Michael Caine Says “Depp as Riddler, Hoffman as Penguin” in Next Batman

This could still very well be wishful thinking on the part of Warner Bros. executives, who have likely been scouring the internet for fan commentary on The Dark Knight and speculation on what they feel are inevitable sequels, but from the mouth of Michael Caine, Alfred Pennyworth himself, comes this bit of tantalizing information

“When Christopher [Nolan] said we were going to do ‘The Dark Knight’ next, I didn’t know what that meant in Batman terms. I said, ‘What’s the story?’ and he said The Joker. I said, ‘Oh, s–t! How are you going to top Jack [Nicholson]?’ He said, ‘Well, I’ve cast Heath Ledger. And I went ‘Ha! I couldn’t top Jack, but if anyone could, maybe Heath could.’ And he did.”

“I was with [a Warner Bros.] executive and I said, ‘Are we going to make another one?’ They said yeah. I said, ‘How the hell are we going to top Heath? And he says ‘I’ll tell you how you top Heath — Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.’ I said, ‘S–t, they’ve done it again!’” [Laughs] .

Keep in mind that there is no script and Nolan is on a much needed vacation, so this is still entirely unconfirmed, but it’s no surprise that studio suits are thinking along those lines already. Depp can do anything and is always rumored for any project where a good actor is required, but he does seem like he belongs somewhere in Gotham City, and playing another enigma with a stylish hat and cane a la a more sinister Wonka just seems a perfect fit. Hoffman can also do anything, and there is definitely room to take the Penguin in a different direction from Burgess Meredith’s wak-wakking and Danny DeVito’s deformed monster. Oswald Cobblepot is supposed to be a world class fence, launderer and businessman with his fingers in many sinister soups. Whether or not any of this would actually top Ledger’s Joker is another ball of wax entirely.

That said, there are many who think this new Bat-saga is overdue for a really strong and dynamic female presence. Catwoman and Poison Ivy would be ideal to fill this void. There are already copycatters in The Dark Knight, so a woman inspired by Batman to go out and earn herself a bad reputation as a jewel thief is perfectly explainable, and keeping Ivy as an eco-terrorist with a penchant for chemical methodology could work just as well.

This is executive spitballing. It’s nothing official. But it sure is fun to think about.