A New Joker and...

[Ted C]

She steals jewels so what??? Catwoman isn't just some boring cat burgalar. She's a dual identity and eventually becomes one of the only 'villains' who knows Batman's identity because he reveals it to her. He trusts her in his own way because she understands his duality. That's not significant? Don't get me wrong, I don't love Catwoman, but she's a power player in Bruce's AND Batman's life, not just one or the other. She's one of the few that spans the gap. Why does everyone want to write her off?

I don't write her off, but I don't think she can carry a Batman movie by herself -- her criminal activities are too "small time". A Dark Knight sequel is going to want a villain that poses a threat to the whole city.

[The Wench]

She steals jewels so what??? Catwoman isn't just some boring cat burgalar. She's a dual identity and eventually becomes one of the only 'villains' who knows Batman's identity because he reveals it to her. He trusts her in his own way because she understands his duality. That's not significant? Don't get me wrong, I don't love Catwoman, but she's a power player in Bruce's AND Batman's life, not just one or the other. She's one of the few that spans the gap. Why does everyone want to write her off?

I don't write her off, but I don't think she can carry a Batman movie by herself -- her criminal activities are too "small time". A Dark Knight sequel is going to want a villain that poses a threat to the whole city.

I'm not insinuating she needs to be the only one. They can bring in two or three like they've been doing...aside from the possibility that any villain they introduce is basically going to be repetitive. Two-Face is just a criminal now, Penguin will just be another criminal, Scarecrow is just a criminal. They all are...they don't need to tell another 'threat to the whole city' story. They've done it twice. Time to bring in another dynamic, and I think Bruce's serious struggle with both aspects of his life - his private Bat life and his public philanthropist life - would be something new. Having Catwoman floating between those two makes it complicated. I think that could be interesting...along with whatever uber villain they decide to introduce or reboot.

[Molyneux]

She steals jewels so what??? Catwoman isn't just some boring cat burgalar. She's a dual identity and eventually becomes one of the only 'villains' who knows Batman's identity because he reveals it to her. He trusts her in his own way because she understands his duality. That's not significant? Don't get me wrong, I don't love Catwoman, but she's a power player in Bruce's AND Batman's life, not just one or the other. She's one of the few that spans the gap. Why does everyone want to write her off?

I don't write her off, but I don't think she can carry a Batman movie by herself -- her criminal activities are too "small time". A Dark Knight sequel is going to want a villain that poses a threat to the whole city.

I'm not insinuating she needs to be the only one. They can bring in two or three like they've been doing...aside from the possibility that any villain they introduce is basically going to be repetitive. Two-Face is just a criminal now, Penguin will just be another criminal, Scarecrow is just a criminal. They all are...they don't need to tell another 'threat to the whole city' story. They've done it twice. Time to bring in another dynamic, and I think Bruce's serious struggle with both aspects of his life - his private Bat life and his public philanthropist life - would be something new. Having Catwoman floating between those two makes it complicated. I think that could be interesting...along with whatever uber villain they decide to introduce or reboot.

I think it might be worthwhile to introduce both Catwoman and Talia in the same film - maybe with some ambiguity at first (at least in Bruce's mind) as to whether they're the same person, but with it becoming increasingly clear towards the end what their differences are - though I'd probably not have Talia attempt to resurrect her father in the first film in which she appears.

Set up the "return of Ra's al-Ghul" plotline one film before it occurs, so it can take center stage.

[CaptainChewbacca]

What if you brought in Penguin as a competing philanthropist trying to buy his way into running Gotham?

[The Wench]

What if you brought in Penguin as a competing philanthropist trying to buy his way into running Gotham?

I like that idea, but I also like that part about Penguin. He's a better businessman than he is villain.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Why don't they just make up an entirely new villain, if they decide to have another Batman film? If there's so much difficulty in adapting the remaining ones from the comics, that seems the more reasonable way to go.

I think the last time they made up their own villain we got Nuclear Man in Superman IV.

[Havok]

What if you brought in Penguin as a competing philanthropist trying to buy his way into running Gotham?

Already been done dude. Batman Returns.

I think a movie, not necessarily the next one, dealing with the duality of Wayne/Batman could be a compelling story.
Basically where the Catwoman character is in love with Batman, but for some reason hates Wayne (put her away for stealing from him or something... the only person to catch her in the act, whatever) and the Talia character is in love with Wayne and for obvious reasons, hates Batman. And Bruce, who loves them both but knows that he can never have either.

[JME2]

I have an idea as to how to work Riddler into it. They could take a page from what Paul Dini's done with the character in Detective Comics and present him as a private consulting detective who is either brought in by the GCPD to assist in the manhunt or sets out to capture the Dark Knight on his own. Either way, it would play into the ending of TDK and Batman trying to stay one step of the authorities.

[Ted C]

I think a movie, not necessarily the next one, dealing with the duality of Wayne/Batman could be a compelling story.
Basically where the Catwoman character is in love with Batman, but for some reason hates Wayne (put her away for stealing from him or something... the only person to catch her in the act, whatever) and the Talia character is in love with Wayne and for obvious reasons, hates Batman. And Bruce, who loves them both but knows that he can never have either.

