A third chapter in the revamped
Batman franchise is probably one of the most highly-anticipated films in comic book movie history. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, it is also one of the most discussed, rumored about and debated films, as well. To cut through the confusion (or add to it, depending upon how you look at it), here's a compilation of the news and rumors fanning the debates.
Will Christopher Nolan return to direct?
YES Batman on Film (February 2009)
"According to three separate BOF sources, director Christopher Nolan’s recent deal with Warner Bros. for the film
INCEPTION, at least includes an agreement between the studio and the acclaimed director to helm his second sequel to
BATMAN BEGINS."
MAYBE Christian "Batman" Bale (April 2009)
"Will we do a third movie? It's got to be the right story. You can't make something like
The Dark Knight and then come out with something disappointing.
"I would like it if people say, 'You'll never make a good third movie.' I say, 'OK, let's make a third movie in that case, let's prove them wrong. But that's just me. The fact is, I have to! I've signed up! Chris doesn't. So I'm in a bit of a fix if he says he doesn't want to!"
MAYBE Christopher Nolan Representative (February 2009)
"He is doing
Inception next. We haven't announced any deal or anything on the next
Batman as that is all speculation."
YES Gary "Commissioner Gordon" Oldman (July 2009)
"[Yes,] but you didn't hear that from me."
YES (SOMEDAY) Gary Oldman (July 2009)
"Well, I'm sure they want to do another one... it might 2 or 3 years..."
YES (MAYBE) David S. Goyer (June 2009)
"Well, I believe he said if we can find the story that he's happy with, that he would return. And unfortunately, respecting Chris… You know, talk to him after he finishes
Inception, which he's shooting right now. That just started shooting.
You know, we've been talking [about story ideas]."
NO (MAYBE) Michael "Alfred" Caine (November 2009)
"As for the future... if they ever make another
Batman I will be in, I will be the butler..."
"But I don't know if they are ever going to make another
Batman. If they do it won't be for quite a while."
YES Morgan "Lucius Fox" Freeman (December 2009)
"I know—I just know—that Chris is working on number three. He couldn't possibly not be."
UPDATE 5: YES (Well, his brother is, so...) Deadline Hollywood (February 2010)
"Now
FlashForward showrunner David Goyer has left with 5 episodes still to shoot. Of course, Goyer's feature career is really heating up, since he co-wrote
Batman Begins, and penned the story for
The Dark Knight, and is now writing the third Batman installment with Chris Nolan's brother Jonah."
UPDATE 6: YES (If he's mentoring Superman, then...) Deadline Hollywood (February 2010)
"Warner Bros is trying to ready its DC Comics stalwart
Superman to soar again on the Big Screen, and the studio has turned to Chris Nolan to mentor development of the movie. Our insiders say that the brains behind rebooted Batman has been asked to play a "godfather" role and ensure The Man Of Steel gets off the ground after a 3 1/2-year hiatus... now [Chris Nolan's] brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan, and David Goyer who co-wrote <>
and penned the story for The Dark Knight, are off scripting it."
UPDATE 7: YES Nestor "Mayor Anthony Garcia" Carbonell (February 2010)
"That was an awesome gig. It was such an incredible experience to work with not only Chris Nolan, but the incredible cast, and, yeah, to be part of the Batman...I guess now it will be a trilogy. It was great to get to put on the suit and represent the city."
UPDATE 8: YES (CONFIRMED) Christopher Nolan (March 2010)
"My brother is writing a script for me and we’ll wait to see how it turns out.... He's struggling to put it together into the epic story that you want it to be.
"Without getting into specifics, the key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story. And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story.
"We have a great ensemble, that's one of the attractions of doing another film, since we've been having a great time for years."
Will we see Two-Face and The Scarecrow again?
Aaron "Two-Face" Eckhart (September 2009)
"If Chris called me, I would certainly do it.
As far as I'm concerned, my character's dead. I've sort of just gone on with my life. I don't have any expectations of being in the next Dark Knight, if there is a Dark Knight. I have no knowledge of one.
I would do anything for Chris. If Chris wanted me to ... I don't know, bring his tea or something like that, I would do it. I had such a good time making that movie, and he's such a great filmmaker."
Cillian "Scarecrow" Murphy (October 2009)
"I hope they make a third one. I think
The Dark Knight was one of the greatest films.
[But, Nolan and I] don’t talk about those things. It's out of my control.
"[
The Dark Knight is] one of the greatest blockbuster mainstream movies. If anyone can match that or top that it’s Chris. Fingers crossed."
Who will play the villains?
Johnny Depp as The Riddler and
Phillip Seymor Hoffman as The Penguin
Michael Caine (September 2008)
"When Christopher said we were going to do
The Dark Knight next, I didn't what that meant in
Batman terms. I said, 'What's the story?' and he said The Joker. I said, 'Oh, s--t! How are you going to top
Jack [Nicholson]?' He said, 'Well, I've cast
Heath Ledger. And I went 'Ha! I couldn't top Jack, but if anyone could, maybe Heath could.' And he did.
"I was with [a Warner Bros.] executive and I said, 'Are we going to make another one?' They said yeah. I said, 'How the hell are we going to top Heath? And he says 'I'll tell you how you top Heath -- Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.' I said, 'S--t, they've done it again!'"
Johnny Depp (June 2009)
"I'd definitely juggle it."
Michael Caine (September 2009)
"There is nobody, there's no script, there's nothing. It can't possibly be made before 2011 because
Inception is such a big picture.
"Johnny Depp is great in anything, but there is no Johnny Depp in this
Batman. They tell me in no uncertain terms."
UPDATE 1: Dane Cook as The Riddler
Dane Cook (November 2009)
"If they brought back The Riddler — a new Riddler the way they did with The Joker — that would be badass. I would do that.
"When they were making the new one and they were doing The Joker, I always thought it [should be] kind of like
The Crow — having that dark element but still comedic. It would probably have to be something in that vein, even though I think what
Heath Ledger did with the Joker was the greatest comic book villain ever."
UPDATE 2: David Tennant as The Riddler
David Tennant (December 2009)
"I probably should be [playing The Riddler]. But, you'd think my agent would have mentioned something if it was true."
UPDATE 3: Sienna Miller as Catwoman
Sienna Miller (January 2010)
"[I would like to play] Catwoman. I actually love Catwoman. I just think the idea of being half-cat and half-woman is a great kind of villain-esque persona. It's the age-old thing of a femme fatale."
UPDATE 4: Will Batman 3 even happen?
Morgan "Lucius Fox" Freeman (February 2010)
"Well... I always say, now I've been asked this question a number of times, and I don't think that Warner Brothers... the board of directors... the chairman or the president... or any of those people are stupid.
"Which means there's going to be another
Batman movie.
"Now, [my involvement is] not carved in stone. We'll only know that when the script is written and the same guy's writing the third script, if there is to be one."
UPDATE 8: YES (CONFIRMED)
See above.
Originally published November 14, 2009