'The Dark Knight Rises' Against Talia al Ghul?

Speculation on Christopher Nolan’s third and final Batman installment,The Dark Knight Rises, has been rampant for months now, dating back toSummer 2010rumors thatJoseph Gordon-Levittwas on board to play The Riddler. While Nolan later debunkedJGL’s enigmatic involvement, the young star wound up part of the production after all, reportedly accepting an undisclosed role that reunites him with much of theInceptionteam.

Thus, in this cyclical rumor mill where no one quite knows anything for sure, more fan casting rises again. This time it involves Inceptionfemme fataleMarion Cotillard, who is also somewhat-confirmed for the sequel, and her secretive part.

BadAss Digestsays“a good source near the Batcamp” believes the main antagonist is Talia al Ghul, the daughter of Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul fromBatman Begins. If the Cotillard rumors are true, it’s a strong possibility she’ll be playing Talia. Furthermore, she has assumed leadership of the“League of Shadows,” the clandestine organization Batman battled in the first film, and Bane (Tom Hardy) will be her muscle/possible love interest.

Update: For what it’s worth,Batman-on-Film.comconfirms these rumors.

Their sources didn’t know for sure who Gordon-Levitt will play— though persistent rumors have him pegged as eitherBlack MaskorAlberto Falcone— but his villainous character is reportedly part of the League as well. I’m betting on young mobster Falcone myself.

As for Anne Hathaway, who nearly confirmedafter the Oscarsthat she will transform from Selina Kyle into Catwoman, her character will ultimately become Batman’s ally.

Again, details are not confirmed at this point and, in typical Nolan fashion, these plot elements will not be official until there is a formal studio announcement. However, if this is true, the return of the League is certainly a fantastic way to tie together the trilogy from Batman’s origins to his continued guardianship of Gotham. What do you think?

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