News Flash: Eddie Murphy as the Riddler in Batman 3

Earlier this week The Sun reported that Eddie Murphy had signed on to play the Riddler in the next Batman sequel, Batman: Gotham, which is tentatively scheduled for release in 2010. If true, this would definitely be a good look for Eddie, but my homeboy Matt, who’s a major movie buff and knows this kinda stuff (that rhymes), pointed out a few reasons why this may be a hoax. Mainly because of the fact that the article said Shia Labeouf (Transformers, Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) was signed on to play Robin, which both director Christopher Nolan and lead actor Christian Bale have long said they don’t want to make the same mistake the last Batman series did by introducing the Caped Crusader’s trusty (yet slightly annoying) sidekick. Robin’s character just seems way too soft for the dark vibe of the last two films, anyway.

Keeping that in mind, casting Eddie Murphy seems like a fatal mistake as well because I don’t see his brand of acting falling in line with the current franchise’s morose undertone. That’s not to say that Murphy can’t muster up a dark portrayal on screen; because who honestly would have thought Heath Ledger could’ve pulled off a (arguably) better Joker than Jack Nicholson? (The man is primed for a posthumous Oscar to boot). But Eddie’s catalog of characters just seems too hooky for this series. I could easily see him following a similar blueprint as Jim Carrey’s Riddler in Batman Forever. While that may have worked in the previous series, which was more cartoonish by that point, I can’t see meshing well alongside Bale’s version of Batman. We need sinister not satirical.

The one thing in The Sun article that actually gave me hope was word that Johnny Depp was in consideration for the role of the Riddler. Now, that seems like a much better choice than Murphy to me. Depp is known for creating quirky characters with lots of edge (i.e. Edward Scissor Hands, Captain Jack Sparrow, Sweeney Todd) so I could see him pulling off an interpretation of the comic supervillian that would be both scary and humorous that I’m just not sure Eddie has in him (remember Vampire in Brooklyn?).

So what do you guys think of the possibility of Eddie playing the Riddler? Do you think he can pull off a believable performance? Based on his previous work, do you see him carrying a film as the bad guy opposite Bale? What about Johnny Depp, do you see him being a better fit? Is there anyone else you could see playing the Riddler? Or do you think that after the death of Heath Ledger and his now iconic performance that they should just leave well enough alone?

Speak your piece…