The net rumor-mill throws forward some hints at an interesting psychological slant for The Dark Knight Rises...

French actress Marion Cotillard isn't just pleasant to look at, she has proven herself as a true talent in the acting field. She has also worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood as far as fellow actors and directors. So it should come as no surprise that after working with Christopher Nolan on Inception that she would be touted as the latest name added to the roster for his next installment in the Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises.

Though unconfirmed by the star's camp, French newspaper Le Figaro is claiming that she has been cast, and if other persistent internet rumors are to be believed, she will be taking on the role of Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul, the villain from Batman Begins. This would be inspired casting, as the role of Talia requires someone not only beautiful, but with an air of danger and mystery to her.

In the comic books, Talia al Ghul is the daughter of the immortal Ra's, and sometime lover and foil for Batman and Bruce Wayne. In recent years, she gave birth to their child, Damien, who is the current Robin, taking on the role so that Bruce can help the troubled youth stay on the right path, and to be a father for the young boy.

While this casting and the casting of Joseph Gordon-Levitt are pure speculation at the point, it seems that The Dark Knight Rises is delving into father-child relationships. Gordon-Levitt is allegedly being looked at as portraying Alberto Falcone, son of Carmine Falcone (portrayed by Tom Wilkinson in Batman Begins). In Jeph Loeb's book The Long Halloween (one of the books that Nolan has utilized heavily for source material for his franchise), Alberto is the black sheep of the family, and becomes the serial killer "Holiday" killing only on those particular days. And Anne Hathaway's character Selina Kyle/Catwoman has in recent years been revealed to also be the daughter of Falcone.

The addition of any or all of these characters would make for an interesting touch to the movie, as it would parallel Bruce Wayne's own existence, having grown up without a father and constantly dealing with that loss (I've always felt that it's the loss of family that made the character of Dick Grayson/Robin an important one, as Bruce tries to be the father he never had). Family has always been a touchy subject for the character in the comic books, and seeing these familial issues brought up in the film would make for a fantastic story. The only character who would seem to have the same outlook as Wayne would be that of Bane, who – if kept in the spirit of the books – also lost his father, albeit in prison, where he took on his father's punishment.

It will be interesting in the next few months to see if any of these casting rumors prove true, or if the story unfolds in this way. I personally think it would make for a very solid film, and an entertaining one. Since production begins soon on the film – slated for a July 20, 2012 release – we'll find out soon enough.

SuperheroHype

See also:

Gordon-Levitt and Cotillard’s roles set for The Dark Knight Rises

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