Clayface

Probably the last big name, Clayface is usually a shape shifting man who looks like a pile of mud in his unaltered state. In addition to being able to look like other people, he can change his shape almost Reed Richards-style, enabling him to be a physical threat to Batman.

But there have been, by wikipedia's count seven Clayfaces, with a few differences. The two most notably different are the original Clayface, Basil Karlo (far left, above), and the third, Preston Payne (far right). Karlo was the star of a classic horror film where he played a villain called Clayface, but when he found out they were remaking it, went nuts, put on the costume from the movie, and started killing people. Payne was a scientist with a disfiguring medical condition and tried to adapt one of the shapeshifting Clayface's powers to cure his own condition, but the experiment resulted in his skin melting when exposed to air and will melt anyone else he touches. Payne builds a suit with what looks like a hood made of plastic wrap to keep himself from melting or touching anyone else, and goes somewhat understandably nuts from the isolation.

Pros: Clayface is a classic villain, visually interesting, and (even though between Founders, Skrulls, and Cylons its becoming a little cliche) not being able to tell your enemies from your friends is both fun and socially relevant.

Cons: The shapeshifting. I love Clayface, but the movies have skipped almost every science fiction element of Batman stories. Suddenly introducing a shapeshifter (or a melting skin dude) doesn't work very well.

How I'd do it: Use Basil Karlo. A guy in a movie costume calling himself Clayface works just fine.

Casting Guesses: Between Ed Wood and Entourage, Martin Landau has shown a tremendous ability to play a has-been, which would be perfect for Basil Karlo.

Verdict: Having a Clayface who isn't at all clay-like would be weird for casual fans of the comics, so it's not very likely, but it could happen.

Mr. Freeze

Mr. Freeze, until the 1990s, was a silly gimmick villain who carried a freeze gun and committed ice-related crimes. If you ever saw Otto Preminger play Mr. Freeze on the Adam West Batman TV show, that's pretty much it. Then the animated Batman series reinvented the character completely. Victor Fries is a scientist specializing in cryogenics whose wife is terminally ill. He puts her in cryo-statis until they can find a cure, but badly damages himself in an experiment. As a result of the accident, his body requires sub-zero temperatures to survive. He builds a suit that keeps him cold (which runs on diamonds, a call back to the "ice" heists he used to pull in his gimmicky days), makes him strong, and has a gun that allows him to shoot freeze rays.

Pros: Still trying to save his wife and willing to do anything for her, he's a tragic villain who makes for some great stories.

Cons: The freeze gun, the cryo-suit, and the need to stay at sub-zero temperatures don't fit the movies at all. Plus, the public still associates the character with the awful Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayal in Batman & Robin.

How I'd do it: It's very, very tough. He can't do most of the freeze-related things. A man willing to rob and murder to save his wife is compelling, but is that Mr. Freeze anymore?

Casting Guesses: Patrick Stewart would be great. Great.

Verdict: In a more fantastical Batman film universe, a well-done Mr. Freeze would make for a wonderful movie, but in the universe Christopher Nolan and friends have established, I just don't think Mr. Freeze fits.

Two-Face

Heavy Dark Knight spoilers ahead...

As anyone who's reading this should already know, Harvey Dent was a crusading Gotham City District Attorney, but when half his face was badly scarred in an accident he lost it. His physical deformity and the randomness of it all made him obsessed with duality and with chance, as evidenced by his ever-present coin, which he uses to make important decisions.

In the comics, Dent is often presented as mentally unstable even before becoming Two-Face. The Long Halloween, a storyline that the people behind the current movies have cited as a strong influence, has Harvey violent enough that he might be a murderer. The accident itself is also very different from the movie version, Dent is in the middle of a courtroom questioning when his mob witness pulls out a vial of acid and throws it at Harvey, badly scarring just one side of him.

The movie version is, of course, driven mad only by his own accident, the death of Rachel Dawes, and his scarring is from burns of the non-acidic variety received while being rescued. His apparent death would seem to rule him out for a subsequent movie, but...

