potential possibilities for new batman villains

Yesterday, I was discussing Batman villains with my friend Tim. He was excited about the possibilities of Johnny Depp playing The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman playing The Penguin. While I like both of these pairings, more so the latter, I think they're a bit obvious. (Plus, I would like for Depp to do fewer character roles. I enjoyed him in Chocolat and Blow just as much as Edward Scissorhands and Pirates of the Caribbean.) But Tim and I both agreed that Angelina Jolie is an awful choice for Catwoman. Which got me thinking... who would I like to see in these roles?


The Riddler: I read this on some web poll, and I thought it was funny but still realistic. Christopher Lloyd. He's a bit old for the part, but who says The Riddler needs to be young? (I honestly don't know; is there a reason he needs to be young?) He's kooky and plays crazy better than anyone, but he may be a little silly. I can't picture him doing a serious-Ledgeresque take on the role. What about... Hugo Weaving? The Riddler is a master of words, so perhaps this role would be too similar to his V for Vendetta role, but I do think he would be great in it. He's sinister looking and his voice is mesmerizing. Other names being thrown around (that I don't like at all) are Michael Emerson, David Tennant, Guy Pearce (who worked with Nolan on Momento), and Casey Affleck.

Really, I want someone like Gary Oldman in the role... but because The Riddler is so similar to The Joker, I'm wondering/hoping that Nolan moves on to explore other new characters. Film School Rejects gives a list of villains that should never be on film, so if Nolan stays away from Man-Bat, Crazy Quilt, and Calculator, Nolan should be okay. (And no, I'm not making up these names.) Den of Geek also has 25 villainous casting suggestions.

The Penguin: John Malkovich. Just give him a fat suit. Who says you need a rotund actor to play this role? I really have no clue on this one because I don't know The Penguin's MO or how he should be played. I just know that PSH is an obvious choice.


Catwoman: Originally I liked the idea of Charlize Theron, but I think she's just too sweet to play the multi-dimensional character, and I still haven't forgiven her for her performance in Aeon Flux (which I enjoyed well enough because the sci-fi story was decent, but she was horrible as a heroine). Now I've moved on to... drumroll please... Eva Green (Casino Royale, The Golden Compass). Since thinking of her name, I can't imagine anyone else in the role. She is sultry and dark, and her beauty is a mix between human realism and comic book idealism. She is a mixture of sugar and spice. I think she can play the dual nature of Catwoman's psyche (both feminine and gentle, masculine and dangerous) even better than Michelle Pfeiffer. She's six years younger than Bale, so they would be a good romantic match. There is so much in her eyes: the need to be loved, the need to needed, the need to create trouble. She's perfect. Christopher Campbell's list is one I highly disagree with, but Marion Cotillard could be interesting... and Den of Geek has some other good suggestions -- Tilda Swinton would be fantastic!