Possible Villains and Casting for the Upcoming Sequel to The Dark Knight

Following the success of 2008's The Dark Knight, including a much-deserved posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger's astounding performance as the Joker, it's not surprising that Bat-fans almost immediately started clamoring for another installment in the franchise.

The biggest question on everyone's mind: Who should the next villain be?

Director Chris Nolan, for his part, has stated that he won't even do a third movie unless they can put together a compelling script that warrants taking the story further. No one can blame Nolan for not wanting run the franchise into the ground like Joel Schumacher did (see: Batman and Robin *shudder*), and he's correct to acknowledge that following up Dark Knight with a worthy sequel is a tall order. However, The Dark Knight was the most successful film of 2008, so it's a stretch to think that somehow, some way, the studio will convince Nolan that another chapter needs to happen.

Until then, fans can speculate as to which Batman villain-or villains-from the comic book lore will make it to the screen. For the time being, I'll avoid the question of whether the Joker will appear or not, as Ledger's passing has made that a complicated issue for an article all its own. That aside, here are the top candidates to square off against Christian Bale's Batman in a sequel to The Dark Knight.

The Obvious Choices

The Penguin. As the next-most-famous Batman villain (after the Joker) in the DC Comics universe, he deserves mention. However, with his trick umbrellas and obsession with birds, the Penguin doesn't fit the tone of Nolan's Batman movies, and he's not a particularly complex character. He's just an odd-looking gangster. He might make a cameo as a lesser villain, but we're not likely to see the Penguin as a main adversary. Possible choices: Philip Seymour Hoffman is a popular fan choice.

The Riddler. A slightly more likely possibility would be to see Gotham city attacked by a serial bomber/terrorist with a penchant for tipping off authorities with riddles and puzzles. This version of the Riddler would be a far fry from Frank Gorshin's version from the 1960s television series. It would have to be a darker, if no less manic, interpretation. But it could be done. Possible choices: Johnny Depp's name has been mentioned, but he's mentioned for everything.

Catwoman. After Rachel's tragic death in The Dark Knight, it would make sense to introduce a new love interest for Bruce Wayne/Batman. However, Catwoman would face some of the same issues as the Penguin, and Nolan doesn't seem any more eager to use her. If they wanted to introduce a female copytcat (no pun intended) Batman, somewhat like the guys with the hockey equipment from the last movie, it might could work. But why bother with a character if it's going to be such a stretch? Possible choices: Halle Berry. Wait-no...

Other "A"-listers

The Mad Hatter. Think back to Batman Begins. The Scarecrow and Ra's Al Gul were interesting choices. Neither were among the most prominent villains available, but they worked-and, incredibly, worked together-extremely well with the theme of chaos and fear. The Mad Hatter strikes me as that kind of a villain. A good-natured mind-control expert could work in a lot of ways, even as a side villain. Possible choices: Hmm. Michael Emerson, maybe?

Killer Croc. Not likely, unless they go a direction with him that I haven't imagined. Croc is a brute, and probably wouldn't work as much more than a henchman. Possible choices: Mickey Rourke.

Poison Ivy. The tone of The Dark Knight is so gritty and "real" that it almost makes the plot of Batman Begins (with its centuries-old clan of ninja terrorists) seem far-fetched. If Nolan doesn't like the Penguin or Catwoman, it's unlikely that he'd want to use a villain with the ability to control plants. There's too many other options. Possible choices: Bryce Dallas Howard.

Clayface. Not a chance. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight take place in a universe that does not have any comic books or comic heroes. Batman is a unique and unprecedented kind of an entity, because no one recognizes him as a superhero. The barometer, based on Nolan's comments, seems to be that potential villains cannot be what we would consider "comic book" villains. Scarecrow and Rah's Al Gul worked well. A non-comic version of the Joker worked terrifyingly well. Clayface, the shapeshifting clay monster, would never work. Possible choices: Doesn't matter. The post-transformation character would have to be CGI.