I can see potential there, especially if Talia is also trying to finish the job on Gotham that Daddy started and doesn't actually know that Bruce and Batman are the same (although having her ignorant of that fact would require some pretty good spin, since Ra's obviously knew that long before he arrived in Gotham). That gives the "big threat" potential that the movie studio is going to want in a superhero movie.

EDIT: Or Talia just came to Gotham to get revenge on Batman, who she knows killed her father, although she knows little else about him, having been kept out of the Black Whatever Society's business by Daddy before he died. Someone else would have to be the Big Threat, though.

[Battlehymn Republic]

Isn't Killer Croc or Bane a little too... Spider-Man? Nolanverse's villains are rather more low-key and not as outlandishly physically imposing. It'd be interesting if they try to use Man-Bat, though.

The Riddler and Mad Hatter both seem too much like the Joker in terms of thematic insanity.

[Havok]

I can see potential there, especially if Talia is also trying to finish the job on Gotham that Daddy started and doesn't actually know that Bruce and Batman are the same (although having her ignorant of that fact would require some pretty good spin, since Ra's obviously knew that long before he arrived in Gotham). That gives the "big threat" potential that the movie studio is going to want in a superhero movie.

EDIT: Or Talia just came to Gotham to get revenge on Batman, who she knows killed her father, although she knows little else about him, having been kept out of the Black Whatever Society's business by Daddy before he died. Someone else would have to be the Big Threat, though.

That's more or less what I was thinking. Ra's knew Wayne was Bats because he knew what he was doing out and about before he even began training him and if you are Ra's, it wouldn't take much to figure that the return of your pupil to Gotham and the emergence of Batman are connected.

There is no reason that Talia would need to know who her father was training. Side stepping the plot hole of some of Ra's's direct underlings that were with him before he died and knowing Wayne and Batman were one and the same shouldn't be that hard. Executed for failure to protect Ra's or whatever.

I would also like to see some actual detective work from the world's greatest detective. The movies have a bad habit of making him more reliant on tech than on detective work. Although Keaton did some to figure out the combination of the Joker's poison combination in Batman.

[Havok]

Isn't Killer Croc or Bane a little too... Spider-Man? Nolanverse's villains are rather more low-key and not as outlandishly physically imposing. It'd be interesting if they try to use Man-Bat, though.

They used Killer Croc in the Gotham Knights anime DVD, so I don't think we will be seeing him as a player in the films. Bane is easy. Just a big guy that is as fast and skilled as Bats.

The Riddler and Mad Hatter both seem too much like the Joker in terms of thematic insanity.

Actually the Riddler would be a complete opposite of the Joker. Granted the Joker did indeed have plans, his point was to wreak havoc and chaos and not much else. (Absolute chaos carried out with absolute precision).
The Riddler is extremely structured and goes about his schemes very calmly. The Gorshin and Carey Riddlers were just different versions of The Joker, but Nolan would probably handle him properly.

The Mad Hatter is essentially a pedophile. I think that is a little too serious for the movie franchise.

[The Wench]

Isn't Killer Croc or Bane a little too... Spider-Man? Nolanverse's villains are rather more low-key and not as outlandishly physically imposing. It'd be interesting if they try to use Man-Bat, though.

They used Killer Croc in the Gotham Knights anime DVD, so I don't think we will be seeing him as a player in the films. Bane is easy. Just a big guy that is as fast and skilled as Bats.

The Riddler and Mad Hatter both seem too much like the Joker in terms of thematic insanity.

Actually the Riddler would be a complete opposite of the Joker. Granted the Joker did indeed have plans, his point was to wreak havoc and chaos and not much else. (Absolute chaos carried out with absolute precision).
The Riddler is extremely structured and goes about his schemes very calmly. The Gorshin and Carey Riddlers were just different versions of The Joker, but Nolan would probably handle him properly.

The Mad Hatter is essentially a pedophile. I think that is a little too serious for the movie franchise.

But imagine if they gave Mad Hatter to someone like Paul Giamatti...I would love to see an actor like him try to tackle that kind of personality aspect in a character artistically. I think someone like Giamatti could make that tasteful in the right kind of way, enough that it could work. I mean, Bats usually takes on these psycho criminals...what about a child molester?! How would he deal with something like that? I think that'd be interesting to see how that could transcend from the comics onto the screen. It's no more serious a subject than Joker who kills for fun.

[Havok]

Isn't Killer Croc or Bane a little too... Spider-Man? Nolanverse's villains are rather more low-key and not as outlandishly physically imposing. It'd be interesting if they try to use Man-Bat, though.

They used Killer Croc in the Gotham Knights anime DVD, so I don't think we will be seeing him as a player in the films. Bane is easy. Just a big guy that is as fast and skilled as Bats.

The Riddler and Mad Hatter both seem too much like the Joker in terms of thematic insanity.

