And Batman 3 has a title at last...

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times’ Hero Complex section that was published today, director Christopher Nolan officially ruled out the Riddler as the villain in his third Batman film. The helmsman of the latest Gotham reboot also divulged the next film’s title – The Dark Knight Rises. When pressed, the notoriously tight-lipped director would not reveal any further plot details.

The announcement ends months of speculation that the Riddler was the leading villain candidate to round out Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Actors ranging from David Tennant to Joseph Gordon-Levitt were rumored to be possible choices for Edward Nygma’s evil mastermind character, but now that moviegoers will not be seeing a new incarnation of the Prince of Puzzles, the question remains as to who Nolan has chosen to go toe-to-toe with the Caped Crusader. The only other villain that Nolan has explicitly ruled out is Mr. Freeze, in a March 2010 interview, also with Hero Complex.

On a technological note, Nolan did reveal that Warner Brothers has agreed to Nolan’s wish not to film the third film in 3-D. Instead, the Batman crew will continue its use of IMAX technology that they first used in The Dark Knight, to overwhelmingly positive critical acclaim.

The Dark Knight Rises is scheduled to debut in theaters on July 20, 2012.

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