Pros: Technically, no one ever took a pulse or anything, and in comic book stories that always leaves an opening, so Two-Face could still be very much alive. And he's an awesome villain. Harvey Dent's downfall was brilliantly portrayed in The Dark Knight, but I felt like Two-Face didn't get enough of his own story.

Cons: I find fake deaths to be infuriating. If Dent can surprisingly turn out to be alive, then so could Rachel or Ra's al Ghul or even Bruce's parents. Or whoever dies next. So, as a viewer, the drama is removed when someone is in a dangerous situation, since I know that even if they appear to die, it could be written away and the character would turn out fine.

How I'd do it: I guess if I had to, I'd flashback to Batman running away. Gordon checks Harvey's pulse to find that he's still alive. At first unsure what to do, Jim remembers that Harvey Dent is the hero that Gotham needs. He arranges for Two-Face to be secretly admitted to Arkham (and this is already suspending disbelief, since half of the guy is a local celebrity) where he would be cared for anonymously. But he breaks out, and then... I'd have him flip his coin and get the good side. He goes to the media and tells about his accident and how he was incarcerated without trial. He blames Batman and the culture of lawlessness he represents. Of course a later coin flip would be scarred side up and we'd get some fun violence.

Casting Guesses: Aaron Eckhart, obviously.

Verdict: Batman stopping him would help to redeem him in the city, and it would make for a pretty good story, but I would still feel cheated by bringing him back after his death scene. I guess it's possible, but I sure hope not.

Ra's al Ghul

This will be Batman Begins spoiler-heavy, so I'd skip this if for some reason you haven't seen the movie.

Sure, Ra's al Ghul appeared to die at the end of Batman Begins, but there are a couple different ways he could return. In the comic books, Ra's is "The Demon's Head," the leader of the League of Assassins, who has lived at least 600 years, thanks to his knowledge of alchemy and use of life-restoring Lazarus Pits. So even an apparently fatal train accident wouldn't be a problem to the comic book Ra's, who would merely have to be brought to one of the pits. But dunking a corpse into glowing green goo to bring it back to life is a bit of a stretch for the tone of these movies.

The more likely option is that Ra's al Ghul isn't a single man but a title. When Ken Watanabe's character, who we believed to be Ra's al Ghul, died and was replaced by a different man claiming to be Ra's, I assumed that was the case. That the death of the real Ra's could result in a new man taking over the organization, inheriting the title of Ra's al Ghul. And it could still be done that way.

(image stolen from Dave Johnson)

Pros: He's a villain that worked well in the first movie. That the organization had been around long enough to take down Rome would imply that one foiled plot and the death of one man wouldn't be enough to stop the League of Shadows anyway.

Cons: People get more excited by seeing different bad guys, and tying the plot so closely to the first movie might be a bad idea given how much more popular The Dark Knight has been.

How I'd do it: Still determined to destroy the corrupt Gotham City, the League of Shadows returns, hoping to take advantage of Batman's weakness while he's pursued by the police. Stealing an idea from Bane, they find as many crazies as possible and let them loose on Gotham City, then try to take the whole city down with whatever their new plan is while Batman's distracted.

Casting Guesses: Christopher Eccleston is awesome in a Liam Neeson-like way, or Mark Sheppard if you want to keep him English, but it might be best to have the replacement Ra's go a different way. Avery Brooks hasn't done movies for a while, but he could really nail that part. I don't know why I just named three guys I know best from Science Fiction TV shows, but they could all play the part well.

Verdict: If the League of Shadows does comes back, Talia should be running it, since a new character would be more exciting than the return of Ra's, and she also fills the need for a new love interest.

Superman

How can the next Batman bad guy be the only good guy in comics as famous as Batman? Easy! Though they're partners in the Justice League and share a passion for fighting crime and helping people, they have a lot of differences. Just look at their costumes. Superman wears bright colors looking somewhat patriotic and standing out in a crowd, while Batman hides in the shadows and tries to frighten people with his appearance. They fight fairly often in the comic books, most famously in The Dark Knight Returns, but on a number of other occasions as well. Most every time Superman comes to Gotham City, he's greeted with something along the lines of "this is my city, get out."

