Tuesday
22Jul
What Villain Would You Like To See in the Next Batman Movie?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 4:24PM
We've received a lot of comments about
The Dark Knight in various articles here at The
Big Picture. In our ongoing discussions of what will likely become one of the
biggest movies of all time, a lot of our readers have turned their attention to
the next Batman movie, so we thought we'd ask for some more opinions on this
subject: Who's next?
Truthfully, Black Mask might be the way I'd go here. Though
he doesn't have the history of a lot of the better-known villains (he was
created in 1985), his story is very closely linked to Bruce Wayne, he was locked
up in Arkham Asylum, and he's a crime lord and drug pusher. The Nolan Batman
movies have spent all of their time making this wounded Gotham a real character
in the storyline, and Black Mask works with both the narrative and the visual
aesthetic Nolan has created.I mean, the guy
grew up with Bruce Wayne so there's a lot of deep resentment there, and in one storyline he even kidnapped Lucius Fox. Plus, he's
a real bad guy, the kind we want in our new Batman movies. Think of how
well you could get back to some Bruce Wayne backstory, which was completely
muted in The Dark Knight. Oh, and I think Black Mask hired Deadshot once
upon a time, and that character has already made an appearance in
Batman: Gotham Knight. That'd be a pretty good
combo.There were also rumors a few years ago that he was supposed
to be in The Dark Knight, but was later excised by co-writer Jonathan
Nolan. Whether they just didn't like what they had or simply chose to go with
The Joker instead, I don't know. But if I had to pick someone I'd want to see in
round three, it's Black Mask.But what say you?
Should they go with a villain a lot of people already know or one that really
fits the world Christopher Nolan is creating? What combinations of villains
could you justify? And...who should play them?
Truthfully, Black Mask might be the way I'd go here. Though
he doesn't have the history of a lot of the better-known villains (he was
created in 1985), his story is very closely linked to Bruce Wayne, he was locked
up in Arkham Asylum, and he's a crime lord and drug pusher. The Nolan Batman
movies have spent all of their time making this wounded Gotham a real character
in the storyline, and Black Mask works with both the narrative and the visual
aesthetic Nolan has created.I mean, the guy
grew up with Bruce Wayne so there's a lot of deep resentment there, and in one storyline he even kidnapped Lucius Fox. Plus, he's
a real bad guy, the kind we want in our new Batman movies. Think of how
well you could get back to some Bruce Wayne backstory, which was completely
muted in The Dark Knight. Oh, and I think Black Mask hired Deadshot once
upon a time, and that character has already made an appearance in
Batman: Gotham Knight. That'd be a pretty good
combo.There were also rumors a few years ago that he was supposed
to be in The Dark Knight, but was later excised by co-writer Jonathan
Nolan. Whether they just didn't like what they had or simply chose to go with
The Joker instead, I don't know. But if I had to pick someone I'd want to see in
round three, it's Black Mask.But what say you?
Should they go with a villain a lot of people already know or one that really
fits the world Christopher Nolan is creating? What combinations of villains
could you justify? And...who should play them?
Reader Comments (247)
The end of the movie feels like a setup for a 3rd Batman Joker standoff. Give Harley Quinn the a strong role and let her stand alone.
i would like to see a mixture of all d villians against batman and robin dey want revenge and escape out of jail 2 get revenge. dis would make a good story line i think and if u dont like it den im sorry im just 15 thinking bout ideas!
Actually we discussed this very same thing the night we saw Dk at its opening.
I think any male villian that is cast as the main villain in the next batman movie will have to live up to - Ledger's villain - no matter what. PEnguin, Riddler, Black Mask - they really need to top Ledger to do this.
That being said I think coming from another approach would be more likely - a female villain - there would be no one to compare her too - and no Ledger image to live up too either.
Plus was it me or was that hint of things to come From Fox - Wayne? When Bruce was asking if the new Bat suit could hold up agaisnt dogs - Fox said it should be ok agaisnt cats - Catwoman perhaps? To me it just seemed a weird thing to say.....
Feels to me that by killing off Batman's current love interest the need for Catwoman becomes quite obvious. However, she's not exactly a villain so much as another way for Batman's life to be more complicated by making the woman he has feelings for be someone he has to hunt down. Black Mask probably is the best option, as it does continue on with the feel that Nolan has created in his rendition of the Batman universe. The only possible problem could be the fact that he's not the best known character in the Batman series, whereas (with the exception of Ra's al Guhl) all previous villains have been well documented.
i think they should use black mask...that would be interesting...i really hated batman forever and batman and robin...and i know nolan could bring those caracters back without screwing them up like the old ones...and bring two face back
personally i would kill to see John Malkovich play Mr. Freeze. i like the potential Nolan has for bringing villains to the screen that have never made it there before, but I'd also like for him to cleanup after the older, not so good Batman movies... I think Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy could both be done much much better in Nolan's world. Though they are slightly extreme for it.
I think that all the baddest villans like the joker,the riddler,the pengwine,bane,mr freeze, and poison ivy should make a huge villan team that goes against batman,robbin and bat girl. and the movie ends with the joker and the rest of the villans gett throne into jail.that would be the bomb. but a couple of the villans should die. maby the pengine and poison ivy. if you dont like it suck my balls asshole. this is da shit. thanks for your time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He should bring back Ra's al Guhl and follow the story with the cops after Batman. Ra's al Guhl could then hide batman and tell him that he was right
all these team up ideas suck ass, remember how gay the adam west movie was, fuck robin, black mask sounds like a viable option, no batgirl, no cat woman, or poisen ivy, just joker flash backs, harley quin, black mask and segueing to the ridler in B4, all you 15yrs can go play guitar hero, one.
