Sounds like someone is angling for a role in the next Batman film.

Hot on the heels of Michael Caine's comments that producers have already earmarked Johnny Depp and Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Riddler and The Penguin in the follow-up to monster hit The Dark Knight, comes word from Hoffman himself.

Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Academy Award winner says he has not been approached by Warner Brothers - yet.




He's certainly sounds keen to take on The Penguin role, even if Caine, who plays Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred, is getting a little bit ahead of himself.

"I grew up a comic book fan, so I love that stuff," Hoffman told The Stone Report. "I think what they're doing with that whole Batman story is really true to what that whole Batman thing has always been.

"It's one of the darkest origins of a superhero, to get all nerdy and geeky on you. That character (Wayne) sees his parents gunned down as a young child.

"I remember when I was a kid reading that story, so seeing it now come to life as the dark tale that it really is as an intense, really dark, very visceral, adult tale that they're doing now, all the great work people are doing on it, of course I wouldn't say, 'Well, no, no no.' But I don't know the reality of it, so I wouldn't say 'yes' to you."

Caine was reported as saying the other day that he recently asked a Warner executive if they are going to make another Batman movie, after the amazing success of The Dark Knight.

"They said 'yeah'," the veteran actor told MTV. "I said, 'How the hell are we going to top Heath (Ledger as The Joker)? And he says 'I'll tell you how you top Heath - Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.'"

Depp sounds interested as well. Quizzed last month on radio about possibly portraying The Riddler he replied, "It seems like it'd be a fun gig for a while, yeah.''




There is no doubt Hoffman and Depp would be perfect for the respective super-villains. Both are incredible actors with great range. It could be a lot of fun with those two.

But, it's more a question of does a new Batman movie need these two particular characters. More to the point, does director Chris Nolan want them in his 'realistic' Batman universe. He has stated in the past The Penguin is too far-fetched for the new series.

Whatever you want Chris ... Just make another one.
Whatever villain you settle on I'm sure you'll make it work.