I saw Inception last week for the second time and I think it’s high time I admit my man crush on Christopher Nolan. The guy is a genius and he’s on quite the hot streak with his directing. Think about it: Batman Begins (2005), The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008) and now, Inception (2010). That’s quite the run of fine films and his Rotten Tomatoes.com ratings speak to his ability. His lowest rating is for The Prestige (75%) and his highest is for Memento (93%). Those numbers might not mean anything to you, but they make me a little nervous. Nobody can stay perfect or on fire forever, and since Nolan’s next movie is the yet-to-be-titled third Batman film, I get a little worried it will be the movie where his fire burns out. I’ve grown so attached to the style and feel of Nolan’s Batman franchise that I absolutely need the (presumably) final movie to be solid gold. In a vapid Hollywood full of banality, Nolan has become my cinematic savior; he is a bright star in grey sky full of unintelligent, uninspired celluloid.
Still, I will admit, after watching Inception, my nervousness has died down somewhat. That movie is a masterpiece, so I trust Nolan and his team of writers, David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan, will hammer out a storyline and characters that will once again send moviegoers flocking to the multiplexes. We know some of what might be coming our way, because we know certain characters will return for the third film. Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) will obviously be a Gotham fixture again in 2012, as will Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Alfred (Michael Caine) and Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman). But who will be the villain? Since The Dark Knight’s release in 2008, the Internet is abuzz with everything from Angelina Jolie as Catwoman, Johnny Depp or Joseph Gordon-Leavitt as The Riddler, or even Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin. I won’t pretend to be an expert on Batman baddies, but those choices seem too easy. My gut tells me Nolan will dig a little deeper for a villain. Something tells me, unlike Sam Raimi and Spider-Man 3, that Nolan and Co. will be looking to serve story first, not fanboys.
So, with that said, here is my question to you: Who will be the villain in Batman 3, who would you cast and why? Go!
18 comments On Rumors Point to Riddler, But What Villain is Right for Batman 3?
Okay well here’s my tale on Batman 3:
1. The main villain would be The Riddler.
2. Arkham Asylum will be featured in Batman 3.
3. The Joker would be a silent character meaning we won’t see him onscreen
however he would be orchestrating events throughout Batman 3 and there would
be references to The Joker.
4. Wait for it….Eric Roberts would return as Sal Maroni.
We never really knew what happened to Sal Maroni after the car crash and we are
led to believe he is dead, however Sal Maroni really did survived that car accident and he will atleast have a SMALL role in Batman 3.
5. This leads to a new criminal boss which I think will be – RUPERT THORN who’s character is a corrupt politician and attempts to take complete control of Gotham City by becoming Mayor. I think this would be perfect timing for him to enter on screen.
Since Batmans dissappearance [the end of the Dark Knight film] the whole of Gotham City is plunged into corruption as Rupert Thorn has become the new mayor of Gotham City and has further turned Gotham’s citizens against Batman.
Rupert Thorns character also declares Batman an outlaw and has his criminal politician puppets fire Commissioner Gordon from his job. Rupert is also keen to find out Batman’s true identity too.
However The Riddler would be the main villain to carry out this role.
6. There will be a female presence in Batman 3 obviously. This would Talia Al Ghul and NOT catwomen. The presence of Talia Al Ghul as a character would also round up Chris Nolans trilogy as this would have some relation to the first film – ‘Batman Begins’
as her father ‘Rhas Al Ghul’ featured.
7. There would be HINTS at other villains – Dr. Harleen Quinzel [Harleyquin] from Arkham Asylum
and then also Oswald Chester Cobblepot [The Penguin].[who would be the new criminal boss to enter in the next Batman film when Rupert Thorn is taken down in Batman 3] –
These would be great set-ups for a further Batman 4 Film obviously without Chris Nolan as director.
Chris Nolan would leave this for somebody else to carry on the franchise if they wanted and carry on with other villains….
SO, Batman 3 – The Riddler as the main villain, Talia Al Ghul, the return of Sal Maroni,
new criminal boss Rupert Thorn, the escape of The Scarecrow, and hints of future villains – Harleyquin and The Penguin and maybe The return of The Joker for a set-up of a future Batman 4……
Any thoughts?
to begin with nolan is my all time favourite director, the only of his movies that i have not seen is insomnia.
so i think that if you really take a close look at the sort of director that he is, it becomes clear that the riddler was made for him. now im not talking about the crappy campy jim carrey riddler seen in batman forever. i am talking about the mastermind genius that confounds all with his elaborate, confusing schemes. this would be a serious riddler, not some crazy joker wannabe that everyone seems to think he is. really look into the source material and trace the riddler back through his origins and you would see how the visionary genius of psychological thriller extraordinaire christopher nolan would be a perfect match.
