director of the century. Harley Quinn will be played by Ellen Degeneres. Imagine someone with so much positive energy just turned on its side. I think the look would be fantastic and the homosexual overtones of the character are already in place.

The future of all films is in your hands. Do not disappoint.

A Fan,

Eastern Promises (2007)

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show [TV Series] (2003)

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

lynchct — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:46:30 GMT

Mr. Nolan- You've made the most successfull film in the history of the medium, and audiences are clamering for more. But the last thing you want to do is give the audience to much batman too soon. So I have an i dea for you to play around with. Take anoither, lesser known DC comics property, and expand on the Begins universe. I see the perfect way to do this is through the Question, the faceless detective. The Question is a reporter-come-adventuerer who's history and methods are tied tightly to the Batman. The following is a treatment of a possible futire Question project: Gotham Cable News reporter Mike Engel (born Charles Victor Szasz), after a disturbing encounter with the Joker during his reign of terror in Gotham City, heads west to his home town of Hub City to recuperate. To his shock, he finds that the city he left behind has become a cesspool of crime and corruption. He feels compelled to put his journalism skills to good use, signing up with a local TV station, and doing his best to try to rally the people of Hub City to take back their town, using the name Vic Sage to maintain a low profile When his call to arms falls on deaf ears, and the corrupt local government tries to intimidate him he decides that he will no longer be afraid of the evil that man kind is capable of. If the government will not punish evil, he will have to do it himself. An old teacher of his, Aristotle Rodor gives Vic/Charlie/Mike a facemask make of "psudoderm" to protect his already shaky identity during his crusade. By day he is Vic Sage, reporter for KWLM, by night he is the Question, righting wrongs, and searching for answers to one day liberate the people of Hub City from it's own corruption. Is it a rip off of Zen and Violence? Yup. Do I much care? Nope. We're going to inject the charecter's past objectivist philosophy (there is wrong there is right, there is black and there is white, and there is nothing in between- influenced by his encounter with the Joker and Batman) It would examine how Batman's influence as a symbol spreads as he works. Anthony Michael Hall would play Vic, since he played him in the movie, and hell he'd be good. (Although AMH with black hair could be odd looking-- though without a face who knows) It would also examine Vic's own struggle to hold on too Objectivism as a philosophy, and try to be as incorruptible as the Batman like here http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/c … 1/128.html (where Q laughs at some criminals trying to bribe him about half way down) There you have it, the perfect way to bring about a Question movie today, based off Nolan's Batman series. Makes just enough sense as a tie in, and to make Dark Knight lovers happy, if not a little perplexed. For Mike Engel (the future Vic Sage) in action I direct your attention here http://gothamcablenews.com/default.aspx

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

Jagsfans — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:33:58 GMT

SkyPilot:

CAST BATMAN 3

The unfortunate passing of Heath Ledger made The Dark Knight an even bigger cliffhanger than it was meant to be. If the Joker's story isn't resolved, it'll be like if Han Solo had never been freed from carbonite.

On the other hand, maybe there's another villain worthy of taking the spotlight after the Joker's turn in The Dark Knight.

Pick a villain and an actor to play him. Write a brief letter to Christopher Nolan, convincing him your villain is worthy of being the Dark Knight's adversary in Batman 3. Some people are saying Johnny Depp would make a great Riddler, but is the Riddler a great villain?

So choose a villain and an actor, and the most exciting pair wins. The hard working publicists at spout.com will try their darndest to get the winning choices in front of Christopher Nolan. No guarantees, but it's worth a shot, huh?

New mob boss comes into play and it is "Black Mask" played by Ewan McGregor. Emily Blunt plays a young cat burglar going by the name "Catwoman", but when she steals from the wrong person Batman must rescue her from "Black Mask". Meanwhile back at police headquarters, the Mayor tells Commissioner Gordon he has enlisted help in finding Batman from the fed's by finding a profiler by the name of Edward Nygma played by Daniel Day Lewis. Little does anyone know that corruption in law enforcement is not limited to the Gotham police force and Mr. Nygma has nefarious schemes of his own.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

Tanski — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:19:09 GMT

Now it would have to be a villain that could live in a realistic world. So no Mr. Freeze or Killer Croc.

Penguin - Phillip Seymour Hoffman or Bob Hoskins or I thought in a interesting turn Jack Black showing his dark side

Catwoman - Megan Fox

The Riddler - Kiefer Sutherland

Hugo Strange - I would love to see Michael Keaton make a comeback role. Shave his head and grow a goatee. Inspired casting.

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

aidanbrack — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:38:57 GMT

Dear Mr. Nolan,

How do you follow a performance as mesmeric as Heath Ledger's Joker for a third film? I'm sure that's the question that's on your mind, just as it's the question that's probably going through most fans' minds at the moment.

Penguin - too camp
Poison Ivy - too "out there"
Mr. Freeze - well, it's another lost love story...
Catwoman - not really an out and out villain
Killer Croc - do I really need to address that one?

