The Dark Knight - PREPRODUCTION!

Batman Begins' Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow is one of Cillian's most famous roles, and when the Scarecrow crazily rode his steed into the mists of the Gotham Narrows, the door was left open for the character to reappear in Christopher Nolan's planned Batman sequels. When the first sequel, The Dark Knight, went into production in early 2007, Cillian wasn't on the official bill, but rumours of him reprising Crane repeatedly popped up. While Cillian had never confirmed whether he'd appear in The Dark Knight; he told MTV on 9 May that he "can't count on that at the moment," a comment which seems conveniently vague in retrospect. Because in June 2007, reports began to surface that he was on set as crafty members of the The Superhero Hype! Boards began posting photos and eyewitness accounts that Cillian was shooting a The Dark Knight scene in a Chicago parking garage. The next day, it was reported that Cillian was spotted visiting Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, confirming that the London resident was in the Windy City.

Still, the filmmakers and the studio kept tight-lipped—until 7 December, when the Los Angeles Times reported that a sneak peak at the first six minutes of the film revealed that Cillian was listed as a cast member. Director Nolan wouldn't give details, but confirmed it: "He is in the film briefly, yes, but I don't want to give away all of our surprises."

The Dark Knight comes out in July 2008.