Johnny Depp, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Angelina Jolie Rumored for Next Batman Film

As the massive success of The Dark Knight continues to make box office history, a more troubling question still nags at audiences- where do they go from here? The ending of The Dark Knight leaves Batman in a more murky and shadowy fate than he's ever been in movies. In addition, after Heath Ledger's new level of villainy and director Christopher Nolan's unsettling parallels to today's times, what could top The Dark Knight? Plus third movies in super hero franchises are usually the beginning of the end in that franchise's credibility. So what could The Dark Knight followup do to end that trend? New tantalizing and exciting casting rumors may give us a clue.

These Batman casting rumors may be completely false, and some are from the National Enquirer, which says something. However, if there is a kernel of truth to these casting rumors, the next Batman could stand a chance to match TheDark Knight. In these reports, the studios are batting around names to play three major Batman villains, the Riddler, the Penguin and Catwoman. Having three villains in one movie didn't work well for Spider Man 3 or the latter films of the first Batman franchise, so this could backfire. Still, the names being tossed around to play these villains could offset that risk, especially if Nolan is working with them.

For the Riddler, rumors are swirling that Johnny Depp will be courted to play the notorious trickster. Depp is no stranger to taking on crazy roles like the Riddler in a blockbuster, and has no reluctance to go to vastly different directions for a part. Nolan reinvented the Joker into a force of unstoppable chaos, so he might have a serious revision for the comedic Riddler as well. However, the Riddler hardly has the demented streak and raging evil that the Joker always had at his core, so fans might regard this Riddler as a poor knock off of Ledger's Joker. But with someone like Depp at the helm, who can sink into a character and take him to the edge just like Ledger can, Nolan's Riddler might be able to give Batman a good run.

For the Penguin, rumor has it that Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman may be offered the part. Like Depp, Hoffman prides himself on playing a variety of different parts and can be counted on to go to any lengths needed. In the past few years alone, Hoffman has shifted from playing Truman Capote, to the villain in M:I 3, to a outrageous CIA agent in Charlie Wilson's War and more. The Penguin was freaky enough in Tim Burton's Batman Returns, so who know how unsettling Nolan would make him look, especially with Hoffman behind the makeup. With Hoffman's chameleon like abilities and his ease in disappearing in a part, the Penguin could be as nightmarish as the Joker.

The final casting rumor may be the most exciting in some ways, and the most risky in others. Early reports hint that Catwoman may be pitched to Angelina Jolie. Jolie would undoubtly bring even more interest and hype to the Batman franchise, if that's possible. Catwoman is Batman's sexiest and most potentially romantic foe, and no one would have any doubts that Jolie could fit right into that kind of part. After certain events in The Dark Knight, this may be the right time for Batman to face Catwoman, and Jolie's, kind of temptation. In addition, original TV Catwoman actress Julie Newmar suggests in a recent interview that Jolie might have already started to show interest in playing Catwoman.

However, Nolan's Batman universe has never cast someone with Jolie's massive kind of star power before, focusing more on character actors and established veterans. In addition, Jolie may be able to lighten up the series and provide traditional comic book sex appeal, which may defy Nolan's efforts to create an ultra dark, realistic world. But after The Dark Knight, some fans may want Jolie's kind of sexuality to break apart the oppressively bleak darkness of this Batman franchise. Yet as fans of the first Batman franchise know, that wish is a slippery slope to Joel Schumacher's kind of world.

With fans still focused on repeat viewings of The Dark Knight, it may be a little early to think of the next Batman. As such, it may be too early to ponder these casting rumors and whether they're grounded in any reality. But with these first initial rumors, the long process of wondering what Batman will go through next, and who he will face, has officially begun. Having the Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman all in the same movie may very well be overkill, especially after some thought The Dark Knight was bloated enough with the Joker and Two-Face. But if these rumors are true, and the studio can get the likes of Johnny Depp, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Angelina Jolie to play these villains, perhaps it's possible that Batman and Nolan can get away with it. If so, it would further cement the new Batman franchise's legacy and make it perhaps the greatest comic book movie franchise ever.

Sources

Holy Moly, UK- "Johnny Depp Lined Up To Play The Riddler In Next Batman Film" www.holymoly.co.uk/news/28/johnny-depp-lined-up-to-play-the-riddler-in-next-batman-film-3842.html

Movies Online- "Angelina Jolie to play Catwoman?" www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_15243.html