WHO WILL BE NEXT TO FACE THE BAT?

Written by Matthew Pejkovic

With the follow up to The Dark Knight given a 2012 release date, speculation is high as to which villain director Christopher Nolan will choose to face off against his Batman.

Matt’s Movie Reviews selects its picks from the vast crop of Batman bad guys, which actors will best suit the part, and how it could all fit in Nolan’s realistic version of this comic book universe.

BLACK MASK

WHO?
One of Gotham’s most feared underworld figures, Black Mask is a mob boss of vast power, strength, and intellect. Born Roman Sionis, his parents ran in the same high class circles as the Wayne family, but behind closed doors they professed a deep hatred for Gotham’s royalty, which in turn influenced their son, who saw Bruce Wayne as his lifelong enemy.

HOW IT COULD WORK...
Black Mask’s lack of superpowers and villainous standing as mob boss suits the realistic atmosphere of Nolan’s Batman universe. He’s a formidable opponent both physically and intellectually, plus his relationship with Bruce Wayne can give Nolan another element to tap into.

WHO COULD PLAY THE PART?

Jeremy Remmer
With Black Mask, an actor is needed to both counter and equal Christian Bale in what is essentially an anti-Bruce Wayne role. Jeremy Remmer is a perfect fit, bringing the desired intensity and physicality needed to make the part work.

Michael C. Hall
The guy has cornered the market in intelligent, physically efficient psychopaths as Dexter, and would provide the perfect counter to Bale’s Batman.

Viggo Mortensen
He excels at portraying dark characters, and his ability to play intimidating characters will make him a worthy adversary to Bale’s Batman, both intellectually and physically. Only good things can come in his working with Nolan.

CATWOMAN

WHO?
Outside of The Joker, Catwoman is perhaps the most popular of Batman’s villains, and certainly the sexiest. An accomplished thief with a tragic past, Catwoman / Sellina Kyle’s relationship with Batman is complicated to say the least, with the pair beginning as foes yet becoming much more intimate as the years passed. Michelle Pfieffer rocked the role in the vastly underrated Batman Returns.

HOW IT COULD WORK...
With the death of Rachel Dawes, Batman is in need of some female company. Catwoman works as both love interest andvillain, while providing commentary on the damaged psychosis of these masked individuals. Nolan’s penchant for mind games (Memento, The Prestige) would work well in that context.

WHO COULD PLAY THE PART?

Emily Blunt
It’s all in the eyes, green and piercing. Not to mention that she is a fine actress and physical specimen to boot! Blunt was close to wearing the black leather as the Black Widow in Iron Man 2. Hopefully, we will get to see her do so here.

Rachel McAdams
The sass and hypnotic beauty which McAdams projects would be perfect for this role. Those eyes and lush lips don’t hurt either.

Eva Green
She melted James Bond’s heart. Could she do the same to the Dark Knight? If anything, Green will bring a flair of the exotic to the role, and would compliment Bale very well.

THE PENGUIN

WHO?
A fixture in the Batman universe, The Penguin is both lauded and despised amongst the Caped Crusader’s fans. In the comic books he is a murderous gangster with a fascination with birds and ornithology (the study of birds). Burgess Meredith made the part famous in the campy 1960s Batman TV program.

HOW IT COULD WORK...
A redo will be needed in order the reintroduce The Penguin in this Batman universe, so bye-bye top hat and spectacles. What would work is Penguin’s role as either an industrialist, or a vulture in the financial sector, sucking the city dry while spreading fear via his role as a crime boss.

WHO COULD PLAY THE PART?

Danny Huston
Who says The Penguin has to be portly? Danny Huston is an accomplished character actor who does villains well, especially the white collar kind.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman
A hotly tipped candidate, Hoffman expertly played a similar villain in Mission Impossible III. His frame lends itself to the character very well, and it would be a pleasure to watch him go one-on-one with Bale.

Paul Giamatti
Short, round, able to play menacing, with the acting chops sure to steal every scene, Giamatti would be a dream choice.

POISON IVY

WHO?
The seductress in Batman’s pedigree of villains, Poison Ivy was the product of a scientific experiment gone very well (in villainous terms), her altered body chemistry enabling her to exude a variety of floral toxins which can both seduce and kill. A criminal career saw her as a radical crusader for the environment and a worthy adversary to Batman.

HOW IT COULD WORK...
The Dark Knight proved that Nolan is not shy in approaching the topical, and with environment the topic at the moment, Poison Ivy should be threaded into a plot involving an eco-terrorists revenge of Wayne Industries’ polluting ways.

WHO COULD PLAY THE PART?

Amanda Seyfried
This boxom blonde has been making a name for herself in both chick flick weepies (Dear John) and erotic thrillers (Chloe). The role of the alluring yet deadly Poison Ivy would give Seyfried a big name movie of a different kind to show off her assets, I mean, talents.

Christina Hendricks
Mad Men’s resident red head vixen holds sway as the fans choice, her smouldering looks simply hypnotic. Christian Bale will be putty in her hands.

Amy Adams
Perhaps the most popular red head working today, Amy Adams will have to prove she can do sultry and dangerous to go along with her sweet and innocent. For an actress of her talent and calibre, that shouldn’t be a problem.

THE RIDDLER

WHO?
The trickster of trickster’s, the Riddler (real name Edward Nigma) has played many a mind game on Batman, and has proved himself to be more than a Joker knock-off with his recent schemes taking Batman close to the edge.

HOW IT COULD WORK...
With Riddler playing the villain, Nolan can create a tasty crime mystery which would see Batman’s detective skills given a run for its money. Dark and absorbing, imagine Se7en meets Heat.

WHO COULD PLAY THE PART?

Joseph Gordon Levitt
His stock has risen considerably over the past year, his look matches the character, and he has a great bad guy in him which Nolan can mould and let loose on the screen.

Casey Affleck
The guy looks the part, with his jittery and slightly disturbing screen persona seen in the likes of The Assassination of Jesse James... perfect for the role, and the films tone.

Johnny Depp
The fans choice. Both Depp & Bale have tussled before in Public Enemies. Round two would see Depp again playing the villain, cool and calculated, with flashes of lunacy. Together with Nolan, only good things can come.