"The Dark Knight Rises" storyline revealed?

[Kegg]

Icemizer wrote:

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Yawwwwwnnnnn. Really? Someone thought we wanted to see Batman square off in a psychological thriller with a bald doctor? That we want to see Batman vs the police department in yet another chase scene? To see Alfred offering sage advice on how Bruce must just endure until they realize they need him again?
I am seriously underwhelmed by this news.

Well, it's a Nolan Batman movie.

A psychological component and a lot of people talking about things is basically a given. Nolan isn't going to give us a light, breezy caped crusader caper where he punches out the Eggman being played by the best Vincent Price impersonator money can buy.

Still. If hey are using this villain I'd assume they intend to also use a more famous Batman antagonist like Catwoman but I could be wrong here.

[Captain Craig]

Each Nolan Batman film has had three villains technically. Yes two were dominant but still you see my point. At minimum we most likely have one more to be revealed.
Begins= Ra's, Scarecrow, Falcone
TDK=Scarecrow, Joker, Two-Face

I really would not be surprised to see three again.
TDKR=Hugo Strange and Catwoman + minor appearance by another would not shock me. Perhaps Firefly? An arsonist for hire who it could be revealed did the torching that killed Rachel.

[Trekker4747]

Considering that Scarecrow is in TDK for, like, two minutes does he really count as a villain?

And I think the "Nolan 'Verse" Batman movies are perfect setting to do The Penguin correctly.

[Too Much Fun]

Captain Craig wrote:

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I really would not be surprised to see three again.
TDKR=Hugo Strange and Catwoman + minor appearance by another would not shock me. Perhaps Firefly? An arsonist for hire who it could be revealed did the torching that killed Rachel.

Balderdash! I WANT TALIA. Also, Nolan seems to have an aversion to heavily-costumed, more gimmicky villains, so I wouldn't bet on Firefly. And yes, I would call the 'third villain' in "The Dark Knight" Salvatore Maroni, not The Scarecrow.

[Admiral_Young]

I personally want Talia myself but am doubting that she will appear. I think it will be too tempting for him to use Selena as both the love interest and villain. I feel like using Talia brings the trilogy full circle and could wrap up lingering plots from "Batman Begins".

[JacksonArcher]

The way I look at it, we usually have one main villain (Ra's for Batman Begins; The Joker for The Dark Knight), then one supporting villain (Scarecrow for Batman Begins; Two-Face for The Dark Knight) and then one villain representing the mob element (Carmine Falcone for Batman Begins; Sal Maroni for The Dark Knight).

So we'll probably see one main villain (possibly Hugo Strange if rumors come to be true), then one supporting villain (perhaps the female villain i.e. Catwoman or Talia the trades have been talking about) and then one villain representing the mob element (which The Penguin would be perfect for, but after Nolan's comments, it'll probably be someone like Alberto Falcone or Rupert Thorne).

That's my guess, anyway.

[Admiral_Young]

The use of Falcone or Thorne would make me happy...although I can't really see someone like Alberto working after the depiction of Carmine in "Batman Begins". That'd be interesting to see Nolan make work.

[JacksonArcher]

Admiral_Young wrote:

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The use of Falcone or Thorne would make me happy...although I can't really see someone like Alberto working after the depiction of Carmine in "Batman Begins". That'd be interesting to see Nolan make work.

Simple: Alberto Falcone, angry over what happened to Carmine Falcone, decides to take back the Falcone crime family and by extension the hold on the mob. It would mirror Dark Victory and especially since the mob factions are sort of in chaos after the events of The Dark Knight, leaving a vacuum where Falcone and Maroni once were, it would make sense for competing mobsters to try and take back control.

Alberto Falcone would be a logical piece of the puzzle, probably more so than Black Mask or even The Penguin (even though he would fit as another mobster vying for mob control as well).

