Updated with the latest news that The Last Samurai's Ken Watanabe will play Ra's Al Ghul. Dennis Quaid is still rumored to play Gordon.

So far...

Batman Begins

Christian Bale - Bruce Wayne/Batman
Michael Caine - Alfred
Katie Holmes - Rachel (Bruce's love interest?)
Cillian Murphy - Scarecrow?
Liam Neeson - Henri Ducard
Morgan Freeman - Lucious Fox
Ken Watanabe - Ra's Al Ghul

No. Not really.

I don't think Nolan is able to bring the Batman character to life as he needs to be. I'm not sure how well Bale will do as Bruce / Batman...I'm just very skeptical - as a huge Batman fan, I have been let down with the previous three movies...

Any reason why the previous Alfred (is it Michael Gough or something like that) can't play Alfred? Perhaps he was too old? Either way, Michael Caine is good news, although it can't be that huge a role.

I'm most disappointed by the choice of villian. Most people don't even know who Ra Ah Ghul or however you spell his name is. He's not one of the classic villains. Moving the plot out of Gotham to London is also kind of interesting, we'll have to see how it pans out. Christopher Nolan is a smart director, I'ms sure he knows what he's doing. This movie will hopefully better than the last few.

Micheal Caine as alfred. doesn't fit if you ask me.

This next Batman film will be the best one, sure Burton's Bat was brilliant, but not perfect, time to get rid of the body armour, and thats where Christian Bale will succeed, have the physhicality of batman, and the complexity of bruce wayne, he will be the best batman, michael keaton aced Wayne, but I could never believe he was so strong under the body armour.

And big villians are not the way to go, none of the previous batman films have given batman any centre stage, which makes the villian choices very cool.
This will be a cracker, I'm a optimist.


Michael Caine as Alfred, amazing they got him, great.

Michael Gough was great, but he was old in batman and robin, and it's been 7 years!!, time to move on.


Great news.




Exactly what will make it refreshing and cool, we've seen the classic villians in many forms in the past already, batman can draw to background many people haven't seen, surprise them.

Why have Joker, penquin, riddler again, so early, they will come again, but plenty of time for that later, none of the batman films really gave batman the focus, thats what this new one will have, the villians will be important, but they won't overshadow batman, tim burtons films gave the villians so much screen time and development and then killed them, he wasn't as faithful to the comics as this next bat film will be, the next bat film will be many peoples favorite, mark my word, I'm optimistic!!

Ra's al Ghul is a classic Batman villain, he is just not a golden age foe, having made his first appearance in 1971. He is a much better nemesis, IMHO, for a "Dark Knight " Batman than any of the campy foes of the previous film.

I guess it's all what you want the film to be....I am looking forward to more of a dark, detective movie with action than a campy comic book rendition this time around. We had enough of that in Batman and Robin .

Wooooooooo
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO

From a script by David Goyer, blade writer
Director Christopher Nolen
Christian Bale as Batman
Michael Caine as Alfred.

You just know they are doing their best to do this right.
I'm bloody excited!!!!!

Liam Neeson as Ra's Al Ghul?


I can dream, can't I?

I have high hopes for this one now...looks like it's shaping up well. After the disaster with Warners trying to get Superman off the ground, it looks like all the right moves are being made for the new Batman movie!

I like the idea of Ghul as villian. what ever happened to the classic part of batman.. you know, being a Detective.. highlight some of that and I'll buy the ticket.

I'm really looking forward to this. The choice for Batman/Wayne has been one I've wanted for a long time and now we have Caine as Alfred. Excellent news! And I agree that Ra's Al Ghul is an excelelnt choice for villain since now we can see why batman is among the world's greaest detectives.

Actually, I'm kinda diggin' what I'm hearing. Caine

I've always thought he'd be a great villain for the movie. I'm very pleased that they went in that direction as this is the first I"ve heard of it.

Good decision.

My pick for playing Ra's al Ghul is still Jason Isaacs, who played the bad guy in "The Patriot" and was Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter 2.

This is gonna' be one kick-ass Batman installment!

My pick for Ras-al Ghul has always been Anthony Hopkins, way back from the days of Batman Returns being out.
Problem is: Hopkins is rather portly, and Ras needs to be played by an able fighter. Then again, they made Christopher Lee look rather swift and nimble with the help of FX in Episode II, so you never know.
I would like to place a vote for Eliza Dushku as Ras' daughter Talia, whom any Batman fan can tell you is a pivotal character in the Batman vs. Ras story.

I'd like to see Jennifer Connelly as Talia, tho I sorta doubt she'd agree to being in a batman movie

EDIT: err wait what am I saying? She was in Hulk...

Didn't you LO-O-O-VE Batman: Dead End?

My choice was for McKellen as Alfred.

I can dream, can't I?

I just want to see Batman as a friggin' detective! That's what he is! Problem solve and clues....then action!

According to Dark Horizons, the gossip is that the filmmakers would like to get Daniel Day-Lewis as Ra's al Ghul.

Although I loved Christian Bale in EQ, and of course Michael Caine's always held a place in my heart ever since Jaws: the Revenge - I cant go into this project with anything but fear and worry. After four completly suck-ass Batman films, and the continuing notion that the WB execs dont have a clue what they're doing with their superhero franchises - well, I'm scared of this movie.

If only they'd get Paul Dini and the rest of the B:TAS creative team onboard, *THEN* I could sleep at night.

I can see that. But I pictured Terrance Stamp playing the older version

As long as the WB let's Nolan do his thing, we should get the detective story many people want. Of course, i'm sure the masses would just want an action packed comic book movie.

Let this succceed, and then let me adapt Arkham Asylum. That would be the ultimate Batman film and one of my dream projects ever since the book came out.