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Never Play The Guessing Game With Christopher Nolan: Gordon-Levitt and Cotillard's Dark Knight Rises Roles Revealed

By TK | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (29)

jGL.jpg

HA!

I fucking love Christopher Nolan. After weeks of speculating, rumor mongering, questioning and pondering, we finally know who Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard will be portraying in The Dark Knight Rises. And the internet was completely fucking wrong.

Again.

No Talia al Ghul. No Alberto Falcone. Nope, nuh uh, nyet, nein, negative.

So here’s the truth, directly from the Warner Bros press release:

Cotillard will appear as Miranda Tate, a Wayne Enterprises board member eager to help a still-grieving Bruce Wayne resume his father’s philanthropic endeavors for Gotham. Gordon-Levitt will play John Blake, a Gotham City beat cop assigned to special duty under the command of Commissioner Gordon.

So yeah. Not even close to what we expected/were guessing. And in a sudden, vicious blow to my geekery, I have absolutely no idea who either of those characters are. Which is kind of awesome.

Well played, Nolan. Well played indeed.









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Comments

I have no idea who those characters are either, TK, but thank you for that dose of JGL news today. Mmmhhmmm.

Posted by: KP at April 19, 2011 8:42 PM

GOD DAMN EVERYTHING.

ever.

Posted by: gp at April 19, 2011 8:52 PM

Posted by: couch and pants at April 19, 2011 8:55 PM

Wow...those roles sound...really fucking boring.

Posted by: Case at April 19, 2011 9:21 PM

But will there be vests? WHAT ABOUT THE VESTS!!!!

Posted by: Lauren at April 19, 2011 9:49 PM

This makes me happy because 1. I trust Christopher Nolan completely and believe that he knows exactly what he is doing and 2. I'm still on my personal crusade to see Guy Pearce as the Riddler. Think about it. Everything that was awesome about him in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert AND Memento in one character.

I know it will never happen. Just let me have my dreams.

Posted by: Intern Rusty at April 19, 2011 10:13 PM

I think the AV Club is a little closer to the truth.

Posted by: wonderbreadhead at April 19, 2011 10:19 PM

I AM BLOWN AWAY BY BOREDOM.

Posted by: duckandcover at April 20, 2011 1:37 AM

Zzzzzzz......

Posted by: haplo at April 20, 2011 4:10 AM

This is much better than if they were playing those more major character type things that the internets was so sure they'd be playing. Seems to me this way it's less likely to be uber bloated. Nolan knows what he's doing.

Posted by: zeke the pig at April 20, 2011 4:22 AM

i was going to argue dat Marion n JGL cud've been put to much better use playing major roles in future installments but Nolan looks like he can't wait to move on so...fuck it.

Posted by: haplo at April 20, 2011 4:26 AM

I'm going with Miranda Tate = Talia Al'Ghul. Still. I just don't see why you bring that story line back and leave Talia out of it. Talia has proven very good at manipulating Bruce in the past.

Posted by: TylerDFC at April 20, 2011 7:06 AM

Couldn't we possibly just shorten all the Dark Knight Rises casting news to: 'Bale, Oldman join Inception 2'?

Posted by: chipper at April 20, 2011 7:37 AM

LL Cool J

Ladies Love Cool Joseph

. . .

Aww, come on, it's pretty good. What are you looking at me like that for?! It's factually correct! And the original guy stopped using it when Robin and him started up CSI: Dead Hookers Killed By Movie Folk.

Posted by: Kballs at April 20, 2011 8:47 AM

I also demand vests. And ties. With double Windsor knots.

Posted by: Scully at April 20, 2011 8:48 AM

As far as I can tell, they're not characters in the comic books. I'm glad they didn't go the Talia or Alberto Falcone route. That would mean they would've had both of those characters on top of Catwoman and Bane. It would be the Spiderman 3 mistake of just too many big-name characters in one movie without enough attention given to any.

