Ideas about Batman 3

*Originally published on 5/20/09


With the massive success of The Dark Knight, a sequel is pretty much inevitable. Even though Nolan and his crew have said that they really don't know what the next Batman movie is going to be about, rumors still seem to spread through the internet about who the villains are going to be.

The most common rumor is that it will feature Catwoman and the Riddler played by Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp respectively. The only hint to Catwoman's presence is Lucious' comment about the suit being able to hold up against cats. I've also read that the Riddler may become a Zodiac killer/Jack the Ripper type serial killer who leaves clues to taunt both the police and the caped crusader. At first I thought that was rather clever, but then the more I thought about it the more it didn't fit. The Riddler isn't a violent character, compulsive and greedy perhaps but not sociopathic. Besides that fact, making him a psychopath would just make him a poor man's Joker which really does disservice to the character.

One of the things I really liked about Batman Begins was the fact that it showcased villains who hadn't been seen on the big screen yet. Batman has an expansive Rogues gallery, most of whom casual viewers aren't familiar with. Riddler and Catwoman are classic villains who fans recognize either from the Adam West series or the Burton/Schumacher movies, so I understand the desire to bring them back. However, using them again would just make it seem familiar. If you want to use one of the two villains listed above along with a new one that would actually work pretty well. My personal idea for possible villains?

The first would be Talia al Ghul, the daughter of Ra's. I've been saying this on my own personal blog for lord knows how long. Bringing her in would act as a good follow up to Begins. It would also replace the love interest slot now open due to Rachel's death. Unlike other love interests, this would actually serve the plot as the two really are an item in the comics. Talia is also a strong and capable woman, which would help make up for the cries of sexism in the previous film. Empire magazine recommended Jennifer Connelly for the role. She would do quite well as would either Kate Beckinsale or Rachel Weisz.

Another villain who deserves the big screen treatment is the Mad Hatter. I liked the angle they took with the Roddy McDowell voiced version from TAS. After the sprawling epic nature of The Dark Knight, a more low key Batman story would be a good follow up. You don't want to go in with a "how can we top this?" ideology. You can't out-Joker the Joker so it's pointless to try. You could either go with TAS' take of a shy, lovesick man trying to obtain the girl of his dreams, or if you want to tie it in to the whole "battle for the soul of Gotham" theme established in the first two, he could be trying to reform all the lunatics and criminals. Of course the ethics of it cause Batman to try and put a stop to it. As far as casting, my personal pick would be David Hyde Pierce. It hit me while watching Frasier reruns that he would fit the character rather well. Intelligent, well read, and timid, playing the villain would put a dark spin on his previous Niles persona.

The Ventriloquist would be another good villain. It seems kind of goofy, but at the end of the day we have to remember that the guy is just nuts. The fact that it looks stupid is also one of the reasons it works. Everybody underestimates him. He would be the perfect blend of traditional mobster and the "freaks" of Batman's traditional rogues gallery.

Which brings me to The Penguin, ah Oswald. Now Nolan has said in prior interviews that he is going for realism and that some villains don't fit in with that. I agree, Killer Croc or Bane would seem kind of ridiculous (though with Bane you could just make him a big dude on a potent form of steroids who doesn't double his mass by pushing a button). I think Nolan dismisses Penguin because of the way he was portrayed in Batman Returns. The thing is that Penguin really is one of the more realistic villains. Burton's take was really, well weird. In reality, Penguin is just an arms dealer who is short, stocky, and has a pointy nose. While the umbrella gun is an option, I don't think it's necessary. Even if it is just a cameo, I think having Cobblepot make an appearance would be a nice bonus for fans.

These are just my personal opinions and are in now way official news or scoops or anything of that nature. Right now, there is next to nothing in regards to the next Batflick. It will, most likely, stay that way for another couple of years. Right now we can only speculate as to what's in store for the Dark Knight and wait patiently for the crew to come up with the final chapter in the trilogy.