Pros: If done right, it would unquestionably kick ass.

Cons: It makes terrible business sense. Superman Returns was a box office failure compared to Batman Begins (they made about the same in box office receipts, but Superman cost quite a bit more to make), and The Dark Knight's success only wides the gaps between the franchises. So it could be argued that at this point putting the two heroes together could be a step down for Batman.

More importantly, should the movie be a bomb, it would damage two valuable movie franchises. A huge budget Batman vs. Superman movie that is a critical and commercial disaster would probably make audiences reluctant to see either character again anytime soon. Prior to both Batman Begins and Superman Returns, there were real plans to have the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel face off in a movie, but eventually everyone came to their senses and moved on.

How I'd do it: Superman's a reporter and is obviously aware of the goings on in Gotham City. Batman is a brilliant detective who's known to plan for any situation, so having heard of Metropolis's nigh-invulnerable hero, he's figured out not only
Superman's weakness but also his identity as Clark Kent. Superman arrives in Gotham City to help out, and Batman's there to greet him with a "get out of Gotham, Clark, it's mine." Superman's freaked out at being identified, and since Batman's a wanted criminal, his instinct is to bring Batman to the police, at Batman's response is to pull out some Kryptonite. Superman retreats, and they both go off to prepare for what would have to be a 30 minute long final showdown full of destroyed Bat-vehicles and gadgets, heat vision blasts, Kryptonite-infused punches to Superman's face, and other things that would cause most comic book geeks to die from awesomeness overdose.

Casting Guesses: Brandon Routh wasn't bad in Superman Returns, but he wasn't great either. Superman is almost impossible to cast with established stars, so I'd say go with an unknown.

Verdict: It may happen someday, but not anytime soon, and, I'm sad to say, certainly not in the next Batman movie.

Bane

Bane was introduced in the 1990s at the height of the comic collecting boom that turned comic book creators into millionaires and celebrities, and later almost ruined the industry. He was one of the central characters of the Batman story Knightfall which was wildly popular, but in hindsight disliked by many fans including me. Telling Bane's story involves some heavy Knightfall spoilers, so proceed with caution.

Born inside a prison in a corrupt Caribbean island nation, Bane is sentenced to serve a life sentence for a murder committed by his dead father. With nothing to do but train, fight, and read, he share's Batman's obsessive dedication to better himself. He's forced to participate in a trial of an experimental drug known as Venom which gives its user superhuman strength. Eventually he escapes the prison, bringing his Venom and for some reason a luchador mask with him, and he decides to test himself against the best man the world has to offer, Batman. Unusual for a Batman villain, he attacks patiently and tactically instead of flamboyantly. His strategy is to break every inmate out of Arkham Asylum, forcing Batman to work around the clock to bring in psychotic criminals like the Mad Hatter. Then, only after Batman has worn himself out, does Bane strike. And Bane whips Batman's ass. Badly. He breaks Batman's back, leaving Bruce Wayne paralyzed. And that's where the story goes off the rails, as far as I'm concerned. Eventually, he's defeated, obviously, and Wayne walks again.

Subsequent stories have gotten Bane off the Venom, robbing him of his superhuman strength, and ignored his formerly brilliant mind, taking away the only things that made him interesting. He briefly teamed up with Ra's al Ghul, had a thing for Talia, and at one point thought Thomas Wayne was his real biological father, but he's been turned into a mindless thug who reminds everyone that he's the man who "broke the Bat," but poses no real threat anymore, and only pops back up again to capitalize on his popularity from the Knightfall.

Pros: Knightfall, as I said, was hugely popular, and even though I only liked parts of Bane in it, he has many devoted fans. The idea of someone who can be a physical and mental match for Batman is nice, since most of his enemies are one or the other.

