Emily A. Benton

Well, let’s see. On top of being severely behind in updating this site, I’ve participated in a zombie film, joined music nerds to see the Fleet Foxes at the Local 506, and acquired a new cat whom I named Hermoine this month. (Cat post with pictures coming soon. Some of you have already asked, so I don’t feel ashamed about that!)

Then there’s that I’ve been spending all my money at the movie theatres to see Batman: The Dark Knight not once – but twice! Yesterday, in IMAX. And I may see it in the regular theatre again when the ticket prices go down.

I have always been a big Batman fan. I used to read the comics at the drug store where my school bus dropped me off, and that’s also when I started watching the animated series on Saturday morning cartoons and the reruns of the old show on Nick at Nite. And from as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be Catwoman. Seriously. I made it my Halloween (or as we called it – “Harvest Festival” – because the devil wasn’t allowed in our house) costume for a good 6 years, if not longer. After “Batman Returns” came out – and I really was too old for this – I would take a rope in my back yard and try to lasso it onto tree limbs and (unsuccessfully) swing myself into high kicks a la Michelle Pfeiffer and her whip. I think that was my inner dominatrix coming out.

So now with Christopher Nolen’s films – by far a pleasant return after the mess that happened with the last of the other Batman movies – I’m cornering coworkers in hallways and waiting until my friends are trapped inside my car to bring up all my geeky theories about who will be in the third Nolen Batman film. (Because the brilliance of The Dark Knight is understood, so why beat that into the ground? Let’s look forward!) And now, blog readers, you are next.

I’ve been reading a bunch of message forums and gossip sites on the subject, and so far no one knows a damn thing, but we can speculate the hell out of it. What we do know is that there will be a third film, and that Nolen has imagined the entire story as at least a 4-part collection. He knows how he wants to end it, and that probably won’t happen with number 3, which by the way, he and Bale and I think Freeman and Caine are already contracted to do.

(warning: spoilers) The Joker was supposed to carry into Batman 3, but with the death of Ledger that seems unlikely. And I think it’s unlikely anyone would attempt to do that role again (even in another series) since it has obviously been mastered to the point of humility. Anyone else would look like an asshole and an idiot if they tried. Two Face was also supposed to be in Batman 3, but he had a good last hour of The Dark Knight dedicated to his story as a villian. But since no one said anything about Harvey Dent being dead – in fact, the movie ends with Batman ready to make Dent the hero again – Two Face could very well return in 3 with even greater vengeance.

However, having just one villian next time would be a bore. So, who will join Dent or rival him in ruining Gotham? Some have said that Reese, the man who tried to blackmail Batman, could end up being the Riddler. I say that would be a dumb move, since tradition would have only Edward Nygma (E. Nygma) – the quirky newspaper puzzler – as the Riddler’s alter ego. The Scarecrow could also come back with more force, or as someone’s partner in crime, but new flesh would make for a better movie. Although, I do wonder if the Scarecrow – or whoever the new villian would be – may have snatched Rachel Dawes up at the last minute before her blast. For some reason I just don’t believe she’s dead. She’s good bait. Someone may have bluffed so they can use her later. But even then, I couldn’t see Rachel coming back until Batman 4 because…

Some have said that a line in The Dark Knight hints that Catwoman is coming in Batman 3. (!) Remember when Lucius Fox and Bruce Wayne were discussing his new suit? Bruce asks Lucius if the suit will protect him against dogs, er Rottweilers, since his run-in with the mob left him some nasty bites. Lucius coyly responds (I’m paraphrasing) “It’ll protect you from cats.”

That’s enough to send me into casting mode. I thought Pfeiffer was great, but new times call for new people. And since this Batman is much more physically equipped and a master of martial arts, Catwoman needs to be equally buff and agile for one-on-one fight scenes. (Because Catwoman, like Batman, works alone for the most part. She kicks her own ass.) So thinking of actresses who have made their mark in dramas as well as action films, I’ve guessed 4 candidates for the role, but I think only 2 are good bets. I could see Cate Blanchett auditioning at least, but she’d have to show she can buff up from her usual waify figure. Lucy Liu has done some action in Kill Bill and Charlie’s Angels, and it’d be interesting to see an Asian in this role, but she probably isn’t as good of an actor as the rest of the cast. I think the best candidates would be Angelina Jolie and Charlese Theron. They both can do action and drama, they both are smokin’ hot, and they already have some cat like qualities to their facial features. Of course, the only problem with Angelina is that her lips would be a dead giveaway, even with a mask on. ha. We’ll see. I’m sure I haven’t thought of everyone.

Other great villians I hope to see Nolen play out: The Penguin, Poison Ivy, Harley (perhaps who Detective Ramirez turns into??), Mr. Freeze (please god, not Ahnaahld), Scarface, and Clayface (so many faces!)

So, there you have a fraction of my total nerdiness about this movie and the Batman saga. And Saturday I’m going to see The X-Files: I Want to Believe, because I’m a big dork about all that, too.