as for the joker, nolan already said that he would not be in the movie, same as mr. freeze. nolan has also said that this third film will be an end to his trilogy, so its not going to lead on for another director to take on the reigns. it will be finished, and then the talents of other directors will be able to give their takes on batman and his expansive history. as for sal maroni, the whole point of two face flipping the car was to kill maroni. maroni was not wearing a seatbelt and so there it is highly unlikely that he could have survived the crash (however if he does return it could be as a Holiday type villain, as that would actually be close to the long halloween, which has been the basis for the movies so far)
as for who should play the riddler, i think that there are many talented actors who could pull it off in different ways. a few of my favourites include: joseph gordon-levitt, tom hardy, guy pearce, and daniel day lewis. many people think that ddl is too old to play the riddler (who is usually portrayed as young), but i think it would make for a wiser, more menacing, more mind bogglingly mind boggling to make him older and to have this amazing actor portay him. after him my second choice would be pearce, who could still bring those similar elements to the character, but to a lesser extent as a younger version, and he could perhaps bring a tortured element to the character.
of course there will be other villains and cameos in the movie, some likely lesser known, i would also like to see a return of zsasz (who was briefly in batman begins), and perhaps deadshot.
it is same to assume that we will not see villains such as solomon grundy, manbat, killer croc, or clayface. i think that if nolan did a proper interpretation, then bane could be possible (basically as a bulked up villain similar to the riddler)
anyways sorry to ramble on your page, i am done now
the following is a link to my idea for batman 3 (and 4 even though i know nolan wont do 4) and an explalnation as to why each element of my far from conventional idea could work
idea: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/fanfictionforall/news/?a=21078
explanation: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/fanfictionforall/news/?a=21107
One thing I’ve seen a lot of is people calling for the “return” of villains. People are hell bent on the Joker or Two-Face returning. People want Murphy’s Scarecrow back. I’ve even heard suggestions of bringing back Liam Neeson’s [dead] Ra’s al Ghul. What Batman 3 needs is to push forward with new and fresh villains.
Now, having said that, I do think Catwoman is a necessity. Yes, I know it sounds hypocritical, but a traditional villain like Catwoman would be a draw. In addition, while there are people that do not share this opinion, Catwoman is an essential piece for anyone aiming to tell a “definitive” Batman story. So far, this franchise has tackled all the really “big guns” in the Batman rogues gallery, save for Selina Kyle. And she does not need to be THE villain, or a villain at all. That’s what makes the character great – her moral ambiguity and the tension it creates for Batman.
After The Dark Knight, you could argue that Bruce Wayne has lost the hope he had for a “normal” life. Rachael’s death sealed that deal. So any love interest of his would presumably come from the Batman side of his persona. Catwoman fits that role perfectly.
Now, just because I think Catwoman should be in Batman 3 doesn’t mean I won’t stand by my previous point. Batman 3 should bring a villain to the screen that hasn’t been portrayed before. Batman has some great rogues that are much more interesting than say The Riddler (although, Edward Nygma could make an appearance as a GCPD consultant as they hunt down Batman, but I digress). There are two villains which are strong Batman 3 candidates: Black Mask and Hush.
Both of these characters are highly intelligent and skilled in hand-to-hand combat, which means they are both physically challenging for Batman. The one problem I foresee is that they both have extensive back stories which tie into Bruce Wayne’s childhood. However, I think Black Mask’s origin is easier to explain/condense in the transition to film. Due to this, I think he is probably the best villain choice for Batman 3.
I would love to see the ventriloquist and his mob dummy scar face… As for who would play this character… I think Dustin Hoffman would be a ideal choice. Whether that would be the best choice for a third film… that’s another question. but still… i think that would be great.
I think the riddler should certainly be in batman 3 ,because he’s a classic villain just like the joker,two-face and scarecrow who’ve already been in the films so the riddler would be a good choice also from what I’ve heard (could be rumours) Harley quin may also be in the film which would be quite good but if it was up to me to choose I’d be with riddler all the way
riddler as the main villian and maybe he could team up with harley quinn who is battling mental and drug issues and the riddler using her as a puppet to draw out batman….idk something, without the presence of a JOKER affiliate it would just be bland,,,,, who knows
The perfect villan for Batman 3 is Bane, the character is dark enough in nature to fit the films vibe. Additionally, the comic book character has the intellect and back story to make the film gripping. Let’s not forget to mention that Bane broke the Batman, which could very well be an ending used in the next film which could set up the franchise very well for future movies.
Batman Begins had a great set up for the beginning of Batman and his journeys ahead. The Dark Knight gave a great show of how Batman struggles in his crusade while still in his youth. The reason I want a third Batman is to show Batman decides to fully become Batman forever without any questioning whatsoever and has the redemption of the people. Because whether people deny it, Batman is a hero. A very noble hero on the brink of perfection.
I mean these two Batman movies focused on his youth, in the other Batman movies we see Batman in his Prime state with flashbacks always of his parents murder so people can understand him. Christopher Nolan is showing the first baby steps of Batman.
