Considering The Dark Knight (predictably) smashed up the opening weekend box office record this week, I'd assume most of you have seen it. Or maybe only a few of you have seen it five times, minimum. But point is, someone is buying tickets to this thing.

In any case, you're probably now asking yourself, what's next for Gotham's winged knight? How can they top "The Dark Knight, " especially without Ledger's Joker? Surely, such a landmark revenue generating franchise will inevitably have another sequel forked up, right?

You don't have to be the Riddler to know the answer to that. I have no doubts, especially with the team involved talking lightly about it already. But where can the series go next? Or more importantly, who can Batman toe up against next? Which dark twisted villains can up the ante from the brilliant portrayals of Joker and Two Face?

Typical well knowns like The Riddler, and Catwoman are obvious choices. But in a movie series that continues to hinge on re-invention, I hunch director Chris Nolan will stay a higher road--his more serious road. (And why so serious? Well, Joel Schumacher and Adam West are why his Batman is so serious.) And in this Gotham City that his vision has brought to life, everything is much more real and heavy. It's a world that makes it hard to envision a penguin man that runs for mayor. A world that makes it impossible to see a woman with control over plants (Poison Ivy), a frozen terminator man (Mr. Freeze). Even a Riddler, though a drastic overhaul could make it so..

There is room for a sexy, sultry re-invented Catwoman. But even if that were the case she'll still need a new supervillain to balance dynamic out with Batman. As a director Nolan is more of an explorer than a story teller, which is why you may expect him to take less developed characters and bring them to new fiery life in the next step of his Batman series. Even though Two-Face and The Joker aren't new per say to the movie franchise of Batman, they were definitely drawn anew and parts of them that had never before been explored were explored. Two Face finally got the story he deserved and The Joker finally got to wield the chaos he deserved.

So who do you think is next for our caped crusader of Gotham? There is plenty to pick from. But are there any that really stand off the sheet to fit into the Dark Knight universe?