The rumors have started! Now that the DVD of Christopher Nolan's masterpiece The Dark Knight is a best-seller, people are scrambling for news about the inevitable third chapter to Nolan's saga. So far, the crazy rumors include Angelina Jolie and Rachel Weisz in talks for the role of Catwoman, Shia LaBeouf as Robin, and Eddie Murphy as the Riddler. These rumors have been rebutted by many of the higher-ups in Warner Bros and Murphy's representatives have stated that the comedic actor denies being offered the role. Nothing has been heard about the other rumors.
The actual idea that Catwoman would be in the movie is silly. First of all, Nolan has created a franchise based on reality. Though far-fetched, nothing he has created is impossible in the "real world." Catwoman, like the Penguin, seems to be a little out of the realm of the Gotham (the working title of the sequel, by the way) created by Nolan. Obviously, fans would like to see Catwoman, but it seems unlikely for Nolan to enter that world.
Christian Bale has made it very clear that if Robin appears in the film, he will not be reprising the role of the Caped Crusader. He is correct in feeling this way. Bruce Wayne is still adjusting to his role as the Batman and is not yet ready to have a young protege. Not to mention Bruce Wayne is not much older than Dick Grayson should be when he dons the Robin mantle.
Now, Eddie Murphy as the Riddler was a rumor worth getting excited about. I was interested a few months ago when I read that Johnny Depp was in talks for the role, but the more and more I thought about it, Depp is an obvious choice. While Nolan would want to move away from the wackiness of Frank Gorshin and Jim Carrey, Depp's darkness might be too dark for his vision of the Riddler. Eddie Murphy, on the other hand, is an actor who can probably handle the combination of evil and cleverness needed for Batman's smartest enemy. Let's also acknowledge something that has not yet been said: it's about time an African American take on a role as one of the Batman villains. Why does Batman only fight the white criminals of Gotham? At the very least, it would make for an interesting interpretation.
As said before, the next movie should focus on the media. How does the media affect Gotham's view of Batman, now being searched for by Gotham's finest? Nolan could easily explore the power of the press, much like he explored the power (or lack thereof) of the politics in Gotham City with The Dark Knight. This would be a terrific way to explore the Riddler, a villain without brawn, but plenty of brains. It would also be a beautiful way to introduce Bruce Wayne's love interest, Vicki Vale. Now that Rachel Dawes is clearly not coming back, Wayne can explore a love/hate relationship with photojournalist Vicki Vale. Who will she love? Batman? Bruce Wayne? Which one will she hate?
Hopefully, Murphy's denial of the rumor is the actual rumor. Murphy would be a nice choice to play Edward Nigma a.k.a. The Riddler. Remember how people doubted the unconventional choice of Heath Ledger? Haven't we learned to trust Christopher Nolan yet?
The actual idea that Catwoman would be in the movie is silly. First of all, Nolan has created a franchise based on reality. Though far-fetched, nothing he has created is impossible in the "real world." Catwoman, like the Penguin, seems to be a little out of the realm of the Gotham (the working title of the sequel, by the way) created by Nolan. Obviously, fans would like to see Catwoman, but it seems unlikely for Nolan to enter that world.
Christian Bale has made it very clear that if Robin appears in the film, he will not be reprising the role of the Caped Crusader. He is correct in feeling this way. Bruce Wayne is still adjusting to his role as the Batman and is not yet ready to have a young protege. Not to mention Bruce Wayne is not much older than Dick Grayson should be when he dons the Robin mantle.
Now, Eddie Murphy as the Riddler was a rumor worth getting excited about. I was interested a few months ago when I read that Johnny Depp was in talks for the role, but the more and more I thought about it, Depp is an obvious choice. While Nolan would want to move away from the wackiness of Frank Gorshin and Jim Carrey, Depp's darkness might be too dark for his vision of the Riddler. Eddie Murphy, on the other hand, is an actor who can probably handle the combination of evil and cleverness needed for Batman's smartest enemy. Let's also acknowledge something that has not yet been said: it's about time an African American take on a role as one of the Batman villains. Why does Batman only fight the white criminals of Gotham? At the very least, it would make for an interesting interpretation.
As said before, the next movie should focus on the media. How does the media affect Gotham's view of Batman, now being searched for by Gotham's finest? Nolan could easily explore the power of the press, much like he explored the power (or lack thereof) of the politics in Gotham City with The Dark Knight. This would be a terrific way to explore the Riddler, a villain without brawn, but plenty of brains. It would also be a beautiful way to introduce Bruce Wayne's love interest, Vicki Vale. Now that Rachel Dawes is clearly not coming back, Wayne can explore a love/hate relationship with photojournalist Vicki Vale. Who will she love? Batman? Bruce Wayne? Which one will she hate?
Hopefully, Murphy's denial of the rumor is the actual rumor. Murphy would be a nice choice to play Edward Nigma a.k.a. The Riddler. Remember how people doubted the unconventional choice of Heath Ledger? Haven't we learned to trust Christopher Nolan yet?