Cons: He's a big strong guy in a luchador mask. That works ok in comics, but picturing that guy walking around in the movie version of Gotham is... odd. He also appeared in Batman & Robin as Poison Ivy's muscle, though he didn't speak and aside from the name, the venom, and the luchador mask, had nothing to do with the comic book character. And as I mentioned in my thoughts on Poison Ivy, anybody from that movie is a hard sell because it was just dreadful.

How I'd do it: You can keep his origin unchanged, although it might be fun to have him grow up in the prison Bruce Wayne spent time in in Batman Begins, but you might have to ditch the luchador mask. And the venom won't work, though he can certainly be on all kinds of steroids. The Knightfall storyline can be heavily modified to work for where the story of Batman has to progress. Obviously, breaking Batman's back and leaving him paralyzed would be far too slow-moving a story for one movie. But Bane could come to Gotham, taking out Batman in exchange for control of the mafia. He doesn't kill Batman obviously, but he defeats him, very publicly, leaving Batman broken, physically and psychologically. Bruce decides to give it all up, that he's found an enemy he can't beat. The people of Gotham, still hating him for the events at the end of The Dark Knight, celebrate Batman's defeat, making Bruce's decision to quit even easier. But with Bane in control of crime in Gotham, things get worse than they ever were. The people of Gotham, and eventually Bruce as well, reconsider, and Batman comes back better than ever to defeat Bane and redeem himself to his city.

Casting Guesses: The Rock? He's charismatic and physically big enough, but I'm not sure he can play a cold, calculating villain. Vin Diesel is kinda short and can't act. Maybe there's some huge wrestler somewhere who's perfect for it, but I'm not a wrestling fan.

UPDATE: Tom Hardy will be playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. See this page to read all about Bane.

Verdict: It could happen, but I hope it doesn't. Everyone expects the next movie to focus on Batman's redemption, and the Knightfall-ish storyline above fits that idea well. That version is horribly predictable, and while professional writers could do a better job, I don't think they can deviate too much from it without turning Bane into something else entirely.

Talia al Ghul

Talia, daughter of Batman Begins villain Ra's al Ghul, is one of Batman's great love interests. Just Ra's al Ghul was designed as a James Bond-style enemy for Batman, Talia is not unlike a Bond girl. She's beautiful, exotic, deadly, and hopelessly attracted to Batman. In the comic books, Ra's al Ghul is so impressed with Batman in their initial encounters, he decides that Batman is worthy of his daughter's hand in marriage. Though Batman turned down the offer, recent comic book stories have involved Damian Wayne, conceived during Batman and Talia's time together.

Talia has had a number of different roles in the DC comics universe: Batman's love interest, replacement for Ra's al Ghul, head of Lex Luthor's company LexCorp, leader of an organization of supervillains, and mother to Damian. She's a skilled martial artist, a ruthless businesswoman, a brilliant strategist, and irresistibly attractive.

Pros: Bringing in Ra's al Ghul's daughter would make a nice callback to Batman Begins, Talia would make a nice replacement for Rachel Dawes as Bruce/Batman's love interest, and her lack of supernatural abilities fits the style of the movies.

Cons: She's not that well known outside of comic books. She had a few appearances in the Batman animated series but wasn't on the Adam West TV series or any previous movie versions. So it would be difficult to get movie fans excited about Talia's appearance. There's also a problem with tying too much of a third movie with Batman Begins, when The Dark Knight has been so much more popular that we'd have to assume many new fans might go to see a Batman 3 without having seen the first.

Another hurdle is that Talia is believed to be in the Justice League movie that at one time was supposed to be already filming by now, but we probably won't see it until 2011 at the earliest. I'm sure the folks at Warner Bros. would prefer not to see Talia in both movies, since whichever one comes out first could ruin the public's opinion of the character.

How I'd do it: A beautiful, exotic, and fabulously wealthy Talia Head (an alias she's used from time to time) appears in Gotham, running in the same social circles as Bruce Wayne. Though Bruce has no idea that she's Ra's al Ghul's daughter, she knows that he is Batman, though she can't prove it or reveal herself as the new leader of the League of Shadows. Still, she wants revenge for Batman stopping her father's plans, so she allies herself with one of Gotham's crazies, providing financing for their schemes and, without revealing Bruce's identity, advice on how to take advantage of his weaknesses.