Posted by: Sassafrass Green at April 20, 2011 9:23 AM

Wow. That news is so underwhelming. I double clicked on this post so hard, I almost killed my mouse. Than I get this news. Hm. I'm going to have to hunt down some of my hardcore comic friends and ask them for some info. These characters have to be an interesting aspect of the Batman realm in order to justify actors of this caliber. Have To.

Posted by: Kaleena at April 20, 2011 9:24 AM

I'm with DFC. Even if this whole "Melissa Tate" persona is in the first half of the movie, she's going Talia in the second. All infiltrate-y up in Wayne Enterprises' business...

Posted by: D-Day at April 20, 2011 9:52 AM

YES! We don't need a buttload of complex heroes and villains that would need 3/4 of the movie to give background to. This is good news.

And those saying this sounds boring...Really? Nolan could have JGL play Ben Stein and it would be fantastic.

Posted by: Paultera at April 20, 2011 10:00 AM

I don't really have a comment on this story, but that's a hella steaming photo. Thank you.

Posted by: Caspar at April 20, 2011 10:12 AM

Call me old school but I like a lot of Batman in my Batman movies because I like Batman. Batman will be around long after JGL and Cottilard, the inexplicable hotties of the moment, are gone. You see there is something epic about a rich guy that puts on a cloak and a mask and beats up bad guys in his spare time.

The guy with dirty hair from 3rd rock will never be epic. Cottilards 15 mimutes will be up next year.

Posted by: logan at April 20, 2011 10:16 AM

Damn, logan. You sure know how to serve up some poop salad. Judging by your fan-talk, you should be excited by this news. They're both solid actors that'll bring plenty to the movie, helping Batman be even more awesome. Would you rather have "actors" like Ashton Kutcher and Scarlett Johansson play these parts so they can ruin everything with their no-talent ass-suckery?

Posted by: Kballs at April 20, 2011 10:27 AM

Let's not forget that in Nolan's Bat-verse, "Ras Al Ghul" was a title that Henry Ducard took on. He wasn't immortal. So, it is indeed possible that Cotillard's character would function similarly. And the corporate espionage angle definitely makes sense. What does "Talia" mean, though, if it's not her real name? The Demon's Tail?

That said, I'd be shocked if Nolan tried to pull the same rabbit out of his hat with both father/daughter. I mean, it would work, it just won't be nearly as radasstically surprising as the first go 'round.

@Intern Rusty: Yes! I've been saying Guy Pierce for The Riddler for years! (He'd make a good Daredevil, too). Though, as cool as that would be, I think I've moved on to Michael Emerson as my dream Edward Nigma. Mostly 'cause of those damned, creepy, all-seeing, Sauron-esque eyes.

Posted by: RobP at April 20, 2011 10:50 AM

The double windsor is the shit. Just sayin.

Posted by: The Gay at April 20, 2011 11:23 AM

You totally miss my point, Kballs. The more time others get the less time we get with Bale, Freeman, Oldham, Hardy. You know the MAIN characters. You know the REAL actors, not the flavors of the minute.

Posted by: Logan at April 20, 2011 1:13 PM

As long as Christian Bale is playing Batman they can do anything and I will be there watching every of those movies and loving every of them!

Posted by: Nancy at April 20, 2011 2:27 PM

give me Talia anyday. who cares about......Falcone. If Bats were sane, which I don't think he ever will be, He'd marry Talia. I mean how often does Brucey get a woman pursuing him who isn't Ivy, Cat, Babs, or any other woman with man issues?

Posted by: Lord-ninja at April 20, 2011 2:44 PM

I gotta say, I don't give a fuck about Bale as Batman. I think I liked the character just fine in the first film, but I watch the second film for The Joker, and that is all. I don't know, I just can't identify with him or something. Maybe it doesn't help that I couldn't give two shits about the Rachel character. I smile when she gets it.

Seriously, though, watch The Dark Knight and just skip to all the Joker scenes (maybe watch the Hong Kong scene too). It's all the awesomeness in a fraction of the time!

Posted by: pissant at April 20, 2011 4:31 PM

I'm with GP... I hate this world...

Posted by: Sarah J-Town at April 22, 2011 5:39 AM