Paul Bettany's Mom Wants Him to be the Joker

A quick update on the ever-turning rumor mill surrounding the villain casting in the upcoming sequel to Batman Begins. Paul Bettany, who has been practicing the role of bad guy a fair amount lately, is one of the most commonly linked names to the role of the Joker on the internet. This puts him in a proud cast of about half a dozen actors or so who are commonly discussed by fans as "frontrunners" for the part, even if the best we can do for substantial proof is a shadowy insider dropping hints about Johnny Depp. At any rate, Bettany shared a quick word with SuperHeroHype recently regarding the rumors. He says ""Nobody has rung me up officially and asked, 'Would you like to be in it?'" He goes on by indicating that the only real sources he has on the subject are friends who have told him about the internet rumors. When Hype asked him if he was flattered by the connection, he answered , "Well, I'm just wondering if my mother started the rumors." So unless Mom Beatty is in charge of casting for Nolan, it looks like we will have to wait awhile longer to have our answer.