WARNING: This article will include the mentioning of various story points of The Dark Knight. If you haven't seen the film yet(and if not, why not?), then you should not proceed any further!
So The Dark Knight has exceeded the expectations of all involved in its making, as well as the fans. It's broken box office records of several types, and many reviewers(myself included) have hailed it as a true masterpiece of filmmaking...and that's not a term thrown around very much these days at all in regards to movies, especially "comic book movies". The film's labyrinthine plot, with its numerous characters and storylines which weave in and out of each other--while still remaining simple and accessible enough to be fully understood and appreciated by the masses--is a feat few directors could have pulled off, yet is something which seems to be a run-of-the-mill card trick for Christopher Nolan(Doodlebug, Following).
So now that Batman has taken the fall for Harvey Dent's crimes, the Joker is incarcerated and Jim Gordon's finally the commissioner of Gotham, the question remains: Now what?
How can even Nolan and company top a film that many are hailing alternately as "the best Batman film ever," "the best comic book movie ever", "the best movie ever", has fans already talking about how it should be nominated for Best Picture Oscar, and contains Heath Ledger's(The Brothers Grimm, Monster's Ball) final and best performance(as well as possibly the most memorable performance of the decade)? Where could they possibly go from here?
Well, let's think about it...
1 - DON'T TRY TO TOP IT - The Dark Knight is virtually as perfect as a movie gets. It's got a mix of action, romance, drama, humor and outright horror that could serve as a thesis subject for two full classes of film students. With the chilling performance by Ledger as the one true Joker to ever grace celluloid with his presence, Bale completely inhabiting the role of Batman, a terrific supporting cast, a story that grips the viewer from beginning to end in spite of its long running time and even a film score that towers on its own, there simply isn't any way to top this--barring someone cloning Christoph-er Reeve in order to put in an appearance as Superman.
So in order to not fall flat on his face with another installment(this is all pending Nolan's return, of course. Only Bale is locked into a three picture deal, although the director has often talked of his work on the man in the cowl as a trilogy), the order of the day is to not even attempt to top what has come before, because it can't be done. Simply deliver a new followup that is just as good as The Dark Knight. Yes, there will always be fans who will complain that the conclusion doesn't top the previous film, but you know what? Go try and do better, then get back to Nolan about it.
2 - THE SETTING - Just as Dark Knight takes place a year after the events in Batman Begins(a wise choice, which immediately clues the viewer into the fact that Batman has more experience under his belt, and that he's truly become a scourge of the underworld), so also should Shadow of the Bat(the title we'll use for now) take place one year later(possibly...more on that in a little bit) so that we can get a full overview of the long-term effects of the Joker's terrorizing of Gotham. People should be more fearful of living in the city, now that Batman is a suspected murderer in addition to the remnants of the mob families possibly having regained some small footing in their bid to control the city. Since Commisioner Gordon cannot openly endorse the Batman, he must obviously walk a fine line between keeping the law in place and contacting the Dark Knight when he needs help. And in the idea I have worming its way through my head, he's going to need a lot of help...
3 - POSSIBLE STORYLINES - There are three solid storylines which Nolan could pursue, all of them taken in some part from the comics, and which the director and his writing partner/brother Jonathan(The Prestige, the upcoming Interstellar) and pal David S. Goyer(Blade: The Series, the upcoming The Unborn) could fit into their "real world" take on the Batverse. Let's examine them briefly, and take a look at who should be in them, villain-wise...
A) BANE - I know a lot of fans are holding out hope The Riddler is the villain for the next film, but honestly, I believe this is NOT a good idea. The reason is that having the Riddler would be too repetitive of what has transpired already in The Dark Knight. Think about it: the Joker introduced the concept of anarchy in an attempt to tear Batman down and make him join the Loony Side of the Force by having him break his code against killing. Along the way, he tried to convince both Bats and the citizens he defends that the only way to stop the Joker from killing civilians and to keep the city safe was for Batman to reveal his true identity. Parallel to this story thread, we had the subplot of the accountant/auditor Reese(Joshua Harto) actually discovering Batman's identity and attempting to blackmail him. What could the Riddler possibly do to top this?