Mr. Freeze. Arnold Schwarzenagger's interpretation of this cold-based villain and the debacle of a movie that ensured probably ensured that we'll never see anyone try again, just for the sake of avoiding association. While the character isn't unfeasible, the movie is too cynical to stand for a man named "Freeze" to coincidentally be a cold-based villain. Possible choices: Ben Kingsley.

Possible Comebacks

Two-Face. Most people seem to be in accord: Eckhart's run as Two-Face didn't last long, and it seems a waste to throw away the character so quickly. We should note, then, that The Dark Knight didn't make much of an effort to definitively kill the character. Batman got up and walked away from the same fall (which, as Maroni noted earlier, shouldn't kill anyone). Given Gordon's speech about hiding what Dent did (and blaming it on Batman), it would be perfectly plausible if the brief shot of Dent's funeral was simply a cover-up, especially since Gordon already faked his own death once. They could lock Two-Face away in Arkham Asylum and tell everyone that Batman killed Harvey Dent. There's plenty more they could do with Dent's character, and they wouldn't even have to resort to revisionism to pull it off.

The Scarecrow. They could, but they won't. It's been done. Then again I was certain that they wouldn't bother putting Jonathan Crane/Cillian Murphy in The Dark Knight.

Mr. Zsasz. Zasz is a serial killer that keeps a running tally of his victims by cutting tick marks into his flesh. He made a brief appearance at the end of Batman Begins, seen fleeing Arkham when the inmates are released. While it demonstrates a willingness to use the character, it probably also indicates the writers weren't interested in using him for anything more than a cameo.

The Best Fits

Bane. Done correctly, Bane and the storyline from Knightfall would make a compelling movie. Unfortunately, it probably would also require an extensive supporting cast of colorful villains, and a temporary replacement Batman (requiring the introduction of the Jean Paul Valley character). Previous film attempts have shown that adding multiple new characters distracts from the true focus of the movie, Batman himself. Possible casting: Javier Bardem.

The Ventriloquist. This is one that would provide an interesting balance of complexity and insanity. A mild-mannered ventriloquist whose dissociative personailty emboided by a gangster puppet seems too comic at first blush, but would be an interesting exploration, if Nolan so chose. It would allow for an investigation into the hidden demons that even the most civil (or heroic, in Batman's case) person holds. It would be difficult for this character to actually serve as the major, standalone villain, but the Ventriloquist, in any of his incarncations, would be a dark yet fascinating character that would fit well within this Batman universe. Possible casting: Steven Root.

Black Mask. This is one of the most likely villains, as it's one of the most realistic and gritty. Black Mask (or Roman Sionis) is an organized crime boss and failed businessman who has ties to Bruce Wayne in the Gotham corporate world. He wears a mask carved from the lid of his mother's ebony coffin to hide facial scars he suffered as a child. His backstory is relatively thin, but Nolan could go a number of directions with it. Possible casting: Gerard Butler.

Hush. Hush is one of the least gimmicky Batman villains available. He's a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne who grows up to become a brilliant surgeon. However, Thomas Eliot, as he is known, does not experience the close-knit family that Bruce does. He grows up hating his parents, becoming jealous of what Bruce has, and then kills his own parents to inherit their fortune. He holds a grudge against Bruce for the rest of his life. Possible casting: Hmm. Joaquin Phoenix would've worked...

The Reaper. Of the "best fit" characters, The Reaper is probably the least known. However, his M.O. might have the best combination to use in the Nolan-Batman universe. His backstory is both believable and compelling. He's a vigilante anti-Batman that hunts down criminals and kills them. His alter ego, Judson Caspian, is a millionaire playboy who lost his wife in an act of violent crime, making him a twisted mirror image of Batman/Wayne (and following the theme of duality, should they choose to also bring back Two-face). Given the appearances of Batman impersonators in The Dark Knight, it's plausible that the next villain could be an impersonator who has the resources and anger to take the idea too far. The Animated Series movie Phantasm is actually a version of The Reaper, and Gothamites believe his murders to be the work of Batman. All told, The Reaper would fit into the existing storyline, and, if they had enough footage to mock it up, would allow the producers to legitimately deal with Heath Ledger's absence: The Reaper's first act could be assassinating the Joker in Arkham. Possible casting: Paul Bettany