SAN DIEGO — Any news that will come out of Comic-Con about Christopher Nolan's upcoming "Batman 3" project will most likely be presented at Saturday's Warner Bros. panel, but that didn't stop MTV News' Josh Horowitz from trying to get some information from "The Dark Knight" star Aaron Eckhart. The actor who played Batman villain Harvey "Two-Face" Dent stopped by to chat with MTV about his 2011 flick "Battle: Los Angeles," and talk quickly turned to his upcoming projects.
Turns out, Eckhart doesn't have anything on the docket for March or April of next year, when "Batman 3" is allegedly set to begin filming.
"I'll give Chris a shout-out. You know, I'm available," Eckhart said, earning a laugh from his "Battle: Los Angeles" co-star Michelle Rodriguez. "Or [James] Cameron. Ridley Scott. ['Battle: Los Angeles' director] Jonathan [Liebesman]; I don't know what he's doing. I'm available."
Since Two-Face was last seen dead at the end of "The Dark Knight," it isn't a big surprise that Eckhart isn't the most knowledgeable about Nolan's plans, but any comic book fan will say that "death" is never the end for villains. The loss of Heath Ledger, whose Joker was supposed to return in "Batman 3," however, did mean Nolan had to find a new villain to be the centerpiece of the final installment in the rebooted franchise.
"Obviously, the script was meant to bring back Heath, and unfortunately that can't happen, so I think starting over is a good thing," Eckhart said. "I'm excited to see. Chris is up against it, because he made such a good movie with 'The Dark Knight,' that he's got to really come up with something good."
Speculation about the "Batman 3" villain started immediately after "The Dark Knight" was released, and the latest rumor pins "Inception" star Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the Riddler. Eckhart couldn't speak to that rumor specifically but said he thought that the opportunity to start fresh was good for the film.
"Chris, he's an exceptional filmmaker from start to finish," he said. "Whenever I hear stuff like that [Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the Riddler], if Johnny Depp's going to play the Riddler, I'm into it. I feel like he can go in any direction."
When asked if he thinks his time is done in the franchise, Eckhart avoided the question by giving a shout-out to Rodriguez being in the film. Horowitz asked if she should play Catwoman, Poison Ivy or Harley Quinn, but Rodriguez wasn't having it.
"I say we come up with our own superheroes," she said. "I think it's time for something new, man."
MTV News and MySpace are live at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con! From Seth Rogen and Michael Cera to Anna Kendrick and Bruce Willis, we're talking to some of the world's biggest stars during three daily live streams. So tune in to MTV.com at 3 p.m. ET/ noon PT on Friday and 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT on Saturday to watch the fun unfold. And don't forget to check in all week for exclusive interviews, movie clips and much more!
Check out everything we've got on "Batman 3."
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