Director Christopher Nolan is trying his best to keep the details of his third and final Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, a deeply-guarded secret, which is why the characters that Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are playing are still unconfirmed. Cotillard is rumored to be playing Talia al Ghul, the daughter of Ra's al Ghul (played by Liam Neeson in Batman begins).
Gordon-Levitt, meanwhile, was rumored by "insiders" to be playing Alberto Falcone, the son of mobster Carmine Falcone (played by Tom Wilkinson in Batman Begins), but "sources" for another site refuted the Falcone claim while failing to mention an alternative character (our money's still on Gordon-Levitt as the younger Falcone). The latest casting news could clear up at least part of the rumors, but not all of it.
THR reports that The Social Network actor Joshua Pence has joined the cast of The Dark Knight Rises. Pence played one half of the Winklevoss twins, with Armie Hammer's face and voice digitally inserted over Pence's. Now the actor has the chance to show his own face as...the young Ra's al Ghul.
According to the report, Pence is playing Ra's in scenes that take place 30 years prior to the movie. Ra's al Ghul's League of Shadows is rumored to be a big part of the sequel, with Talia leading them. With Pence playing a younger Ra's in flashback, the Cotillard as Talia rumors won't die down anytime soon, and perhaps, at least conjecturally, have more validity.
Where it leaves Gordon-Levitt still isn't clear, though, and this is pure speculation, he could play a younger Falcone to counter Pence as Ra's? Or does having a younger Ra's open the door to seeing Ra's return? Neeson has said he "definitely" won't appear in The Dark Knight Rises, but later said he would be interested in reprising the role if asked.
It seems Nolan can breathe easy. While Pence's casting only sort of answers one question, it raises others and keeps the truth about The Dark Knight Rises a mystery that will only be solved in the theater.