Casting Guesses: The only name I recall for a casting guess from someone else is Jennifer Connelly. She's a lovely and talented actress, but I'd prefer someone else. Going with the Bond Girl theme, I'd prefer a relative unknown, like how the next James Bond movie has cast Olga Kurylenko. I like the idea of her having an unusual accent, and maybe even being some non-European ethnicity. Theoretically Liam Neeson would be her father, but... I'm not an expert on mixed-race people but I assume it'd be plausible as long as she wasn't really dark-skinned. Some of the most beautiful women in the world are from the middle east, and we almost never see them in Hollywood movies. So I have to assume that somewhere out there is a talented, gorgeous unknown that would be perfect.

Verdict: That's the best I could come up with for a plot idea, and the latter half of it was pretty terrible, but you can see how easily she'd fit into the movies. Although I can think of business-related reasons not to include her, based on the character alone I think she's a great fit in Christopher Nolan's Gotham City.

Poison Ivy

Pamela Isley is a botanist who at some point becomes poisonous and is skilled at manipulating men through sexual attraction. That is about all that's consistent about Poison Ivy's characterization over the years in the comic books. In some versions, she has the ability to control plants. In some, she emits toxic fungus spores wherever she goes. Sometimes she's an environmental terrorist, sometimes she just wants to be left alone with plants. She's shown contempt for all people in some versions, but other times she's partnered with Harley Quinn. Sometimes she's able to mess with men's heads because she's developed pheromones, sometimes it's a byproduct of her poisonousness. So there's a variety of ways to go with this character for a Dark Knight sequel while still being faithful to the comic books.

(image stolen from Phil Noto)

Pros: To be completely superficial, Poison Ivy has to be a smoking hot redhead, and that's never bad.

Cons: Her appearance in Batman & Robin is a huge negative. Uma Thurman wasn't all that bad, but it was a poorly written part and an all-around terrible film, and the public still associates the Poison Ivy character with that movie. And like many villains, her more supernatural powers don't fit in the realistic universe of the film series.

How I'd do it: Bruce Wayne becomes infatuated with Pamela Isley, improbably attractive scientist, while Batman battles an eco-terrorist using the alias Poison Ivy. No poisonousness, no pheromones, no plant powers.

Casting Guesses: Christina Hendricks is perfect for the part. She was wonderfully wicked as Saffron on a couple episodes of Firefly, and I can't take my eyes off her on Mad Men. In fact, if Poison Ivy is chosen and someone other than Christina Hendricks plays the part, I'd be pretty upset.

Verdict: Not impossible, but not very likely. The plotline I imagined turns her into a redheaded Catwoman who likes plants instead of cats. In that case, I'd just rather see Catwoman. And so would most people, I think.

The Riddler

The Riddler, otherwise known as Edward Nigma, Edward Nygma, or Edward Nashton, is a brilliant man, obsessed with puzzles, mysteries, secrets, and, of course, riddles. Many people know him from the Frank Gorshin's portrayal on the 60s television series or Jim Carrey in Batman Forever where he wore a jumpsuit covered in question marks and seemed like a poor man's Joker, but more modern versions of the character have gone for a green suit and bowler hat, and a more complex personality. His crimes come from an obsessive need to prove his intellect. Leaving clues that he could solve allows him to test himself against Batman, hoping to prove to himself and to the world that he's superior. At one point, he deduced Batman's identity as Bruce Wayne and considered it the greatest riddle he'd ever solved, but concluded that the mystery was only powerful because no one knew, so he didn't tell anyone. In typical and frustrating comic book fashion, the problem of a villain knowing Batman's identity was resolved by giving the Riddler amnesia.

Recently, he's abandoned his criminal ways and become a private investigator. Though he's "reformed," he hasn't magically become a good guy. He's less interested in helping people than he is in making money, getting famous, and solving crimes before Batman can.