Actually the Riddler would be a complete opposite of the Joker. Granted the Joker did indeed have plans, his point was to wreak havoc and chaos and not much else. (Absolute chaos carried out with absolute precision).
The Riddler is extremely structured and goes about his schemes very calmly. The Gorshin and Carey Riddlers were just different versions of The Joker, but Nolan would probably handle him properly.

The Mad Hatter is essentially a pedophile. I think that is a little too serious for the movie franchise.

But imagine if they gave Mad Hatter to someone like Paul Giamatti...I would love to see an actor like him try to tackle that kind of personality aspect in a character artistically. I think someone like Giamatti could make that tasteful in the right kind of way, enough that it could work. I mean, Bats usually takes on these psycho criminals...what about a child molester?! How would he deal with something like that? I think that'd be interesting to see how that could transcend from the comics onto the screen. It's no more serious a subject than Joker who kills for fun.

A bad guy, hell, even a good guy killing is socially acceptable. It's fairly common place. A child molester is not. Especially in what will sure to be the summer's biggest movie.

I do agree the Giamatti would be awesome. He was superbly creepy in Shoot 'Em Up. And did crazy/insane quite well along with the physical stuff.

[CaptHawkeye]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Poison Ivy. With some changes to her background. Instead of making her an "lol ecoterrorist" just kind of turn her into a progression hating ludite. "Gotham's problem is that it's become so high on itself it grows psychos like Batman and the Joker."

Course that's just what I thought up in about 10 seconds while half asleep.

And fuck Robin.

[The Wench]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Poison Ivy. With some changes to her background. Instead of making her an "lol ecoterrorist" just kind of turn her into a progression hating ludite. "Gotham's problem is that it's become so high on itself it grows psychos like Batman and the Joker."

Course that's just what I thought up in about 10 seconds while half asleep.

And fuck Robin.

I almost think she deserves a reboot after what Shumacher and Thurman did to her...it was a train wreck. It's like she got...hey, hit with a truck!...(sorry...inside joke...) If anyone's going to clean up her her last appearance, Nolan could do it.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Worse then Catwoman/Talia cometing love interest fights...

could anyone imagine the amount of carnage little Helena and Damien could wreck?

[Mark S]

I'm liking the the idea of the Penguin as a corrupt rival businessman trying to take over the crime in Gotham. You would get to see more of both sides of Bruce/Batman. And, as has been said, it could facilitate more detective work. The mob has been a factor in each movie so far, I think the arc could continue with The Bird.

Bane could be brought in to hunt Batman, either as a legitimate bounty hunter or mob hitman. I think that character could transition into these films by just getting rid of the super-roids and the mask.

The closest they should come to Robin should be Bruce saying he's getting "too old for this shit" and Alfred saying he should think about training a replacement.

[Havok]

Yeah, I don't think the Mob is gonna be all the into bringing in another costumed, crazy hitman to go after Bats.

[Pulp Hero]

Bane could be brought in to hunt Batman, either as a legitimate bounty hunter or mob hitman. I think that character could transition into these films by just getting rid of the super-roids and the mask.

Just get rid of his Mexican wrestler look while keeping his characteristics.

For example insteand of his normal stretchy mask, give him a ballistic face mask and dress him in more "street" clothes. Maybe make him a last ditch mob hitman like "Il Duce" that has been pounding the weights in prison for the last ten years.

Another possible idea is that Two-Face is alive and kept hushed away in Arkham and somebody (Harley Quinn or Penguin) who knows what letting him out will do to Gotham hires Bane or Catwoman (depending on plot) to bust him out.

[Mark S]

In the second film (the second act, if you will) we see Gotham's White Knight turn into a villain. Perhaps to end the trilogy we need see a villain become good.

[Majin Gojira]

Though not a villain, I'd like to see Cassandra Cain in the Nolanverse--she's one of the few sidekicks who'd work without stretching believability to far (toned down from the comics, of course). Though that would sort of force the return of the League of Shadows/Assassins--and possibly David Cain.

As for the villains mentioned, I like the idea of Bane and Penguin working slightly in part.

However, Joker's goal, as far as I could see it--was to breed new 'Freaks' like himself, Harvey and Batman. So, any new villain should be spawned fromt he city.

[Battlehymn Republic]

Would it really be a bad idea to have the Question make an appearance.

[Kon_El]

Bane could be brought in to hunt Batman, either as a legitimate bounty hunter or mob hitman. I think that character could transition into these films by just getting rid of the super-roids and the mask.

Just get rid of his Mexican wrestler look while keeping his characteristics.

Whats wrong with the luchador look? Bruce dresses up like a bat. The Joker dresses up like a clown. Costume heroics and villainy are as much a part of the movies as in the comics. Or did no one else notice that 2 faces suit was half and half.

[Havok]

Would it really be a bad idea to have the Question make an appearance.

Well if DC was smart, which they aren't, they would have already been establishing a wider universe for their movies like Marvel has, outside of just Gotham and Metropolis. Could have mentioned Key Stone City or Star City, maybe dropped Oliver Queen's name since he is a fellow billionaire, you know, anything that might expand on what is there.

Some one like The Question would be prefect for the types of characters that Nolan goes for. No super powers, quirky personality, crazy.