I’m personally glad Nolan is back on the third movie. He will not disappoint. Sure Ledger died, but he left a legacy of growing fans of Batman. We want, but don’t need more the Joker.
Its kind of like the Scarecrow, in the first movie he was the pawn of the ultimate villain and yet he is nothing more than a villain in the streets from the second movie. That is how the Joker would be likely in the third movie.
I’m sure Nolan will show new villains, because sure The Joker is amazing, but you don’t want to get bored of him. There are other Batman villains that are brilliantly written and Nolan will put his best effort in making them feel realistic.
I think Batman 3 will definitely follow the first two in that there will be two villains. That being said, I think the you have to feature the Riddler. A character like the Riddler could really bring this movie to realm of a psychological thriller. While the Dark Knight was full of anarchy, Batman 3 will have a more controlled madness.
For the second villian, Nolan could go either two ways. He could make Bruce/Batman’s new love interest the villian, ie: Catwoman or Talia al Ghul. I would prefer to see Talia al Ghul to tie in with the first film. Plus we’ve never seen this character before. We’ve seen Catwoman done okay (Batman Returns) and horribly (Catwoman). We don’t need to see her at all.
The other idea for the second villian is Deadshot, mainly because he’s just a badass. In Batman 3, Batman will be a fugitive and a broken man after the carnage in TDK. Imagine a scenario where Deadshot is brought in to capture the “fugitive” dead or alive. This could really bring out some huge action set pieces to counteract the psychological aspects of the movie from Riddler.
the first guy hit it out of the park. the riddler and talia al guhl and there is no question about it. nolan has had a plan and story from the beginning. we know that the third film was meant to have the joker and arkham but with heath’s death that isn’t possible. this is all out of his own mouth.
He has said no penguin, no mr. freeze, and no CATWOMAN. talia will return to entice bruce and the riddler will take the jokers place in the story. remember nolan has said he, his brother and goyer had a story from the beginning to the end.
we may see a hush type killer to occupy batmans time. the riddler will more than likely be his controller or handler only to find out in the end that talia is behind it all.
Great comments. I’m not sure I entirely care WHICH villain Nolan chooses, but I want that villain to have the feel of believability, like the Joker did in The Dark Knight. That’s what makes the last two Batman films so fantastic – even though the story is from a comic book and based on fantastical elements, Nolan makes you feel like this could really be happening under are noses. Nothing seems surreal. I love it.
I often wonder how many actual batman books the repliers to these sort of articles actually read. The inclusion of a black mask or hush character would infuriate many batman fans. Those characters are not fledgeling batman rogues. They are two of the most closely tied characters to Bruce wayne’s back story. They don’t belong in (this is not an insult to the spectacular movies) the under developed Nolan universe. I have to second the inclusion of Bane. He is a brilliant and powerful villian that was destroyed in that previous batman flick. The venom was a means to an end and not the whole basis for the character.
While not on topic, I would love to see Robin in the movie. He is an important device for the development of modern batmans character. But in a similar vein as hush and mask, I’m not sure if the Nolan universe has reached the right level of development for him to be introduced.
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again.
David. Tennant. For. Riddler.
Villains- Penguin, Black Mask, Deadshot
Christian Bale has remarked that he’ll “chain himself to his basement” before he ever does a film with Robin it.
I’m kind of in the middle as far as catwoman is concerned. The last two impressions weren’t that good, but I guess it depends on how they handle the story.
Personally I think Bane and the Riddiler would be awesome though i dnt know if I want Joseph Levitt (but Heath Ledger surprised me as the joker).
But whatever happens I’m putting my faith in Nolan to create a satisfying last chapter to his trilogy.
I would like to see some plot involving HUSH or the whole story arc from the comics done as the movie…or killer croc and i would love to see nightwing instaed of a campy robin. Catwoman would be cool as a cameo…and arkham asylum is a definate.
Oooh good for you!
Seriously who gives a baby’s pink butt!
Dark knight was awesome yes but part of what made it such a stellar film was Ledger’s performance..And the soundtrack was completely bad ass.
I’m sure the 3rd will be good..lets hope it doesn’t fall under the curse.
And just for the record, Inception was solid but WAY overrated..And WAY too long..Yawn..
And why oh why did he cast Juno? She blows a goat!
She’s the equivalent of a small annoying boy.
Have a great day!
I’ve been researching a lot of Batman’s villians and I would have to choose The Riddler, Talia al Ghul, Black Mask and Hush.
The Riddler – Takes over after The Joker, but is smarter and figures out where the Joker did wrong and does the opposite.
Talia al Ghul – Tries to avenge her fathers death by going after the Batman already knowing his identity because of her father, but at the end finds out he represents good
Black Mask & Hush – Two people that rebuild the mob after Batman’s absence. Both of them knew Bruce Wayne when all three of them were kids and team up to take him down with the help of Riddler.
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