[Admiral_Young]

I like that suggestion. I wasn't really meaning plot wise though, I was really talking about appearance and personality. I also got the impression that this version of Carmine had no children...of course just because it wasn't mentioned in either film doesn't mean he didn't. The depiction of the film version of Carmine seems different than in the graphic novels his based on but that's just my own personal beef.

[Agent Richard07]

Too Much Fun wrote:

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Also, Nolan seems to have an aversion to heavily-costumed, more gimmicky villains...

Like the Joker?

JacksonArcher wrote:

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So we'll probably see one main villain (possibly Hugo Strange if rumors come to be true), then one supporting villain (perhaps the female villain i.e. Catwoman or Talia the trades have been talking about) and then one villain representing the mob element (which The Penguin would be perfect for, but after Nolan's comments, it'll probably be someone like Alberto Falcone or Rupert Thorne).

It'd be a nice surprise if Nolan changed his mind. I'd really love to see the Penguin fill that role more than ever now.

[Lapis Exilis]

Admiral_Young wrote:

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I like that suggestion. I wasn't really meaning plot wise though, I was really talking about appearance and personality. I also got the impression that this version of Carmine had no children...of course just because it wasn't mentioned in either film doesn't mean he didn't. The depiction of the film version of Carmine seems different than in the graphic novels his based on but that's just my own personal beef.

Alberto could be a brother rather than a son. Regardless, a mobster working in the vacuum left by Dark Knight makes sense. I could handle the Penguin, so long as it's merely a nickname given a mobster known for being cold as ice - spare me short, squat fellows with umbrellas.

I would assume part of the "Prey" rumor is because that story includes a minor role for Catwoman, such a rumor seems to imply that she will make an appearance in the movie - though whether as a side character or main character, who knows.

As for Talia, I wouldn't count her out yet, though I think it's wrong to assume there will be any love interest at all in a third movie. There might be, but I doubt Nolan considers it requisite (Rachel was hardly a traditional love interest in teh first two movies), especially if he can appease the studio's desire for sex appeal by having a female villain or two.

[Agent Richard07]

Lapis Exilis wrote:

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I could handle the Penguin, so long as it's merely a nickname given a mobster known for being cold as ice - spare me short, squat fellows with umbrellas.

Oswald "The Penguin" Cobblepot could be short and squat with an umbrella without looking inappropriately campy. Nolan's Two-Face, despite being more grounded than previous versions, still had the half dark/half light suit and a face that looked exactly like his comic book counterpart.

[Too Much Fun]

Presents Galore wrote:

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Like the Joker?

He heavily toned down the gimmicky stuff with The Joker, though. No laughing gas, acid squirting flowers, and lethal joy buzzers, for example. I think Firefly is by definition too gimmicky and heavily-costumed for Nolan to tone down without radically changing the character. The guy wears a goofy helmet/mask, shoots fire, and flies around, doesn't he?

Regading this speculation about a mob representative to pick up where Falcone and Maroni left off, I would LOVE to see Rupert Thorne. Any nods to "Batman: The Animated Series" are always welcome. I know the character appeared in the comics before that show, but given what a big role he played in the series and how excellently played and written he was there, I'll always associate him with it. I wouldn't mind if they threw in Harvey Bullock too.

[Admiral_Young]

Actually I think the "Prey" rumor primarily has to do with the heavy involvement of Hugo Strange since it has been rumored he will be who Tom Hardy is allegedly playing. The fact that it contains Selena is probably a bonus. I think that a reworked version of this stories core fits perfectly within the Nolan Batman verse.

[Kegg]

Well, using umbrellas as a weapon is, you know, a real thing. I could definitely see one of these uses for a homocide in a Nolan film.

But when it comes down to it the Penguin is a guy who dresses in a dapper fashion, and is fat and wealthy. He doesn't need to be less realistic then Brother Mouzone of The Wire. Of the more iconic Batman villains he's one of the easier ones to stick into a 'realistic' story - far more so then the Joker, and mountains more so then the Ra's character.