Well, the rumors were true all along—he is in the film, so why not assume Gordon-Levitt will play the Riddler? Well Nolan denied those rumors awhile back and a Nolan Riddler would be too much like a Joker. But I suspect we will still see Gordon-Levitt as a famous Batman villain, none other than the Penguin. Perhaps the Falcone son story will be true as well, and it will play in to another villain. For example Falcone’s son is the neglected boy who becomes the Penguin. Anne Hathaway as Cat Women adds to the likeliness that the Dark Knight Rises will get another famous villain. Also, in Batman history, there has always been a notable back and forth between the Penguin and Cat Woman.
Juno Temple fits well into Nolan’s respect for Frank Millar’s the Dark Knight Returns. In Returns while Batman is chased away, the Bat becomes friendly and friendlier with street kids (Temple is said to be up for a streetwise kid). Speaking of the Dark Knight Returns, I have a hard time believing with Nolan in charge of both worlds, that Batman and Superman won’t meet, regardless of the claim that they would not. Another character in Millar’s Dark Knight Returns that could provide a role for Gordon-Levitt to play is reporter Jimmy Olsen. Olsen could provide a less direct link up between Superman and Batman. Gordon-Levitt’s role still a tightly wrapped secret adds to the speculation of what the role will reveal about the film, something worth hiding would be a connection to Superman, or perhaps just to hide the announcement of a famous villain like the Penguin.
And what of Aronofsky? What is he up to? Perhaps Nolan is enjoying the behind the scenes of Snyder’s Superman so much, that he feels he could hand over the reins of the Dark Knight Rises to another director and the only director he might trust is Aronofsky. Nolan doesn’t really want or need to direct the Dark Knight Rises to make it an amazing Nolan film. And Nolan had something to do with Aronofsky’s departure from wolverine 2.
Either way one thing is for certain, it is unfortunate that Gordon-Levitt was cast, he is by far the worst of the Inception stars and he will again be put to shame by the spectacular awe of Tom Hardy.