With the majority of casting out of the way, and production currently in full swing, Variety reports that Nestor Carbonell has signed on to play the mayor of Gotham in The Dark Knight. Aside from Carbonell, they've also confirmed the casting of Eric Roberts as a Mafia kingpin (which we already knew), but did not mention the name Sal Maroni even though a number of sources have indicated that Roberts will indeed play the infamous gangster. For those familiar with Carbonell (who was last seen on screen in Smokin' Aces), it's kind of comical that he would be involved with a Batman-related film. Back in 2001, Carbonell played a character called Batmanuel (picture the opposite of Batman -- I mean, dude drove around in a gold Buick) on the short-lived series The Tick. Remember that? Then again, maybe it's best if you don't.

There's no word on how big of a role Carbonell will play in the film; the mayor isn't necessarily a major character, so I wouldn't count on him appearing in too many scenes. As far as when we'll get to see some of The Dark Knight, recent rumors suggest there might be a teaser trailer playing before Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Since there's no possible way they've cut together enough footage to show us something substantial, I imagine if they do shovel out a teaser, it will be more along the lines of flashy graphics followed by some rough written-for-the-teaser dialogue. Oh, and perhaps Warner Bros. will take that opportunity to show us a pic of Joker -- I'd like that. Currently, The Dark Knight is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 18, 2008.

For those of you who are up to date on your Batman history, the thought of gangster Sal Maroni playing a major role in The Dark Knight is far from an insane idea. After all, Maroni is the one who originally throws acid at Harvey Dent, scarring his face -- an event that paves the way for Dent to become the villain Two Face (who is being played by Aaron Eckhart in the new flick). This scene -- which takes place in a courtroom -- is briefly touched upon in Batman Forever via a news report on TV; in that film, Boss Maroni (as he's referred to) was played by Dennis Paladino.

Batman-on-Film reports that Maroni will once again make an appearance, though director Christopher Nolan might be looking to beef up his role. Early rumors suggest that none other than Tony Soprano himself, James Gandolfini, is being looked at to play Maroni. However, Aussie actor Alan Dale is also rumored to have been cast as a villain in The Dark Knight, leading some to believe he will be playing Maroni, not Gandolfini. BoF claims Dale's role is a small one; if that's the case -- and he is playing Maroni -- that means the gangster will not have a major role and, instead, will probably show up toward the end to throw acid at Dent. Regardless, this old school storyline is a fun one, especially if Nolan decides to include Carmine Falcone and the infamous serial killer Holiday. Perhaps Gandolfini is Maroni and Dale is Falcone? I don't know, what do you think?

UPDATE: Yes, I'm a moron for not realizing (or remembering) that Tom Wilkinson played Falcone in Batman Begins. Thanks for pointing that out folks!