If the Riddler were introduced in the next film, he would probably end up doing much the same thing: putting folks like Gordon's family in danger, leaving deadly clues for Batman to attempt to figure out, and using whatever resources he has to puzzle out the Caped Crusader's secret identity. That would simply be more of the same, and as we all know by now, Nolan doesn't do that.
Solution: Introduce the character of Bane much in the same way as he was in the comics(an antithesis of Bruce Wayne, a prisoner who trained himself to the peak of mental and physical perfection, only to seize upon the desire to break the Batman once he became aware of his existence and thus became obsessed). Traveling to Gotham to unravel the riddle of Batman, he captures and tortures Reese, who finally spills the goods on the Dark Knight's identity. Thus enlightened, Bane sets about releasing the inmates of Arkham(which, like Wayne Manor, should have been rebuilt by now) in order to push Batman to his limits before pouncing upon him. Of course, realistically, Bane couldn't break Batman's back and have him spend half the film in a wheelchair, but he could do some serious damage which puts the Dark Knight out of commission for a good forty minutes of running time. The Arkham break would also leave room for a cameo by Scarecrow and Two-Face(argue all you want; we still don't know for certain if Dent is dead, and TDK producer Emma Thomas has said the ending was ambiguous enough to suggest he might still be alive).
Who could play Bane? Hard to say...obviously, the person must not only be built like a brick house duplex, but he has to be able to act. There aren't too many bodybuilders who can do that, so the search will probably take some time. However, Christopher Nolan is adept at making the right casting choices(Katie Holmes excepted), so whomever he does choose would almost certainly be perfect for the part.
B) MR. FREEZE - A good friend of mine said the only type of person left for Batman to fight would be an actual, honest-to-gosh supervillain, with real powers. We know, however, that such things don't fit easily into the "real world" in which Nolan's story is set. However, of all the villains Batman is destined to face later on, Mr. Freeze is the best choice for a character whose powers and medical condition(he has to keep his body at sub-zero temperatures at all times, or die) could be explained scientifically(keeping the power usage to a minimum; he shouldn't be able to freeze the whole city, or possibly even whole city blocks), and yet still deliver a visceral, visual thrill when confronting Batman. Obviously to portray such a person, you need an actor of high caliber, who can treat the role with genuine empathy and sell it to the crowd. For the role of Mr. Freeze, Edward Norton(The Illusionist, The Incredible Hulk) is your man.
C) THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS - This seems to be the storyline which for some reason, not many fans have mentioned yet as a possibility. Perhaps it's because the story is so beloved, no one thinks it can be pulled off. Perhaps it's because if you tell the story of Batman's end, there can be no more films with Bale. Yet just as Dent states in The Dark Knight that Batman can't want to continue his crusade forever, obviously Bale wouldn't want to step into the cape and cowl for the rest of his life. Not only is The Dark Knight Returns excellent fodder for filming by Nolan--who could definitely pull it off--but it would more than likely be a pleasure for Bale, as it would give him a chance to stretch his acting muscles by playing a worn down, disenchanted and disgruntled Bruce Wayne in his late fifties. In addition, it would be the most perfect way to conclude the trilogy, which showed us how Batman began, how he became a Dark Knight, and now gives us The Last Batman Movie. Not only that, but it would be the smartest way of returning the Joker to us(since Nolan and his writing partners did at one point mention that the Joker was to be a part of the final film), by allowing another highly skilled actor to portray an aged and even more deranged Clown Prince, while giving us a performance that not only pays tribute to what Ledger has accomplished, but would put a new spin on the character as well.
It has been mentioned on many fan boards across the planet, and I have to agree: the only actor that could pull off such a delicate balancing act of tribute and pathos is Johnny Depp(The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Sweeney Todd). And since this story would take place years later in the Batman mythology(where the rise of the metahuman has finally occurred), you could even include Superman in the mix, as well as a grown up Barbara Gordon(young Barbara was glimpsed briefly in TDK, and here we discard the young female Robin for an adult Dick Grayson, if necessary) as either Batgirl or the heir to her father's title as Gotham's new commissioner. Yes, this movie might be a bit more "unrealistic" with the inclusion of Superman, but this last touch is something Nolan could choose to do for the fans as a blowout, since the majority of us have been clamoring for an onscreen matchup of the pair for years.