Before we continue, you should know that this is going to have a lot more Dark Knight spoilers than most of the articles I've written here. You've been warned.

Pros: With a history as both a criminal and a detective, the Riddler is very flexible and can be used in any number of ways. His modern costume requires little alteration to fit in the movie universe (a dark green suit and a purple tie with a question mark on it?). He's memorable, famous, and many fans, based on the crazy rumor mill going around, would love to see him on the big screen portrayed by anyone but Jim Carrey. And Gary Oldman (Commissioner Gordon) has suggested that we will see the Riddler.

Cons: Many people do only associate Jim Carrey and Frank Gorshin with the character, and their manic, over-the-top style would be a terrible fit with the realism established in Christopher Nolan's movies.

Casting Guesses: The internet is swamped with rumors that Johnny Depp will play the Riddler, but those rumors started with the National Enquirer, so I wouldn't take them too seriously. Plus at one point the internet rumor mills were saying that Anthony Michael Hall was playing the Riddler in The Dark Knight, which he obviously did not. This is not to say that Johnny Depp wouldn't do a good job, but my friends like to discuss who we'd cast as certain characters in movies, and our choice for most male characters age 25-50 is Johnny Depp, and he can't play every part. As much as I'd enjoy seeing him, I suspect that he'd be hard to attract to the part, or at least difficult to schedule.

Dr. Who actor David Tennant has expressed interest, but his personalty on Dr. Who and interest in the Frank Gorshin character make him a long shot.

There's also a question as to whether we've already seen the Riddler. In The Dark Knight, Coleman Reese, like the Riddler, solves the mystery of Batman's identity. And the Riddler is known for his goofy name pun, "E. Nigma = enigma," and many are quick to point out that "Mr. Reese = mysteries." So it's possible that the Riddler was already cast as Joshua Harto. Harto did an excellent job, but I suspect that we won't be hearing too much from the character in the future, whether he's this movie series' version of the Riddler or not.

As for my thoughts, I already suggested him for The Ratcatcher just because I couldn't think of anyone else, but Michael Emerson's character on Lost has some Riddler-like qualities, so I know he could do a great job. The ideal choice though is Guy Pearce, who previously worked with director Christopher Nolan on Memento. He looks the part perfectly, and has a demeanor that fits the Riddler just as well.

How I'd do it: Assuming, as I said above, that we haven't already seen the Riddler, I like the idea that Edward Nashton (Nigma/Nygma is too silly for these movies), a brilliant but shady private investigator, is unable to resist the mystery of unmasking Batman. Since the costumed vigilante is public enemy #1, Nashton could be hired by the city, or he could just come on his own for the publicity. Or an individual could hire him, either someone who wants to make his name by helping to bring down Batman, someone connected with organized crime who stands to make more money with Batman out of the way, or preferably both.

He could decide that the best way to lure the Bat out of hiding is to appeal to his vigilante nature and commit high profile crimes, leaving clues for Batman to follow. Or he could just play it straight like a normal detective. While Jim Gordon, knowing the truth, might try to intentionally slow the hunt for Batman or keep it on the back burner, Nashton picks up clues or otherwise fans the media flames, forcing Gotham City PD to act. And in the end, Batman could reveal the link between Nashton's employer and the mob, allowing him to at least partially redeem himself to the public.

Verdict: The Riddler's a great fit, possibly the best out of any villain. He won't be the version TV and movie fans know, and he might not even be a villain exactly, but he could be a great antagonist for a Batman on the lam.

Scarecrow

Dr. Jonathan Crane, psychologist and fear expert, dons a Scarecrow costume and messes up Batman with some crazy fear-inducing drugs. Hey, wasn't this guy already in Batman Begins, you ask? And The Dark Knight too, you also ask? Well, fictional reader, you're just full of questions, but we'll get to that.

Pros: We already know he works in these movies. Solid character, fits with the level of realism they've established, nifty special effects to represent the toxin in action.

