Batman

Johnny Depp as The Riddler? I'd be
OK with that.Johnny Depp recently dispelled a persistent Internet rumor that he's playing The Riddler in the next Batman movie.

Depp was interviewed a few days ago by the morning crew at Big 105.9, a Miami classic rock station. Depp chatted with DJs Paul and Young Ron in advance of a reunion gig with his old band, The Kids, in Miami last week.

When asked if he was playing the part, he replied, "Not that I know of," before adding, "It seems like it’d be a fun gig for awhile, yeah."

Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight'Believe the hype. "The Dark Knight" is my favorite movie of the summer (so far) and probably one of the most satisfying action blockbusters of the past 10 years.

It's not just a good comic book movie. It's a great movie, first and foremost, that happens to be about comic book heroes and villains.

I'd say it has more in common with classic crime dramas such as "Heat" and "The Untouchables" than it does with "Spider-Man" or "X-Men." It's a gangster film about a handful of noble crime fighters, some who wear suits and ties, some who wear badges and guns, and one who wears a cowl and cape, all battling evil and corruption.

Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson
as The JokerWhen Jack Nicholson became the Joker for 1989's "Batman," he delivered an all-time great performance — one for the history books — and he easily stole the show from Michael Keaton aka Bruce Wayne/Batman.

The Associated Press reports the late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in the forthcoming "The Dark Knight" is even better.

After attending an early press screening of "The Dark Knight" (the rest of us get to see it starting July 18), the AP's reviewer wrote, "Ledger elevates Batman's No. 1 nemesis to a place even Jack Nicholson did not take him ... Nicholson's Joker was campy and clever. Ledger's Joker is an all-out terror, definitely funny but with a lunatic moral mission to drag all of Gotham, the city Batman thanklessly protects, down to his own dim assessment of humanity."

Christian Bale and Heath Ledger
in 'The Dark Knight'"The Dark Knight" star Christian Bale recalls his co-star, the late Heath Ledger, was an easygoing guy when he wasn't performing as the Joker.

Details magazine recently interviewed Bale for its June/July cover story and he told writer Adam Higginbotham, "(Ledger) was incredibly intense in his performance but incredibly mellow and laid-back. Certainly there was this great anarchistic streak to it — just getting dirtier than anybody's envisioned the Joker before. This character has power because he has no limits — absolutely nothing to lose."

Bale is a successful star now, but the full interview reveals some of the hard times he went through on his way to the top. Just a few years ago, he was struggling with his house payments.

'The Dark Knight' opens July 18
Superhero Hype has posted three new photos from “The Dark Knight,” the next Batman film, due out July 18.