From contributing writer Jordan Poss. Read more of Jordan’s musings at jordanpossblog.blogspot.com.
Christopher Nolan has cast the villains for his next Batman film, and the only word that comes to my mind is appropriate. Tom Hardy is appropriate—if not inspired—for Bane, and Anne Hathaway is deeply inappropriate for Selina Kyle/Catwoman.
Previous reports deriving from off-the-cuff remarks by Michael Caine indicated that the Riddler was in the works for the next film, and IMDb even listed a wholly unknown actor in the role for a while. Apparently Mr. Nygma’s turn in Nolan’s story will have to wait. This, too, seems appropriate—Catwoman is one of Batman’s most important villains, as well as one of the first to appear in Batman’s story, chronologically speaking.* As much as I like the Riddler, especially in his “Batman: The Animated Series” incarnation, I know a lot of people regard him as a depressive, intellectual snob knockoff of the Joker, so replacing him with Catwoman is probably a good move. An appropriate move.
I’m less sure about Bane. He’s a relatively recent addition to the rogues gallery, and one I couldn’t care less about. He showed up in one or two episodes of the cartoon show and one of the films of Joel Schumacher’s unmourned series. I wouldn’t call his presence in this film inappropriate, but I honestly don’t care about or like Bane. He’s basically Barry Bonds roid-raging in a luchador mask.
Tom Hardy is appropriate casting, though. He’s come a long way since his turn as Pvt. Janovek in “Band of Brothers,” putting on gobs of muscle for Bronson and still looking pretty dang jacked in Inception. And since Nolan obviously likes working with the same actors repeatedly (Cillian Murphy: three movies; Christian Bale: three and counting; Michael Caine: four and counting), Hardy seems like a logical choice for the muscle-bound juicer.
What I would like to see—and my friends are all sick of hearing this—is another Inception actor brought in for the next Batman film: Joseph Gordon-Levitt. As the Joker.
But here I am droning about appropriateness like Sam the Eagle, and I suddenly suggest recasting the late Heath Ledger’s greatest performance! Well, yes. As great as Ledger’s Joker was, Ledger’s death does not render the character sacrosanct. Nolan already had plans to include the Joker in future films, and, of course, there’s that whole arch-nemesis thing. Casting Gordon-Levitt as the Joker is appropriate for the Batman franchise, which is what really matters.**
As for Anne Hathaway, I like her, but she’s just wrong for the part. She may be tall, graceful, lithe, and look great in full-body spandex, but I doubt she has the gravitas to pull off the part. Selina Kyle is sultry, enticing, standing fully on the criminal side of the fence but tempting you through sheer lust to believe she’s straddling it. That is not Anne Hathaway.***
But I remember questioning the decision to cast Heath Ledger as the Joker, what seems so many years ago. I questioned Katie Holmes’s involvement with Batman Begins and, what do you know, she’s the actress I prefer in that role. He even stocked Batman Begins with some lesser-known villains and got a fantastic film out of it. Nolan has taken risks like this one before, and those risks have worked out far better than anyone could have hoped. What I’m trying to tell myself is to trust in Nolan’s judgment and skill as a director.
I think it’s the appropriate thing to do.
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*I’m only now, at the age of 26, dipping a toe into the Batman comics, so forgive me if I’m talking nonsense.
**Furthermore, Gordon-Levitt has some serious acting chops. He has worked with Nolan before (an advantage, as I pointed out). And, finally, he looks exactly like Heath Ledger—and here are one, two, three, four photos to prove it.
***A friend of mine suggested Eva Green. I think that would be pitch-perfect.