Cons: We've already seen him, so it's a less exciting choice.

How I'd do it: Based on his brief appearance in The Dark Knight, Crane is still pushing his wares all over Gotham. Add fear drugs to already crazy escaped mental patients, and that might be a recipe for the wackier villains the Batman comics have to offer. So if you want to have a bird fetishist with an arsenal of umbrella weapons running around Gotham City, the Scarecrow is a great way to set the stage.

Casting Guesses: Cillian Murphy, obviously. Doesn't the main picture on his imdb page look a lot like Tom Welling from Smallville? That has nothing to do with anything, I just always thought it was weird.

Verdict: A definite possibility. He was a means to an end in Batman Begins and little more than a cameo in The Dark Knight, he could play a bigger role in the third movie, or have another cameo to set up the even crazier villains.

Harley Quinn

The folks behind the Batman animated series of the 90s did a lot of great things, but one of the best was the creation of Harley Quinn. Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a young psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum who was manipulated by the Joker into letting him escape. She was so charmed by him (and she's also crazy) that she got herself a harlequin costume and decided to be a sidekick to the Joker (who she refers to as either "Puddin" or "Mr. J."). The Joker doesn't really want her around, but once in a while he finds her useful, and shows her enough kindness to get her to do what he wants. Which is usually enough to keep her completely infatuated with him.

Harley was introduced into the comics universe later and was just as successful there, most notably in the Eisner Award winning Mad Love. She's grown a bit beyond just being Joker's sidekick, having bonded with Poison Ivy, worked on her own, and even joined a team of villains.

Pros: Her costume, often accompanied by a comically oversized wooden mallet, is a crowd pleaser. She's a very popular character in general and can be a whole lot of fun.

Cons: So much of her identity is tied in with the Joker, and Heath Ledger's performance was too brilliant, and his death too tragic, for anyone else to play the part. And even so, Harley Quinn fits in a more kid-friendly, comical Gotham City, where the Joker has a flower on his lapel that sprays crazy purple knockout gas, or he carries a gun that shoots out a flag that says "Bang!"

How I'd do it: Like Calendar Man, but for a different reason, I just wouldn't do it. If the Joker could come back, one could easily tell Harley's origin, starting the movie with Harleen examining the Joker in Arkham and run from there, but even then she might just be too comical for the tone they've set in the movies.

Casting Guesses: Kristen Bell can do bubbly, Britney Murphy can do crazy, Scarlett Johansson can fill out the costume nicely and she's a good enough actor that she can do something with the part. Either of the three would be fine. Anna Farris might be the best choice though.

Verdict: No. Can't do Harley without her Puddin', and I'm not sure they'd want to anyway.

Penguin

Oswald Cobblepot was born into money, but he was shunned from Gotham's high society because he's not exactly as handsome as Bruce Wayne. So he takes beloved birds and the penguin nickname he'd been teased with as a kid and goes into career villainy. Traditionally, he's just a standard criminal with a bird theme and a variety of umbrella weapons, but recently he's been transformed as the owner of the Iceberg Lounge nightclub who has more criminal connections than anyone (and conducts his business just as ruthlessly as his mafia friends).

Pros: Penguin, along with the Riddler and Catwoman, is one of the most famous villains yet to appear in the movie series, and his inclusion would please many fans. Although his

Cons: People either associate the character with Burgess Meredith or Danny DeVito. While I love Burgess Meredith's version, neither is at all what a Christopher Nolan Batman villain should be. When people hear about him being in the movie, they might get the wrong idea and avoid it. Penguin is also not physically imposing, so a movie with Penguin would lack a satisfying fight scene at the end. Plus, as I mentioned in Catwoman's entry, one of the writers said they wouldn't use any of the bad guys from the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher films, and Christopher Nolan specifically said in an interview with Esquire that "There are certain characters that are easier to mesh with the more real take on Batman we're doing. The Penguin would be tricky."

