The Dark Knight sequel discussion thread (casting, villians, etc) (1 Viewer)

[Zack Gibbs]

Playing by the rules of a realistic world isn't bullshit, it's one of the films strongest qualities, and probably the most identifiable aspect that sets them apart from all the other comic films. Throwing that out the window would just shit all over the work they've done so far.

 

[Ben Osborne]

Zack's Catwoman idea is one of the better ideas I heard for Batman 3. One thing that I think needs to be addressed, however, is how any potential villain will fit into Batman's larger story. In The Dark Knight, the theme is escalation, and the villain appropriately is Batman's greatest challenge ever, who exploits his vulnerabilities. At the end of The Dark Knight, Batman is on the run from the police and the public believes he's a murderer. So I think that the next villain(s) will have to relate to that somehow.

With that being said, here's my idea…

The film would first establish that the Gotham police's desire to capture or kill Batman makes it extremely dangerous for Batman, persuading him to lay low for while and wait for the heat will to die down. Without Batman, the mob in Gotham would have a major resurgence. Gotham citizens would demand action, but they would not tolerate vigilantism again. The city of Gotham would take the desperate measure of contracting law enforcement to a private agency. This agency would be led by Talia Al Ghul (going under an assumed name). The agency would be efficient in taking down the mob -- including mob agents in Gotham's government -- but it would trample civil liberties in doing so, and have a secret agenda of completely controlling Gotham. Yet the public would celebrate the agency because of the increased safety they would bring. Commission Gordon would be one of the few voices skeptical of the agency, and would lose his job because of it. Batman and Gordon would them team up to investigate the agency to try to find evidence that would expose its true nature to the public.

Would that be too predictable and/or clichéd?

 

[Pete-D]

I like the idea of Batman getting hurt -- bad (ala his back broken by Bane) and Talia nurses him back to health.

Ben -- Some of those ideas are pretty good.

 

[MielR]

Yes!

I actually thought Pearce would have made a better Spiderman than Tobey Maguire- but that's just me.

 

[Don Giro]

I agree 100%, and this is what I've been telling my friends since the end credits of "TDK" rolled. If Nolan goes the Catwoman route, I imagine she'd be played by Scarlett Johansson, because he's worked with her before. I like the Portman idea as well. Hathaway, not so sure, but I haven't seen "Get Smart" yet, and that could change my mind.

 

[JonZ]

Guy Pearce was my choice for Cyclops when Xmen got the green light.

 

[Tyler Gagnon]

It's kind of funny you say this, Because Johnny Depp (read it on imdb) is going to be cast as the Mad Hatter, In Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland. Did not mean to go of subject, just thought is was kind of ironic.

 

[Jeff Pounds]

The way I always took it was that Ducard was the "current" Ra's Al Ghul...

I've never been into the comics, but what I understood from the film was that Ra's Al Ghul was whomever was the leader of the League of Shadows at any given time.

Obviously, it wasn't Ducard who was "sacking Rome" or "burning London to the ground", right?

Point being, there could be a "new" Ra's Al Ghul at any given time...

 

[todd s]

 

[Martino]

I was hoping that they would take a brave choice of not having a comic book villain at all - Like in the book "The Ultimate Evil"

In this book, batman ends up going after a child porn ring...which is realistic and would fit into Nolan's universe.



Amazon.com: Batman: The Ultimate Evil: Andrew H. Vachss: Books

 

[DavidPla]

Hopefully it won't scare them off in using him.

 

[TravisR]

There's never going to be a Batman movie with a child pornography ring as the villain. Ever. That's a topic that is way too disturbing to use in a huge budget summer movie.

 

[MielR]

Or maybe Milla Jovovich...?

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Agreed, that's far too dark, even for Nolan.

Anne Hathaway is my girl and all but I don't see her as Catwoman, either. My boss and I were talking about The Dark Knight today and we were kicking around ideas and he threw out Uma Thurman's name.

She could make a fairly badass Catwoman, we already know she can be lethal from the Kill Bill films.

But then again she played Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin so...

I was thinking of someone more exotic looking, someone like Maggie Q perhaps, I mean she's got the moves, she proved that in Live Free or Die Hard. They don't even have to glam her up and make her look hot, they could dirty her up, mess up her hair and, ya know, HEATH her up lol.

 

[Beau]

Yeah, it would turn out like that movie 8MM. Whoever directed that movie should stay away from the Batman franchise because he'd make a WAY too dark Batman movie.

 

[Don Giro]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but "The Ultimate Evil" was a good read. I've read several of this author's "Burke" novels, and always felt like his protagonist was a lot like Batman without the costume, except he often kills the "bad guys." Most of Vachss' novels center around crimes committed against children (except for ONE, I believe). Good stuff, but tends to get a little "samey" after a while...

 

[Brett_M]

Yes! Maggie Q = BRILLIANT CHOICE.

 

[Chad Erickson]

i could buy Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, but my choice would be Kate Beckinsale. I really think she would do a great job with the character.

 

[Brent M]

Ooooh, Kate Beckinsale as Catwoman. Now that would be yummy.

 

[TerryRL]

Although nothing is official, rumors are flying that WB is looking at a long list of actresses to possibly fill the "love interest" role in the next Batman flick. Rumor has it that the "usual names" are being tossed around by the studio...

Kate Beckinsale
Jessica Biel
Rosario Dawson
Summer Glau
Anne Hathaway
Kelly Hu
Scarlett Johansson
Angelina Jolie
Keira Knightley
Diane Kruger
Eva Longoria
Thandie Newton
Grace Park
Maggie Q.
Aishwarya Rai
Hilary Swank
Charlize Theron
Paz Vega
Rachel Weisz
Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Just to name a few.

Rumors suggest that there are several more names on the studio's list, but that's just the studio. At this point, no one knows what direction Nolan wants to go in terms of love interest. Odds are he's going to choose the best actress for the part, regardless of who the studio thinks is "hot" right now.

Besides, he's got over a year to make up his mind considering that the next Batman movie won't begin principle photography until the late spring/early summer of 2010.