Batman 3

[Rich]

Same bat channel, new bat time.

Warner Bros. isn't about to let little detals like no title, no production start date and no locked-down plot stop it from setting up a tentpole, as the studio today announced a July 20, 2012, release date for the third installment of the rebooted Batman franchise.

Christian Bale will be back in the cowl under the direction of Christopher Nolan.

With the release date now set, Nolan is currently hashing out a story for the Dark Knight followup, which already faces some steep competition. Also headed to the big screen in 2012: The Avengers (May 4), Battleship (May 25), Star Trek 2 (June 29), and what will likely be the Bat's biggest competition: the Spider-Man reboot's reboot (July 3).

Comic geeks, get ready.

Source

[GoGo Yubari]

It'll probably be great but I'm honestly waiting for the villain announcements. That's really what matters to me.

[Jimmy]

2012 is going to be a big summer, which looks like its being ruled by superhero movies. I'm going to be spoiled for choice. The only worry I have for Batman 3 is that they have a lot to live up. Seeing how much the last film grossed, there's going to be a lot of pressure on it to do similar things at the box office. And I wonder who the next villain will be? I know we have the interesting dynamic that Gotham City will turn on Batman, but the next villian surely has to come close or top The Joker's level of anarchy. And seeing as he brought Gotham to its knees, it's going to be interesting to see which villain will be cast to do such a thing.

One thing I do have faith in is Nolan's amazing ability to make a great casting choice. Ledger was the best cast choice, and Aaron Eckhart was really damn impressive.

Basically, I'm pumped for Bat 3 no matter what.

[Rich]

It'll probably be great but I'm honestly waiting for the villain announcements. That's really what matters to me.

I am the same, but I am more relieved that they are doing another movie as the last one left too much open to be a satisfactory end.

I agree with Split about the villian, it has to be some sort of really evil, vicious bastard. We need a villain who we can see batman really struggle against, otherwise it will seem tame compared to his facing the Joker.

[GoGo Yubari]

Disagree. It would be a mistake to attempt to follow Joker with more of the same. The big guns left (Riddler, Catwoman, Penguin, Ivy if they want to go in a vaguely metahuman direction) are like the most un-Joker villains in the Batman rogues gallery. They'd have to inflate a villain like... I don't know, Zsasz (who appeared in Begins but only very briefly) or Bane to that level.

I wouldn't mind a combination of either Riddler or Penguin with one of the less cerebral villains, though. A Batman vs. Riddler psychological thriller-style battle of wits with someone like Killer Croc as a physical threat would be enjoyable.

[Rich]

In all honesty I will forever pull for it to be The Penguin

[Jimmy]

Doesn't Nolan hate Penguin and Catwoman? I swear I read that somewhere.

[Maxx]

Oh just do Black Mask and have Denzel play him.

[GoGo Yubari]

Oh just do Black Mask and have Denzel play him.

[SRN]

I am all for The Riddler. That would be greatness.

[DFF]

A properly done Bane could be awesome, though his best story is very sidekick heavy so I'm not sure if he'll get that much consideration.

A cerebral offensive from The Penguin and/or The Riddler would be nice. Throw in Bane/Croc/someone similar - maybe Hush? That could be cool.

Btw, what is Battleship? First I've heard of it.

[Benji]

Nolan always planned to make three films, but said that he wanted each to stand on its own, so I'd say we can probably count on the name of the game being escalation in some way, shape or form. I hope it includes The Joker again, I loved Ledger as The Joker, but he can be matched, but I suppose that depends on how the studio thinks fans would react and how comfortable they feel about doing it.

[Jimmy]

I don't think anyone's going to match Ledger's Joker. Especially so close to the last protrayal. Any actor who took on the role would be taking it on being covered in a massive shadow. Ledger won an oscar for the film and it's largely agreed that it was a perfomance of a life time. I just can't imagine anything quite matching it. So I'm in the boat that it shouldn't be done.

[zero]

Doesn't Nolan hate Penguin and Catwoman? I swear I read that somewhere.

I think he said they're too unrealistic for his version, but I don't necessarily agree with that. For Penguin, you just need a fat crime boss and for Catwoman, you need a smoking hot cat burglar who may or may not be a little crazy.

The only big villains that I think are downright impossible for Nolan's Batman are Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc. Even Poison Ivy could work if you make her less about controlling plants and more like an eco-terrorist.

[Ash J. Williams]

I would love to see Philip Seymour Hoffman play The Penguin. I know it's highly unlikely that The Penguin will be in the next movie, but nothing would make me happier for the 3rd movie. Well maybe something I haven't thought of yet could make me happier, but you know what I mean.

Truthfully, nearly anything will satisfy me with this movie.

[Rich]

I don't think anyone's going to match Ledger's Joker. Especially so close to the last protrayal. Any actor who took on the role would be taking it on being covered in a massive shadow. Ledger won an oscar for the film and it's largely agreed that it was a perfomance of a life time. I just can't imagine anything quite matching it. So I'm in the boat that it shouldn't be done.

I said a while ago if they want somebody who could do a convincing Joker, if not up to Ledger's standard, it would be Johnny Depp in my opinion, the guy is a great actor no matter what he does.

[GoGo Yubari]

Yeah, Penguin is honestly like the most normal Batman villain of them all. He's just a crime boss with a penchant for umbrellas and penguins, he's the only major Batman villain who never ends up in Arkham by virtue of being the one who isn't actually insane.

Another (mostly) sane Batman villain I'd love to see is Deadshot. He's branched out a bit more into being a general DCU villain, but at his root he was a Batman rogue.

[Ash J. Williams]

Am I alone in hoping that Johnny Depp stays far, far away from this movie?

[Rich]

Am I alone in hoping that Johnny Depp stays far, far away from this movie?

I'm not saying he should be in the movie, just that there is an acotr who could do the role of The Joker justice.

[GoGo Yubari]

... oh, I thought that was about the long-standing "Johnny Depp to play The Riddler" rumor. I'm fine with him not being in it either way, though I think he could make a good Riddler (he's just such an obvious casting choice these days).