Wha?!: Michael Caine Confirms Johnny Depp Up For T...

We’re pretty sure some type of “clarification” will be sent out shortly regarding the following statement from Michael Caine, but for now, it’s the first confirmation from someone involved in the Batman franchise about new villains and casting choices. And it’s HUGE. The ubiquitous rumors about Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin will undoubtedly escalate after this. Here’s what Caine told MTV’s Splash Page…

“I was with [a Warner Bros.] executive and I said, ‘Are we going to make [a sequel to The Dark Knight]?’ They said yeah. I said, ‘How the hell are we going to top Heath? And he says ‘I’ll tell you how you top Heath — Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.’ I said, ‘Shit, they’ve done it again!’” [Laughs]

Caine seemed to reiterate his certainty, confirming that he’s also read the rumors in the British tabloids and that “[Warner Bros.] already got [Depp and Hoffman] in mind.” Make of this what you will. Christopher Nolan is on vacation and hasn’t publicly stated any storylines for a sequel, and Caine confirms he hasn’t spoken with him about it. More on this as it develops…