Rumors: Depp as Riddler, Hoffman as Penguin?

The Dark Knight has been out a mere three weeks, and yet the casting speculation for its eventual sequel is in full swing. There will be a third one, no doubt about it. Warner Bros. will not allow Nolan to walk away from it. The Dark Knight is a box office behemoth, shattering records and holding at number one without serious contention.

But with Ledger obviously not available to reprise his role as Joker, who's going to take up the baddy roles in the third Nolan Batman film? Well, according to a few sources, notably the UK Telegraph, Johnny Depp is pegged to play Riddler, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman is rumored for Penguin.

Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker has set the bar high for Gotham City villains, but reports in the US say studio bosses have set their sights on Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.

"Producers are convinced that the role of The Riddler is perfect for Depp. Johnny's a pro. He'll be able to take direction and still make the character his own. And what better Penguin is there than Philip Seymour Hoffman?" a source said.

Now, depending on the validity of this source, we could be looking at a strong cast for the third film. Also rumored to be after a role is Angelina Jolie, who has her sights set on Catwoman. Now, I've never been a huge fan of Penguin or Catwoman, but I feel like given the right talent behind them and Nolan's superb direction, we could have something special. For the record, I like the idea of Penguin being a British gun-runner.