How I'd do it: The most important thing would be to get away from the Danny DeVito version. A mutated freak won't work. Physically, he'd just have to be an ugly chubby dude with a big nose. Jason Aaron, writer of Scalped, wrote a fantastic Penguin one shot (from which the above image was taken) for the Joker's Asylum series, which is probably the best Penguin story I've ever read. It captures the character, especially as it would work in a Dark Knight follow-up, perfectly. A rich nightclub owner with mob ties, ugly, wounded, and with a vicious mean streak.

Casting Guesses: Philip Seymour Hoffman was the rumor going around for a while, and he could certainly pull it off, but even though I did already suggest him for Hugo Strange, Paul Giamatti could nail it. UPDATE: Bob Hoskins is being rumored for the part as well, and he'd be a fine choice.

Verdict: It could be done, but I think it's a long shot, given what we've heard from the creative team. A few weeks ago I would've said no way, but that Jason Aaron book really revived my interest in the character.

Catwoman

Let's start with the most famous of the remaining enemies. Selina Kyle, Gotham socialite, lives a secret life as a costumed thief with a feline fetish who is on occasion involved romantically with Batman. Beyond that, her character has varied a lot over the years, and as you can see (from the cover of Catwoman: Nine Lives of a Feline Fatale), her costume has changed just as much. She's been a straight villain, a thief with a conscience, a protector of Gotham's East End, and briefly some kind of hooker dominatrix in Year One. See wikipedia for more.

Pros: Nothing against Rachel Dawes, but Bruce Wayne could use a stronger woman in his life. And Catwoman is as strong as it gets in Gotham. Catwoman is sexy, can hold her own in a fight, share's the Bat's fetish for tight fitting clothing, and lots of fun secret identity games can be played with Selina/Bruce and Batman/Catwoman. And without some of the goofiness factor that plagues a lot of Batman's villains, Catwoman would fit perfectly in the Gotham City of the Nolan Batman series.

Cons: The Halle Berry Catwoman stinker is too fresh in people's memories, and would probably scare Warner Bros. off the idea. The character has also been heavily exposed to the non-comic book community, having been played by Ms. Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer, Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, and Lee Meriweather. Plus, David S. Goyer, who wrote Batman Begins and gets a story credit on The Dark Knight, said he doesn't want to go with a villain who's already been in a movie. That doesn't mean it can't happen, since Goyer doesn't necessarily have final say on the matter, but it's certainly unlikely.

How I'd do it: Current Captain America writer Ed Brubaker and New Frontier's Darwyn Cooke revamped Catwoman in 2001 and it's been a top quality title ever since. Brubaker stayed on as writer for several years before handing over the reins to Will Pfeifer, who's done some excellent work of his own. I'd draw from their interpretation of the character. The more practical costume (center, above, with neither tail, heels, nor hooker boots), the antihero/thief who clashes with Batman's more strict morality, the protector of Gotham's street kids, junkies, and working girls.

Casting Guesses: Angelina Jolie (the default femme fatale choice these days) and Kate Beckinsale (she's already rocked a black catsuit a couple times) are the first women who come to mind, but they might be too obvious. I would very much like to stare at Megan Fox for a couple hours, but I'm not sure she can actually act. Carla Gugino would've been perfect a few years ago, but I think she might be a little past the age where an audience can buy her going toe to toe with Batman. The real answer for casting would, I think, be a relative unknown, but if I had to pick someone, I'd go with Charlize Theron.

UPDATE: More on Catwoman casting here.

UPDATE #2: Angelina Jolie is the first big (and unconfirmed) rumor for Catwoman casting, but there are now more (also unconfirmed) rumors that Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel Dawes character will somehow become Catwoman in the next movie. I don't buy it, but there are details here

UPDATE #3: Anne Hathaway is playing Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises. See this page for all about Catwoman.

Verdict: Catwoman could fit perfectly with these movies, but it's probably not going to happen.

Would Catwoman work? Can people get over the awful Halle Berry movie? Should the third movie feature the Frank Miller prostitute Catomwan? Is there a perfect casting choice I didn't think of? And who should I look at next? Let me know in the comments.