LuckyWillLATEST BATMAN 3 NEWS...There is none. No script, but plenty of rumours.
September 15th 2008 19:52
HEATH LEDGER as THE JOKER
Caution, may contain Dark Knight spoilers.
Like many fans I have scanned the internet rigorously, trying to find out anything I can about what Batman 3 holds in store but all I have discovered is that either; no one knows anything; or no one is saying anything. Christopher Nolan, the writer/director and only confirmed signing, has disappeared for a while to work on the next script so until then everything else you hear is merely rumour and gossip. Everyone has opinions about who should star in Batman’s 3rd (and possibly final) adventure and it’s interesting to consider the contenders. Both Nolan and Christian Bale (Batman) are reluctant to extend beyond a trilogy so whoever is chosen will need to pull out a hell of a performance to keep the caped crusader in business.
After bearing witness to Heath Ledger’s unassailable portrayal of everybody’s favourite clown, the Joker, many audience members, including myself, would have left The Dark Knight with mixed emotions. On the one hand you wonder what Heath must have gone through to bring that character to life 7 days a week, even if only during shooting but it makes you think, is it any wonder he had so much trouble shaking it off when he went home? The Joker was a killer to the bone quite literally and not one person leaving their seat would dare disagree.
Interviews circulating the internet with Aaron Eckhart (Two-Face) quote him as saying that “Heath was supposed to go on” to feature in number 3 since The Dark Knight spent much of its time establishing his character. In one of the greatest scenes in the film, after Batman has just stopped himself from throwing the Joker off a building, the Joker makes a bold speech and as he talks you can’t help but feel a twinge of sadness hit you in the chest.
Joker: “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness, and I won't kill you, because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”
If only.
But the question remains, who will carry on the fight against crime fighters? It seems very unlikely that the part of the Joker would be re-cast both out of respect to Ledger’s final performance and the sheer quality of it. You would need a genius actor to even come close anyway. There are rumours that Johnny Depp was to be cast as the Riddler when the 3rd instalment comes around but I would love to see him take on the Joker. Depp is the Chameleon of the entertainment industry. You throw him into a scene and he’ll fit right into it regardless of the role. He’s played a singing daemon, a drunken pirate, a schizophrenic recluse, a loony chocolate maker, a gunslinger, a scientist, and, well… a guy with scissor hands. If anyone can do it, it would be him. Of course he would have to either emulate Ledger’s performance exactly, or bring in his own take on the character. Both are risky if not done properly which, unfortunately, is why it will probably never happen.
However, as the Riddler, Depp would have the opportunity to really let loose and create another top-class super villain like the Joker was. The story also seems open to his introduction now that Batman is on the run. In the comics, the Riddler begins as a cop and since there would be a lot of them out to get Batman, it’s not hard to join the dots and set up a decent rivalry between them if the two should ever meet. I actually liked Jim Carey’s crazy version of the Riddler but obviously Christopher Nolan will have a much darker grittier idea in his mind which would be fascinating to see play out.
There is also speculation over whether Two-Face will return or not. Aaron Eckhart recently claimed that his character, Two-Face, was dead, never to return. “Dead as a door nail,” in his words. But how can anyone believe that? An entire film is devoted to tell the story of how Harvey Dent becomes Two-Face. We learn about his coin, his accident, his motives to turning evil and then he finally emerges in all his glory to begin down his own path of destruction and what, he dies?! It makes no sense to introduce him at all if he’s not coming back. Another interesting point I read somewhere is that when he dies, his coin falls landing with the unscarred head side facing up, which he usually associates with some form of positive significance. What is positive about that for him? Also, Batman makes a point of his work that he never kills anyone. He doesn’t kill the Joker who is, supposedly, the worst of them all so it would make no sense that he kills Two-Face. Another thing I noticed is that no one actually says Two-Face is dead. For the public they say Harvey is gone so the truth doesn’t get out about his transformation but it’s never clearly spelled out that Two-Face is dead. This slight ambiguity surrounding his death is enough to give me hope. I may be alone here but I just want to see him back because I feel ripped off that he died so quickly.
But what other characters could we see emerge? Earlier this month apparently Michael Caine, who plays Alfred the butler, implied that we could expect to see Johnny Depp as the Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Penguin in the next film. However the following day, when both actors were questioned about it, neither had been contacted by Nolan or any of his staff. It has also been rumoured that Nolan was thinking of casting Cher as Catwoman. Then the rumour suggested that it will be Angelina Jolie instead but those too are unfounded. Nolan’s style is to choose villains that are actually feasible in the real world, which is why the Penguin doesn’t really stand a chance, nor will Killer Croc, Mr Freeze, Clayface or Poison Ivy because each one requires a supernatural element. There are other characters such as the Hulk-like Bane who could, one day, make an appearance or even the good old Scarecrow if Nolan gets desperate.
Ultimately it’s going to be whatever the director decides on when he goes to put pen to paper. Everyone has reasons for why their favourite villain should be up there and there will be some enormous pressure placed on whoever is “lucky” enough to be chosen to play the part. Heath Ledger will be a hard act to follow but I hope the next villain is even better. But for now all we can do is wait. “And here...we…go.”
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