‘Batman 3’ (and beyond) casting call

Once again…allow me to geek out for a bit…

(SPOILERS FOR “THE DARK KNIGHT” IN THE BODY OF THIS POST — NO WORRIES AFTER THE JUMP.)

Now that the record-breaking hysteria has (somewhat) subsided regarding “The Dark Knight,” I thought I’d take a moment to forecast the third installment (and perhaps future installments) of Christopher Nolan’s franchise.

First thing’s first. What to call the next film? Ideas bounced around by fans have included tips of the hat to other aspects of the universe (“Batman Beyond,” “The Dark Knight Returns,” etc.). My personal hope was always that the Dark Knight moniker would somehow be a part of the franchise, and thankfully, they went there with the second installment.

I kind of think taking Frank Miller’s title for part three would be brilliant (especially considering the nature of the final moments of “The Dark Knight”). But the answer here would, of course, have everything to do with the content of the film.

At this point, we don’t have a clear idea of what to expect from the next film. “Batman Begins” scribe David Goyer (who shares a story credit on “Knight”) formulated the blueprints for a trilogy with Nolan at the outset, and we’re pretty sure Two-Face was supposed to play a considerable role in the next phase. Despite all the chatter that would have you believe Harvey Dent is dead at the end of “Knight,” that early talk of Aaron Eckhart’s contract being for two films couldn’t have been coming from thin air.

Beyond that, the wonderful thing about the Batman mythos is that there is an array — a “rogues gallery” — of villains to choose from. And certainly, there are seven decades of story development to glean for a solid denouement to the trilogy.

The Riddler is staring everyone in the face as the most likely possibility. And I really like the idea of handing it over to the character of Coleman Reese (as mentioned by one of our readers last week). Christopher Nolan is supposedly not a fan of the Penguin, and we all want Catwoman to pop up somehow. But that’s a whole other can of worms.

If I had my druthers, I’d introduce the Riddler and the Penguin (as a mafia figure…nothing major), with Two-Face running rampant as the most dangerous aspect of the trio. But as I said (and we all know), any combination is possible.

So with that, below you’ll find my personal casting call for the potential rogues we could see in a third film or even future installments of a franchise that could go from here to eternity. Of course, we won’t be seeing all of these cats pop up, but the sky is the limit with this universe.

Here’s my perspective…

THE RIDDLER: Christopher Meloni
Most seem to think this is the next element of the rogues gallery to be a thorn in the Batman’s side. Frank Gorshin originated the role in the old television series. John Astin also played his hand at the part on screen and Jim Carrey, of course, channeled the former in his “Batman Forever” portrayal. I’ve always felt like Christopher Meloni (of television’s “Oz” and “Law & Order: SVU”) had a certain appeal to carry across the king of conundrums. Perhaps it stems back to that hilarious “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” cameo. Of course, the role shouldn’t be dominated by humor, but the right touch helps and I think Meloni has that in spades.

THE PENGUIN: Bob Hoskins
As noted, it has been said that Christopher Nolan isn’t a big fan of the Penguin. I can’t verify that, however, I can say it would be a shame to exclude him from the proceedings. The Penguin (a.k.a. Oswald Cobblepot) isn’t one of my favorites, but his popularity nonetheless skyrocketed after Burgess Meredith gave the character flight in the old television series. And Tim Burton’s Danny DeVito vision of the role is a nice Elseworlds touch, but hardly practical. The Penguin has always been better suited on the outskirts, as a mafia figure…but a dangerous one. With that in mind, no one seems better-suited to the umbrella-toting baddie than the great Bob Hoskins.

CATWOMAN: Milla Jovovich
You can’t be obvious here. You just can’t. Halle Berry seemed like a good choice until that wretched beast of a film unfurled, and similar (obvious) picks like Eva Mendes and Angelina Jolie have been suggested as well. I like Den of Geek’s pick of Tilda Swinton because it takes the character in the appropriately oddball direction for the current franchise. But I wouldn’t buy the romance with Bruce Wayne, and that is integral. With that in mind, and tackling possibly the toughest casting decision of the lot, I would certainly buy into Wayne having a freaky, twisted sort of obsession with Milla Jovovich. It has to be someone whose eyes could melt the soul and the heart.

MR. FREEZE: Patrick Stewart
We would all like to forget Arnold Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of Dr. Victor Fries in the abominable “Batman & Robin.” Otto Preminger, George Sanders and Eli Wallach each left something to be desired on the tube version of the role. But Mr. Freeze is, to my mind, one of the classic and imminently doable villains of the Bat universe. Christopher Nolan has proven he can make anything seem realistic or reasonable, has he not? With all that in mind, I think I side with the fans on this one. Patrick Stewart would be the perfect choice to carry Fries out of his own despair and tragedy and onto the screen as a formidable foe for the Batman.

POISON IVY: Vera Farmiga
Most agree that the one thing remotely redeemable about “Batman & Robin” was Uma Thurman’s delicious (if far from faithful) depiction of Poison Ivy. In a franchise some think lacks the right feminine touch (and with Rachel Dawes proving to be a weak link twice), Mr. Nolan may look to expand his sights to the ladies of Batman’s rogues gallery. Ivy has always been a diabolical choice in that vein and the role needs an actress who can seem relatively lovely but with that right touch of icy vengeance underneath. “The Departed” and “Nothing But the Truth” star Vera Farmiga certainly seems to have that quality and would fit in with the most talented of casts.

THE VENTRILOQUIST: Stephen Tobolowsky
This is a character the filmmakers could easily take or leave. There is an element of ridiculousness at play that could be less than enticing, but personally, I’ve always thought the terrifying Scarface was a wonderfully maniacal element in the mafia underbelly of Gotham City. In the Ventriloquist, Scarface’s chubby and silent sidekick, you would need an actor capable of being at once ambiguous and unsettling. Considering Nolan has worked with Stephen Tobolowsky in the past (2001’s “Memento”), perhaps his casting would work out. There’s something eerily appealing about the actor. And he could slip into the background well enough. I’d love to see him in the franchise.

DICK GRAYSON/NIGHTWING: James McAvoy
Wrapping things up, I want to address the Dick Grayson issue again. I’m already on the record as saying that it would be a shame to disregard the potential for this character as a way to bridge two franchises. I won’t bother kicking around ideas for a younger Grayson (a.k.a. Robin) because selecting child actors is a fickle thing. It’s probably best to seek out an unknown. But in James McAvoy, I get the sense that filmmakers on this franchise could find a goldmine of potential. The actor seems quite capable of bulking up and taking on the psychological balance of Grayson as Nightwing, a foil of sorts for the ever unbalanced Bruce Wayne/Batman and the key to making this franchise about much, much more.

There are obviously many other characters from the Bat universe which Nolan and company could work into the fabric of their vision of the character. Killer Croc can work. Clayface can work. Black Mask can obviously work. Anything, really, can work. It’s all about finesse and tweaking to slide them comfortably into the hyper-reality of the franchise. However, I steered clear of offering up casting decisions because they are three particularly vague entities that could be represented by any number of gifted actors.

Meanwhile, there is the ever-expanding array of side characters that might be introduced. Anarky, David Cain, Deadshot, Lady Shiva, Harley Quinn, etc. More doable, real-world-rooted characters could include Hugo Strange, Rupert Thorne, Talia al Ghul (THIS would be fun), hell, even KGBeast. Tons to choose from. And nary an ill-advised path. Only ill-advised filmmaking choices, of which Nolan hasn’t exactly proven himself to be capable thus far with this franchise.

Obviously I’m excited. But tell us what you think.

Who would you cast in the roles of Batman’s vast gallery of villainy?