Never watched it, but like Kegg, never knew of Ra's before batman Begins. Don't remember if he was featured during the Batman Tv series with Adam West. But that was time ago since I watched that series (as I was never a reader ofcomic books)
The Dark Knight to have a female villain?
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Never watched it, but like Kegg, never knew of Ra's before batman Begins. Don't remember if he was featured during the Batman Tv series with Adam West. But that was time ago since I watched that series (as I was never a reader ofcomic books)
Also, if Julie Madison is the love interest, perhaps she's some socialite he meets in order to maintain his Bruce Wayne persona, since with Batman on the run he perhaps spends a lot of time as Bruce- perhaps more than he's used to- and he ends up developing feelings for her or the other way around.
I'd say that, in terms of the comics, Ra's is borderline A-list, but in terms of cultural perception he's C-list, down there with Man-Bat and Scarface.
Ra's hasn't always been A-list in the comics, though, which is why I call him borderline. He goes through periods where he's used a lot (like now, for instance), then he'll go years between appearances (like the 80s and 90s). He is definitely an important Bat-villain (and, in terms of the current comics, Batman, Inc. could likely be Bruce's latest gambit against Ra's and the League of Shadows), but he's also a one-note villain. There's not a lot to his motives and goals beyond eliminating Batman because he spurned both his daughter's affection and Ra's offer of alliance and eliminating the world's population because the Earth is overcrowded. He's difficult to use well because he's such a global threat; Batman stories that use Ra's usually turn into James Bond-type stories with globetrotting, impregnable fortresses, and the bad Bond girl.
On the subject of Talia and recent Batman comics, Red Hood: The Lost Years charts an unexpected development in her life. I closed the sixth issue and said, "Wait. Did that just happen? That didn't just happen." It wasn't a bad series, and the continuity backfill was handled well enough. But that thing with Talia...
Yeah that one panel that happened is where I had my WTF moment. I knew it was coming but then when Winnick paid it off it really turned my stomach.
I watched the series back in the day but if Ra's al Ghul was in it I've clearly forgotten that (or didn't catch that episode).
Nope. I'd be what Allyn Gibson nicely termed "cultural perception." Ra's al Ghul in the first film seemed to be a good excuse to get away from the costumed supervillains that make up a lot of the rest of Batman's villains, so i wouldn't be surprised if they wanted to use Talia for similar reasons, but eh, I'd rather Catwoman.
It's possible that they could do Catwoman without the actual feline costume. She could simply be a skilled cat burglar, who wears a mask tight-fitting catsuit (as oppose to a Cat suit). Something like Catherine Zeta Jones in Entrapment. Or perhaps after the tabloids refer to the mystery 'Catwoman' thief, she starts wearing cat ears along with her mask and donning claws, to play up to the nickname. Just a possible way of distinguishing her from Michelle Pfeiffer's memorable take.
I could see her wearing a sort of cat-esque mask but a mostly tight-fitting catsuit that's less obvious. I'm sure we'll get something more utilitarian, or something streamlined a la how the Scarecrow just wore a burlap sack and how the Joker wore white paint verses permanent make-up.
Kegg, Batman:TAS was my first exposure to the character of Ra's, and his portrayal(s) there are what made me fall in love with the character and are the sole reason I consider him to be amongst my top favorite Batman villains.
I would really love to see Nolan and Co. bring Talia into the equation in some way, either as the female villain or as a love interest for Bruce, because it would bring things full-circle.
There's a rumor out there that, if Catwoman is in the film, her portrayal will be very different from what people are expecting, at least in terms of her role in the film and in Nolan's overall story and mythology. I won't say anything more specific, but if this rumor turns out to be true, it will be very interesting to see and watch people's reactions to it.
In terms of casting, of the actresses mentioned, I'd expect them to be looking at the younger actresses for the role of Bruce's love interest, and the older actresses for Selena/Catwoman (if she's in the film), and my picks for the two roles would be as follows:
Bruce's love interest
Kiera Knightly (if it's Talia)
Anne Hathaway
Natalie Portman
Selena Kyle/Catwoman (if she's in the film)
Piper Perabo (Moviehole added Ms. Perabo to Deadline's list of actresses being considered, along withTanit Phoenix and Marion Cotillard)
Naomi Watts
I would really love to see Nolan and Co. bring Talia into the equation in some way, either as the female villain or as a love interest for Bruce, because it would bring things full-circle.
