Who Won’t Be a Villain In Nolan’s Next Batman

Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 4, 2008

Way back in July, I wrote about some thoughts I had when walking away from seeing The Dark Knight. Namely, I had some suspicions about the Death/Non-Death of Harvey “Two-Face” Dent. The character, who played such a pivotal role in the currently second highest grossing film of all-time, was played by Aaron Eckhart, and what better source could there be for news of Harvey’s future than the man himself.

Eckhart had a chance to sit with Devin Faraci over at CHUD this week, and while they were talking about Eckhart’s upcoming film Towelhead, Devin couldn’t help but ask about the future of the coin flipping white knight of Gotham. I guess that I wasn’t the only person who was questioning Nolan’s handling of Dent’s fate, because Eckhart had this to say:

“I asked Chris if there was a chance of coming back. ‘No way,’ he said. ‘He’s toast.’”

So there it is. Take it as you may. I know some people will still remain convinced that this just may be a way of distracting fans with the smoke and mirror tactics Nolan usually reserves for his films. I don’t even know that I am convinced with the statement, but hey…the guy who played the role says that there isn’t a future for his character. Let us move on, because this is an argument that will burn on until casting is announced and Eckhart is or isn’t involved.

So new topic. Is this a bad thing? I don’t think so. No matter how cool it would be for Two-Face to still be alive, and to have a dark and dangerous subplot involving a fake death, this makes for even more speculation about other characters in the Batman canon. If the Two-Face element is completely undone, we have a clean slate that is open for imagination and surprise. Think about it, we knew that Nolan would be bringing the Joker into the equation after Batman Begins. However, what we didn’t plan on was the talent of Heath Ledger and the re-imagining of the character. Nolan has a way of taking something you think you know well, and turning it on its side. So now Nolan has a huge city, with a new police commissioner, a fugitive hero and no excess baggage from a previous film. He is completely free to blow our minds again.

But enough about what I think. What do you think? Is Two-Face dead? If so, is this a good thing?


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  • Hopefully, but unlikely, this will put the Two-Face rumor to rest. The character served as the fulcrum for The Dark Knight. Now it's time to move on and continue expanding the universe Nolan has created.
  • Haha the main picture brings that banned Zack and Miri poster to mind.

    On the topic though I think he be dead as a dodo. And rightly so for the story.
  • Seann
    Harvey/Two-Face is dead.

    My only diappointment is that he didn't have enough screen time as Two-Face.
  • Chris
    He's dead... at least in the Nolan-verse of Batman flicks. He'll only be alive again when either WB asks that he comes back in a future installment, or a new writer/director comes into the picture. Though I hope that never happens. Dent/Two-Face did his job, did it well, and now it's time to move onto another of the rogues gallery.

    The whole Dent/Two-Face debate is like a slasher picture. Speculation will always be there because we never really saw a dead body from what I recall (just a funeral and a casket). So if there's need to resurrect the character, I'm sure the writers can come up with one.
  • Alericc
    It seems they will now have to create a new villian since most of the comic book versions do not fit into the films true to life concept.
  • I have to agree with everyone so far, Two-Face is dead and the film makers should move on. I was disappointed by the lack of Two-Face's on screen time, but really that would have taken away from the amazing performance by Ledger.

    I'm curious who they will bring into the fold for the next installment of the franchise, I hear maybe The Riddler, but who knows. I just hope they never bring in the boy-blunder Robin.
  • Reggie D.
    Two-Face I think it is good not to bring him. Riddler would be a good add to the 3rd movie. Ppl talking about Cher as a catwoman is just stupid!! As much I would like to see her do her 'Moonstruck' performance I don't think I would imagine Selina Kyle with a 'New Yorkan' woman accent ("FORGET ABOUT IT!!"). LOL! Since Batman is a crime fugitive, it would be nice to have aomeone wants his head on a plate as well as bringing him to justice for a bounty. Well see what Nolan can spin.
  • Amol_Ghadi
    TWO-FACE, for me, is not much of a rogue villain but a beautiful interesting character I like to sympathise with for all the tragedies he had to undergo in his life. And he reacted very badly to the tragedies in his life unlike Wayne/Batman who also suffered severe traumas in life. But then that's the major difference between the two. Yes, I also think, however more interesting Two-face could have been and however more his character with extreme personalities could have been expanded, he still had to be sacrificed to accommodate The Joker and to convert Batman, the hero into a fugitive, the hero people misunderstood.
  • Joe
    Vin Deisel as BANE!!! Make it so some new steroid goes wrong and turns him into a KILLING MACHINE!!!
  • Sam
    Apparently the story goes that the script for Dark Knight specifically says Dent is dead. Where I read that, I don't remember, so it's not really credible. It makes sense to kill him. It also makes sense to have him not dead, but not returning in the third movie, but maybe in the fourth or something along those lines.

    The more I think about it, the more the Riddler could potentially be a great villain. I know the idea of a criminal / bank robber giving clues about his next crime is retarded, but at the same time, if Nolan rewrites him as a serial killer it would make perfect sense.

    Often serial killers with send letters to media/police about crimes they have commited or are going to commit and include riddles or, like the Zodiak, codes and ciphers. In that sense, the Riddler could be absolutely perfect. It fits into Nolan's more 'realistic' vision of the Batman universe, and all.

    Other than the previous incarnations of Riddler sort of standing in the way of the character, I think the main problem in my mind is that he's too much of 'the next logical choice' type of character, if that makes any sense?
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