Bring On Some New Batman Villains!

It seems like a new candidate for a villain role in the next "Batman" movie pops up every week. After the release of "Inception," rumors swirled that Jospeh Gordon-Levitt was up for the Riddler and Marion Cotillard was all but a lock for Catwoman. This week it's Eminem gunning for Riddler and Sienna Miller lined up for Catwoman. Of course Christopher and Jonathan Nolan haven't confirmed which villains are going to appear in the next film, but everyone just assumes it will be one of those two, or both. Occasionally you'll find someone campaigning for the Joker to be recast or for Philip Seymour Hoffman to play the Penguin, but the gossip columnists have latched on to Riddler and Catwoman. No surprise, since those are the next two Batman villains most people remember after the Joker, so they're the ones who will get all the speculation until any real information about the Nolans' third "Batman" film surfaces.

So for fun, and because I haven't blogged about comic book movies for a while, I've compiled a list of some lesser-known members of the Batman Rogue's Gallery that we might see in the next "Batman." After all, "Batman Begins" used Ra's al Ghul, Henri Ducard, Carmine Falcone, and the Scarecrow, so it's perfectly reasonable to assume that the Nolans will go for more obscure characters again on their next outing. In keeping with their penchant for more grounded, real-world villainy, I've sidelined the more flamboyant types like Mr. Freeze and King Tut. And so as not to tread on any toes, I'm sticking to villains commonly associated with the "Batman" corner of the DC Comics universe. Amanda Waller would have been on this list in a minute if the guys behind the "Green Lantern" movie hadn't already wrangled her to appear in their film, to be played by Angela Bassett. And no, Batman vs. Superman will have to wait for another time.

Bane - A Latin-American supersoldier renowned for his massive physique and ruthless intelligence. In early appearances he was addicted to a drug called Venom that made steroids look like lemonade, and operated as an assassin for hire. Though sometimes portrayed as an animalistic brute, there's no question that Bane is formidable. He managed the feat of putting Batman out of commission in the comics for over a year after breaking the Caped Crusder's back during a fight. Bane appeared briefly in "Batman & Robin" as one of Poison Ivy's henchmen, but didn't get the chance to show that he was more than the usual musclebound thug. Loosing him on Nolan's Gotham should remedy that very quickly.

Black Mask - A nasty crime lord with a grudge against Bruce Wayne since childhood. The original Black Mask was Roman Sionis, a former business mogul who shared a similar background and tragic past with his greatest foe. The difference is that every one of Black Mask's misfortunes was brought upon himself. He became a sadistic sociopath who ran the Gotham underworld for a time through his own personal "False Face Society" and recently managed to kill off one of the Robins. There's also a second Black Mask, a madman who took over the business after the first one met his demise. Both versions would be a good fit for the Nolanverse, or some combination of the two.

Clayface - There have been several Clayfaces in the "Batman" universe - a treasure hunter, an actor, a scientist, and others - who range from mostly human shapeshifters to monstrous creatures who are more mud than man. Clayface's usual range of powers may be too wild to fit into the Nolanverse comfortably, but an anonymous villain with an unknown identity is a staple of film noir, the basis for most "Batman" stories. A few tweaks to the character should bring him down to earth. And if the audience is expected to suspend disbelief for Aaron Eckhart's transformation into the charred Two-Face from "The Dark Knight," a man who can rearrange his features isn't much more of a stretch.

The Clock King - Temple Fugate, The Clock King, is one of the more obscure foes that Batman has faced in his long career, a sharp-dressed villain who uses his obsession with perfect timing to commit improbable crimes. In some incarnations he uses special devices to speed up or slow down people's perceptions of time relative to his own. Sound familiar? The detail-oriented mentality of the Clock King might appeal to Christopher Nolan, who has turned out beautifully intricate puzzle-box films like "Memento" and this summer's "Inception" with similar concepts. If he ever wants to bring the sensibility of those films to a "Batman" project, this might be the villain to do it with.

Harley Quinn - Joker's favorite henchgirl is one of the best contributions to the DC universe by the creators of the 90s animated "Batman." Harley, a former Arkham psychiatrist turned bazooka-weilding Bonnie to the Joker's Clyde, is an awful lot of fun. She's a cheerful, bubbly free spirit who acts out of twisted love for the Joker, and sometimes for her own gain. Once she memorably paired up with Poison Ivy for a girls-only crime spree. Occasionally she'll take wobbly steps toward rehabilitation only to relapse when her darling "Mr. J" comes back into her life. Joker may be out of the picture in the Nolanverse, but that doesn't mean that Harley can't come to Gotham to stir up some trouble on his behalf.

Hush - One of the most prominent villains to emerge from the recent "Batman" canon. Hush is another childhood acquaintance of Bruce Wayne's who developed a violent hatred of the Wayne family and seeks revenge. Visually he's hard to miss, going around with a perpetually bandaged face that obscures his identity. This is because he's a master surgeon who is familiar with all manner of medical procedures and has a habit of performing them on himself. Usually without anesthetics. However, Hush's most impressive abilities are as a strategist and manipulator. He's recruited or coerced several of the other major villains to take part in his plans, notably the Riddler.

Inque - Another shapeshifter, this time from the "Batman Beyond" universe. Unlike Clayface, there was never much exploration into her psyche or inner life. Her creators tried to give her a few motivations that weren't very compelling, and could easily be ignored. Inque works best when you get down to basics. She's a terrorist for hire, a femme fatale who can not only change her features but also change her physical form with liquid fluidity into endless nightmare shapes. The Nolans could translate her into a shadowy operative in the employ of one of Gotham's many criminal organizations. With her indeterminate ethnicity, she'd also be a great opportunity to introduce a little color into the ranks of Batman's foes.

Mad Hatter - Isn't a villain patterned after an "Alice in Wonderland" character with a penchant for giant hats too hokey for the Nolans? Hear me out. Jervis Tetch may have a penchant for Lewis Carroll, but he's got more interesting dimensions. His modus operandi is that he uses mind control devices to get others to commit his crimes and turn his enemies against one another. Also, the initial motivation for his villainy was his obsessive love for a girl named Alice, sadly not reciprocated. Among the many mad scientist characters that Batman has faced over the years, Tetch is the most interesting next to Mr. Freeze. And I think mind control will show up in the Nolan films before freeze rays, don't you?

Red Hood - If there's one way to do a Robin story in the Nolanverse, Red Hood might be the key. Instead of Robin being a kid sidekick, an older protege who ends up turning against his former mentor would make for a good parallel to "Batman Begins." Recent events in the comics gave us a new twist on one of the most shocking events in the Bat-mythos and proves that nobody in comic books stays dead. Condensing the Red Hood storyline has a lot of dramatic potential, though the filmmakers have already been beaten to the punch by their animated counterparts. The direct-to-video animated "Batman: Under the Red Hood" was released this summer and received high marks from the comics crowd.

Talia al Ghul - Among Batman's love interests, Catwoman always got the most press. However, he also has a lot of history with Ra's al Ghul's daughter, Talia. Since "Batman Begins" already established Ra's al Ghul's presence in the universe, Talia is a natural choice to make an appearance in subsequent films. In the comics she was more anti-heroine than villainess, torn between her feelings for Bruce Wayne and her loyalty to her megalomaniacal father. There's no reason she has to remain so benign, and I'd love to see her step into her father's shoes and go for full tragic villainy. Talia also played an important role in the Red Hood storyline, if the Nolans consider going that route.