There's a rumor out there that, if Catwoman is in the film, her portrayal will be very different from what people are expecting, at least in terms of her role in the film and in Nolan's overall story and mythology. I won't say anything more specific, but if this rumor turns out to be true, it will be very interesting to see and watch people's reactions to it.
In terms of casting, of the actresses mentioned, I'd expect them to be looking at the younger actresses for the role of Bruce's love interest, and the older actresses for Selena/Catwoman (if she's in the film), and my picks for the two roles would be as follows:
Bruce's love interest
Kiera Knightly (if it's Talia)
Anne Hathaway
Natalie Portman
Selena Kyle/Catwoman (if she's in the film)
Piper Perabo (Moviehole added Ms. Perabo to Deadline's list of actresses being considered, along withTanit Phoenix and Marion Cotillard)
Naomi Watts
Heh, he hadn't been invented yet during the Batman series with Adam West.
Although, I'll tell you guys this: I would watch any movie that pitted Batman against King Tut.
True, Selena Kyle and Harley Quinn sound like the most interesting choices, although the characters would have to be made more realistic.
Selena, as shown in the previous film and TV versions, was too much of a parody. If they toned down the cat element and made her more of the ultimate cat burglar with a complex personality and possibly a background in gymnastics there's a good chance it'll work.
Same with Harley, who'd be a lot more interesting if they toned down the lunacy and mixed her personality with the version from Birds of Prey. An extremely intelligent and resourceful woman who was drawn to and fell in love with a maniac and over time she went off the deep end as well. A former psychologist or policewoman who now uses those skills to her advantage.
I like her as an actress, but I don't think Natalie Portman looks imposing enough to be a Batman villain or 'adult' enough to be a convincing love interest for Christian Bale. The people who made "Closer" did a great job of getting me to look past my perception of her as 'just a girl' and actually see her as a sexy woman, but that was an exception.
And this isn't simply about age. I just think the female lead or villain in a Batman movie should have a stronger presence than a lot of young actresses have and that includes Katie Holmes and Maggie Gyllenhaal. When it comes to casting women, I hope this movie will be a lot better cast than Nolan's first two Batman movies. As either Talia or Catwoman, I think Rachel Weisz would be superb. I'd prefer seeing her as Talia, but you guys are slowly starting to make me come around on the idea of Catwoman in a Nolan movie. I can almost see it!
And this isn't simply about age. I just think the female lead or villain in a Batman movie should have a stronger presence than a lot of young actresses have and that includes Katie Holmes and Maggie Gyllenhaal. When it comes to casting women, I hope this movie will be a lot better cast than Nolan's first two Batman movies. As either Talia or Catwoman, I think Rachel Weisz would be superb. I'd prefer seeing her as Talia, but you guys are slowly starting to make me come around on the idea of Catwoman in a Nolan movie. I can almost see it!
What about Jeri Ryan for Salena? Get her back in the Voyager catsuit!
I think Darwin Cooke's resign of Selena's costume would work nicely in Nolan's films, there's nothing outlandish or strikingly silly about it. It's a form fitting body suit essentially with goggles. Make it armored if you want to for maximum protection.
Myasishchev - Give me Egghead any day.
Movie where the title character wears a batsuit. I'm sure this is a point people will want to say that the batsuit isn't quite as tight-fitting or whatever, in which case, fair is fair, give the catsuit the same non-choking woman to death treatment.
Movie where the title character wears a batsuit. I'm sure this is a point people will want to say that the batsuit isn't quite as tight-fitting or whatever, in which case, fair is fair, give the catsuit the same non-choking woman to death treatment.
In her case it would probably be an outer material that can withstand a lot of abuse (like the protective leather gear manufactured for bikers) with bullet-resistant and thermal-masking layers below.
What's a thermal masking material? Tin foil?
Wouldn't someone who hops around on rooftops want to, like, dump heat?
Wouldn't someone who hops around on rooftops want to, like, dump heat?
Or maybe she sees a TV special about Batman. A psychologist (Hugo Strange?) explains about the psychological advantage of dressing up as a bat, Selina thinks 'hmmm...'
Did he? I know we got that line about him wearing 'war paint', but surely after his arrest they'd have washed his face?
Never mind the Voyager outfit, leather or latex is what we want!
Cooling systems radiate more heat than the object they cool would have in the first place: the heat they remove plus the waste heat of their operation.