Cast for 'Dark Knight' sequel could be great

Welcome to "Casting Call," a new feature of The Daily Campus that will explore the art of casting a feature film. Every so often, we will take the time to pick a movie that has yet to be made and provide insight into who should play which role.

"The Dark Knight" Sequel

This past summer students saw, or at least heard about, the pandemonium behind the blockbuster hit "The Dark Knight." Now, while the ridiculous amount of money the film has amassed has basically guaranteed a sequel, it is still unclear who will be involved. It likely all depends on the director, Christopher Nolan, and whether he will have the desire to come back and do a third Batman film. Since it is only a matter of time till Warner Bros. gives Nolan an armored truck filled with cash to make up his mind for him, let us take this time to cast a potential third Nolan-directed Batman movie. We won't bother recasting the mainstay roles of Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Alfred and Lucius Fox since they have already been wonderfully cast; not to mention that if Nolan does return then Christian Bale and company will also undoubtedly come back. Taking into account rumors, things Nolan has said, and the comic book mythology, we can have a good time casting new villains and allies for Batman. As a reminder, this is all based on pure speculation and opinion and is in no way official news of any kind.

The Riddler: Ryan Phillippe

Rumors are persisting that the Riddler may indeed be one of the next villains. If that is the case then one must think like the director himself, Christopher Nolan. When casting Heath Ledger as the Joker, he removed the air of predictability from the role. Casting someone else like Robin Williams or Johnny Depp would have clearly given us a hint or some sort of idea of how this role would have been played out. However, with Heath we had no idea what he was going to do and that is partly why the performance of the joker resonated with audiences so well. So similar to that approach, it would seem that Ryan Phillippe would be able to put a nice Nolan spin to the Riddler. Phillippe has played wa wide range of roles from spoiled rich boy to FBI agent. This villainous and intelligent portrayal would be a welcome challenge to an actor who is at a point in his career where certain roles could elevate him to A-list status. His recent performances in "Breach" and "Stop-loss" prove he is ready for a role of this magnitude. Portraying the Riddler as an intellectual foil to Batman in a new unpredictable way would be brilliant. It would also be a great dynamic for Christian Bale to work off of as Batman.

Runners up: Joseph Gordon-Levitt("Stop-Loss") and Liev Schreiber ("The Omen")

Catwoman

Evangeline Lilly

We really need to get the bad taste of Halle Berry's debacle out of our mouths. Now is the perfect time to introduce the character of Selina Kyle aka Catwoman to the series. Rumors have persisted that Angelina Jolie is up for the role. While she is certainly capable of performing the part, someone a little unpredictable could definitely be cause for excitement. Enter Evangeline Lilly to play the sexiest romantic interest/villain Batman will ever have to deal with. Besides the fact that she has the feline sexuality look down pact, she is also a great actress. Her portrayal of Kate Austen on "Lost" has garnered her critical acclaim including a Golden Globe nomination for best actress. This could also be her chance to really break into mainstream cinema after years on television.

Runners Up: Emily Blunt("The Devil Wears Prada") and Angelina Jolie ("Wanted")

The Penguin

Phillip Seymour Hoffman

This villain can be problematic. He needs to be portrayed as a realistic pudgy arms dealer or mafia hopeful. Not at all like a supernatural creature ala Tim Burton "Batman Returns." Anyone who has seen "Charlie Wilson's War" or "Mission: Impossible III" knows that Phillip Seymour Hoffman has got the acting chops to do almost any role. Winning the Academy Award for "Capote" simply validates those claims. He has been quoted to say that he is not sure if he would like to take on the role and would rather just enjoy watching it done by someone else. Regardless, the thought of Hoffman acting a fool in Gotham City with a cane and top-hat could be an image as memorable and iconic as Heath Ledger's Joker blowing up a hospital in a nurse's outfit.

Runners Up: Bob Hoskins ("Who Framed Roger Rabbit?")

Hush

Leonardo DiCaprio

Hush is a villain who has complete and total hatred for Bruce Wayne and Batman. His real name is Dr. Thomas Elliot who is also a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. Elliot had hatred for his parents and began his personal vendetta against Bruce when Bruce's father saved his mother after a car crash. This denied Tommy Elliot of his parent's wealthy fortune. This irrational grudge carried over with him into adulthood and he adopted the persona of Hush, deduced that Bruce Wayne was Batman and gave him a lot of hell in the comic books. DiCaprio could definitely bring some humanity to this role with the right script. His performances in "Catch Me If You Can" and "The Aviator" prove he can balance obsession and charisma fairly well. Watching DiCaprio and Bale act off each other and push their performances even further is great for any movie.

Runners up: Daniel Craig ("Casino Royale") and Eric Bana ("Troy")