Since The Dark Knight slapped up on the Silver Screen, there has been one thing the people have wanted.

The next Batman movie.

That's right; let's forget that it should feasibly take another 2 years--maybe 3--before anyone could respectfully write, film, produce and release another ridiculously high-caliber Batman movie to follow up. Forget how mind-explodingly good The Dark Knight was, let's get to the next movie already! Who will the villains be!? OMG!

This is all any self-respecting entertainment journalist with a microphone, keyboard, and/or mouth has asked of anyone within a 100 mile radius of anyone involved with the monstrously revamped Batman movie franchise. (What would YOU ask Christopher Nolan if you had him for 26 seconds and tape recorder??? Ed. Note: please no lewd comments) And all those people told all those entertainment journalists: (to paraphrase) There is no new Batman movie currently in the works. Please just let us digest having finished The Dark Knight before we even start thinking about what's next for the caped crusader.

Looks like the joke (hope you pun fans are keeping score; I just chalked up a fat one there) is on us. This newly released trailer from Warner Brothers reveals that Christopher Nolan's third installment in the Batman series is not only underway, but well on it's way to hit theaters this summer. And let me tell you; if you thought Ledger's Joker was phenomenal--then hold on to your butts. Who's the villain you say? Well riddle me this, riddle me that, Harvey Dent's back with a big black cat.

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?