I could really see catwoman playing a central roll in a new film. As a love interest of course but also the cat burglar she was meant to be. Two face could very well make a return because as i remember he never dies in the comic book. plus he is one of the coolest villians in my opinion.
Everyone seems to be rooting for black mask wich i dont disagree with but has anyone thought of how easily the riddler could have a side roll in the film as a psychopathic murderer genius? I think it would fit the film style and directing style perfectly.
a couple of u r seriously retarded, but a few of u make good points as well. definately agree with the idea of having catwoman, if i really did miss that line that his new suit would protect from cats, then that is definately for sure catwoman. batman lost his love, and a new one needs to be unvailed. along with the fact that no one can live up to ledger for quite a bit. but catwoman cannot stand on her own, as sexist as that sounds, they do need a male villain figure... keeping up with nolan's realistic view of batman, characters that i loved growing up can be ex-ed out ... like clayface, bane, and crock. instead, they have to run with the realism theme that nolan has given to the DK, and anything less would be a disappoint.
now answering the question of which villains: you have catwoman as the main villain, and go with penguin --affiliated with the mob, and possibly riddler -- but with a smaller role than joker played in the DK, b/c riddler is like sorrier version of the joker. safe bet would be catwoman and the penguin/his mob... but this is a tough version of batman to live up to.
I think that Mr. Zsasz (the serial killer with scars for every murder committed) would make a decent addition to the dark scenes of Gotham that Nolan has come up with.
I like him, too, but is he enough of a presence? Plus, there's already the "Is The Dark Knight too dark?" backlash, so that character might be the straw that broke the camel's back.
I have to agree, the team up ideas suck really bad. Black Mask is a really, really good option. Another viable option that fits in with the Black Mask idea is The Penguin. Not the disfigured, sewer-dwelling, circus freak that Tim Burton was responsible for but instead something closer to the comics. A figure in the underworld, information broker, arms dealer. Someone who has sophisticated tastes and a large sadistic streak. A modern day Nero if you will, trying to move in on the power vaccum that has been created by the actions of the Joker(Killing the top mob figures in Gotham, etc.). Combine that with the continuation of Two-Face's story and I think it would be a great movie. Just one man's opinion though.......
Plus, Mr. Zsasz was in Batman Begins.
Nolan already said he won't use Robin or Batgirl. And thank god for that. i've never heard of Black Mask, but before Batman Begins, i never heard of Ra's al guhl and that turned out pretty good. So the whole Black Mask thing could work out very well
The Riddler should be in the movie and the Joker should be put on stand off b/c no one has the balls to step in Ledger's shoes.... its not right either... Ledger made that role, no one else can be the joker. But one man could make the Riddler as creepy as the character, and thats Johnny Depp. If Johnny Depp was casted as the Riddler, i think its a whole new problem dealing with Batman and his back story.... and Depp could make people believe it almost as good as ledger made the people believe in the Joker
If they do go with either The Riddler, Penguin, Poison Ivy, or who ever else was featured in the pre-Nolan era, they need to be as dark as the Joker and Two-Face are in The Dark Knight. The 80's Batman through Batman and Robin were way too cartoonish, not dark like the graphic novels. I loved the way Nolan has portrayed Batman and his villians as dark and mysterious - something believable.
Also Two-face should be back.... to get back at batman for not killing the joker when he had a chance.... how the joker fucked up Dent's life. That would maybe be a good story. But, with Two-face, The riddler is there to find batman and fuck with his head until Two-face gets a hold of him.... Depp would be great with that role i believe....
i actually believe there wont be a villian at all. i think that batman will be viewed as the villian by the city and some really goody goody politician will want to hunt him down and the movie will take a turn in the sense that instead of batman helping people and criminals fearing him, he will be hunted by vilganates and in some way have to attempt to prove his worth to the city. I think this story could work easily. its a shame about heath's death because it would be interesting to see how the story would be different if the joker character could be used again even if it was brief like the scarecrow
The next Batman movie would be sweet if they brought in the Riddler, and proceeded to make the plot twist back and forth based on misinterpretations of his riddles. Yeah, that's what I want.
I would love to see Poison Ivy in the next Batman Movie, cause we need more sexy villains!
I think Catwoman would be the perfect choice for the next villain! i mean Catwoman was a love interest to batman. or should i say lovers by day enemies by night and with Rachel gone the love interest part is open. i think it would be perfect.
the riddler is the next step. Instead of leaving behind riddles, the murders he commits could be the riddles. Why do people kill other people? a depp riddler could be one who not just murders people, but does it in a way that makes humanity question, why this person? the idea would stay with the theme of the nolan series
Well, I think catwoman would suck, and am greatful there will be no Robin or Batgirl! I like the idea of the Riddler...the Depp guy was right, but I dont think he could do it on his own. Quinn coming in with the Riddler would be cool, she could get close to batman before revealing her intentions of freeing the Joker (by the end of the movie of course), or work her way into Arkham to break Joker out (once again at the end of the movie...I'm not saying I want this one to be about the Joker at all, this could be kind of a side event that sets up a sequal). I've always been a Marvel guy myself, but Blackmask from what most of you are saying sounds like he would fit in this series...it's gotta be someone dark, nothing like the last few bunk ass movies before Batman Begins redeamed Batman.
I just want to mention that yes there are plenty of actors capable of pulling off the Joker again in the future, Ledger was an awesome Joker, I wouldn't want anyone else but now we need someone else unfortunately.