Followers

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Who Should Batman Fight Next?



Ventriloquist & Scarface in a close second, huh? Are you listening, Mr. Nolan?

7 comments:

Zhubin said...

The Riddler? Are you kidding me? How would that possibly work with this new darker format?

Sharkbear said...

Well, I think casting Dane Cook would be a good start...

Treegreen said...

The Riddler would have to be remade into less of a goof-ball, and more of an extremely intelligent psychopath. The problem, for me at least, is that all the characters start becoming more maniacal "jokers" than actual diverse villians. I voted for the Ventriloquist & Scarface mostly because he presents a new vision that is still maniacal, but is encompassed in someone who has something like Schizotypal Personality Disorder (granted all of his villains have some sort of psychopathic issue).

Joe said...

Brian's right about the "many Jokers" problem if the movies simply make each villian progressively crazier. That's why the new darker Joker worked so well in Nolan/Goyer's version - he's the craziest.

(Plus, you can't have a Batman franchise without the Joker.)

The Riddler could follow suit, though. He's seen some good darker incarnations in the animated series and in a couple of story arcs like "Hush." Mainly, though, because the running theme of these films is "See how he became Batman!" The Riddler's riddles bring out the detective in him.

I chose Catwoman solely for that reason--she's one of the few characters who actually helps Bruce Wayne define who Batman is and must be. I don't know how entertaining that movie would be, but there you have it.

For me, whomever they choose has to fill that role: somehow helping to form the Batman persona.

Sharkbear said...

The thing that made the Joker so different was that he was completely free of rules, and just wanted to upend society.

The Riddler is a completely different type of villain, who lives by very strict rules (according to the riddles he devises). He also wouldn't be an "engine of chaos" like the Joker was, and would very likely have more concrete motives for his actions.

I think this will be a good direction to go in, and I have no doubt Chris Nolan could pull it off effectively. Did you see The Prestige? That entire movie was one huge riddle.

Zhubin said...

Yeah, but it was a stupid riddle.

I agree with Joe. Not about Catwoman, but about needing another character flesh out a different aspect of Batman's personality. Maybe the Riddler could do that, but I dunno. Jim Carrey might have permanently ruined the role.

Sharkbear said...

That's why Nolan needs the chance to redeem the character. As bad as Jim Carrey's Riddler was, it wasn't nearly as bad as Tommy Lee Jones' Two Face.

And if you didn't like The Prestige then there's just no help for you.

I think Catwoman would be a great character to flesh out Bruce Wayne a little more. But I see her as a secondary character, like Harvey Dent. She's just not main villain material.