Who to go for? Perhaps we're looking in the wrong place. I think I have the answer...

Hugo Strange. Now, he is not a character that is particularly well known but he not only fits the "feel" of your reimagined Batverse, his story would tie really well into the "Batman on the run" ending from The Dark Knight.

In case you're unfamiliar with him, here's a bit of background. Strange was a lecturer of psychiatry at Gotham State University who loses his position because of his increasingly weird theories about genetic engineering. He is approached by a man who wants him to put his theories into practice to cure his sick brother. Strange borrows some money from Sal Maroni (an excuse for an Eric Roberts flashback sequence!) to set up a lab and bribes a corrupt orderly to get inmates from Arkham Asylum to experiment on.

His ideas however never quite work and he ends up producing mindless, monstrous creatures out of them with immense strength and bloodlust. I'm sure that you'll want to rethink these a little bit to give them more of a real world spin but I think the basic concept is usable. Alternatively you might want to begin from the next point...

Strange encounters Batman and becomes increasingly obsessed with him (tying in perhaps to the beginning of The Dark Knight with its Batman wannabes). He appears on Gotham TV speculating on the psychology and the identity of the Batman which leads to him being made part of a team with Jim Gordon to try to track him down.

Strange comes up with the plan that he wishes to kill Batman and take his place. He manages to conclude (the method changes from story to story) that Bruce Wayne is the most likely person to be Batman - making him unique in Batman's rogues gallery in that he knows his identity (yet keeps it to himself).

It is this twist that I think makes him a fascinating potential villain. His genetic experiments could also lead to him creating Bane as another threat to Batman (can you imagine the back-breaking sequence as a cliff-hanger leading into a fourth film?). Plus I think we need to see a Bane who is intelligent and devious villain rather than the thuggish monstrousity that was served up in Batman and Robin.

Now I'm sure that you're thinking - great idea, but who would be capable of playing Hugo Strange? Well, I think we're looking for an older actor. This is a character who needs to pose a more thoughtful threat to Bale's Batman, rather than simply a physical one.

I reckon that John Malkovich could portray the descent into obsession whilst remaining a credible figure as a psychology expert. He could portray Strange with a very different form of madness to The Joker, more cold and less unhinged, yet equally threatening. Identity theft is a theme that resonates at the moment with people and Hugo Strange is a character that could certainly be altered to fit the more realistic and psychological approach you have taken to the comics.

All the best,

Aidan

Re:Cast BATMAN 3

LadyKaede — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:22:33 GMT

There are several directions the story might take. If the mob as represented in the last two movies morphs into big business, either The Kingpin or a re-imagined Penguin (so called because he is a dandy and wears a tux, perhaps?) might be logical villains. But I think the one thing we can be sure of is that Batman will enter the next movie depressed and bereft. With the demise of Rachel and the disenchantment of Lucius, he’s got nobody left on the Bruce side of his life except Alfred, who can only do so much (and is too easily taken for granted). Bruce is reviled as a wasted twit, and Batman is hated as a cop-killer.

I think it’s time to revive the thread from 1992’s Batman Returns in which Batman falls in love with the alter ego of his nemesis, and yes, that means Catwoman.

Handling the origins of the character briefly and believably will be the most difficult technical problem, but Chris, Jonathan and David certainly seem up to the task. Early talk on the ’Net of Angelina Jolie for this role is misguided. Unless you put her in full body armor and mask her voice like Darth Vader, no audience will buy it that Batman doesn’t recognize her when she’s on the prowl.

What’s required for the role:

Someone with a ‘look’ as malleable as Christian Bale’s or Gary Oldman’s.
Someone who is age appropriate, but can handle the stuntwork credibly.
Someone who can play the line between sanity and madness, perhaps between madness and genius.

I give you Charlize Theron, and submit as evidence her work as Aileen Wuornos in 2003’s Monster, and her work as the title character in 2005’s Aeon Flux. I guarantee she would stand up perfectly against Bale whichever masks the two are wearing, and wipe the vision of Halle Barry from our collective memories.

Cast BATMAN 3

SkyPilot — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:12:38 GMT

The winners are discussed on page 6 of this thread and on the Filmspotting podcast.

CAST BATMAN 3

The unfortunate passing of Heath Ledger made The Dark Knight an even bigger cliffhanger than it was meant to be. If the Joker's story isn't resolved, it'll be like if Han Solo had never been freed from carbonite.

On the other hand, maybe there's another villain worthy of taking the spotlight after the Joker's turn in The Dark Knight.

Pick a villain and an actor to play him. Write a brief letter to Christopher Nolan, convincing him your villain is worthy of being the Dark Knight's adversary in Batman 3. Some people are saying Johnny Depp would make a great Riddler, but is the Riddler a great villain?

So choose a villain and an actor, and the most exciting pair wins. The hard working publicists at spout.com will try their darndest to get the winning choices in front of Christopher Nolan. No guarantees, but it's worth a shot, huh?