4 - OTHER POSSIBILITIES - Fans have been very vocal in their desire to see Catwoman put in an appearance. While I have to admit to a certain eagerness to see this come true, two problems arise: First, who could pull off the role with the appropriate amounts of power and sexiness which Michelle Pfeiffer achieved in Tim Burton's Batman Returns? Secondly, an article over at IGN stated that it took an entire movie to show us how Bruce became Batman, and such a thing might not be feasible when introducing Catwoman. I sort-of disagree with this last point.
I believe in Chris Nolan.
I think he could craft a story with interweaving threads which reveal how Selina Kyle takes up her own standard, but the problem comes in again at the casting. What you're about to read might seem an odd choice, to be certain, but keep in mind that Nolan is adept at getting solid performances from the most unlikely of actors(he did it with Eric Roberts as Maroni, for God's sake!), and so I believe that the best choice is to go with a relative unknown for the part of Catwoman, just as he did three years ago with Bale as Batman.
Ladies and gentlemen, I offer up The Ruins' Laura Ramsey for the role of Catwoman.
Before you contact the resident shrinks at Arkham Asylum to cart me away, consider these basic facts about Ramsey(Venom, She's the Man): she's just old enough to believably pull off the role of a criminal just beginning her immersion into the seedy underworld of Gotham(as well as being a potential love interest for Bruce), she's a relative unknown(which works in the character's favor), she's easy on the eyes, and her performance in The Ruins only hinted at a talent as yet untapped. Trust me, there is a great actress waiting to emerge...if she is guided by the right director(Nolan)!
Another potential villain that is being overlooked is Killer Croc, who might seem to be one of the more difficult characters to pull off in a realistic manner(green scaly skin which makes him resemble a crocodile), but remember that the comic character's condition, epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, is a real condition. Plus, there are many other medical dermal problems such as alanthosis nigracans, ichthyosis, and actinic keratosis that can also be used or modified to explain Croc's appearance. An actor whose skill would shine through from under all that makeup is needed to pull this off, and again he should be a relative unknown. Standing at an imposing 6'2" and with the chops to pull it off is the seldom seen Idris Elba(The Reaping, This Christmas). If you want to see the best display of this man's talent and why I'm nominating him for this role, track down the British tv series Ultraviolet. I absolutely guarantee that not only will you be blown away by the show, but you will be sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for Elba's character Vaughan Rice to reappear every time he leaves a scene.
And just so it's clear about the usage of the characters: Croc and Catwoman(either or both) would fit in most readily within the Bane storyline, as Croc and Bane would have to have a showdown at some point over who gets to finish off Batman, while Catwoman eventually finds a shred of conscience and decides to help Batman recapture all the Arkham inmates, which would explain the beginning of their love-distrust relationship.
These are my choices for who the Dark Knight should go up against next. Of course, it remains to be seen if there will be a next film, if Nolan will come back, or if Bale--in spite of his contract--will even want to do another film if Nolan isn't at the helm. So far, in spite of the staggering business The Dark Knight is doing, Warner Brothers hasn't jumped the gun like Marvel Studios and announced a release date for the next Bat-film. Much as they waited a few years back for Nolan to come to them and tell them what the next story would be, it appears they're doing the right thing and hoping for the best.
And in spite of all our best speculation and desires, that's all we as fans can do...wait and hope.
Official Archives of LanceReviews...
Who Next Shall Hunt The Dark Knight?
Bat out of hell: Nolan created a masterpiece with The Dark Knight. But can he top it with a third installment?
Could Johnny Depp do Ledger's Joker justice?
Idris Elba would make a formidable Killer Croc.
An unusual choice, Laura Ramsey may be just the type of Catwoman fans are clamoring for.
Should Nolan choose to go with an actual supervillain, he couldn't do better than Edward Norton as Mr. Freeze.
As unlikely as it seems, Mr. Freeze would be a good choice for a villain in the next Bat-film.
It's unclear who could play Bane, but one thing is certain: treat the character better than Joel Schumacher did!
