Breaking News: Is Dwight Schrute going to battle Batman in 'The Dark Knight Returns'?

   Will the Batman hide The Riddler's stapler in a Jell-O mold in The Dark Knight Returns?

In what can only be described as the least likely and hardest-to-believe story that we've heard all week (take this one with the entirety of Salt Lake), BuzzFeed is reporting that Rainn Wilson-- best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on NBC's The Office-- has landed the highly-coveted role of The Riddler in the next Chris Nolan-directed Batman movie, which they also claim to have the title of: The Dark Knight Returns.  Is this all just another round of endless internet speculation and fan-casting, or is this the genuine article?  More important than any of that, however: Could you picture Rainn Wilson as The Riddler?  Because, unlike some other rumors we've heard about the same role...we're kinda digging this idea.  Keep on reading for the details, my gentle Examiner readers...

Over the past year or so-- actually, ever since The Dark Knight arrive in theaters and reignited the world's fascination and love for the Batman franchise-- we've heard all kinds of rumors about who might be playing the villain in the next installment.  We've heard everyone from Eddie Murphy to Dane Cook to Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who can be currently seen in Chris Nolan's latest film, Inception.  We thought we'd heard it all, in fact, until this news came in today.  Here's what they're saying at BuzzFeed.com:

An employee at Synocopy Films leaked information today that Rainn Wilson, famous for playing Dwight Schrute in The Office, would be starring as The Riddler in the next Batman film due out in 2013. The same employee also leaked that the next film will be titled The Dark Knight Returns and will also feature the Batman villain Harley Quinn.

OK, remain calm.  Let's go through this rumor one step at a time.  For one thing, the source quoted by BuzzFeed-- "an employee at Synocopy Films"-- isn't very specific, and that may be the lynchpin of this entire thing (more on that in a moment).  Secondly, we know that pre-production on Batman 3 is supposed to begin sooner rather than later, probably the moment that Chris Nolan's done screwing around with the release of Inception.  So, casting oughtta be something that's weighing heavily on Warner Bros'. mind right now.  Finally, the inclusion of both The Riddler and Harley Quinn is, well, an interesting direction for the third film to (allegedly) be taking, and using the title The Dark Knight Returns might speak to some of the content of the script itself: that's the name of Frank Miller's greatest take on the character to date. 

So, this isn't the most insane series of rumors we've heard yet about Nolan's third Batman film.  In fact, I'm not opposed to the idea of seeing Rainn Wilson in this role.  Think back to how outraged everyone was to learn that Heath Ledger was playing the Joker: these days, everyone will tell you they thought it was brilliant casting right out of the gate, but I remember when that rumor first surfaced-- people were not amused.  Consider how that turned out, and then apply that to this rumor: would Rainn Wilson really be the worst choice for The Riddler?  Not by a long shot (that'd be Dane Cook, but we can sleep easy, relatively sure there's no way that's going to happen).

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, however, is said to be the frontrunner for the role.  For some time now, there've been rumors that Nolan really enjoys the actor's work, and that he hired him on for Inception as a bit of a trial to see how he'd enjoy working with the actor on a third Batman (not to mention vetting his skills as an actor in a Nolan production).  If given the choice between the two, I'd give Levitt the edge, but I also wouldn't be heartbroken to see someone like Wilson given a shot at something so iconic.

Adding another layer of mystery to these shenanigans: someone sent me an email last month claiming that Wilson was in talks to take on the role.  As soon as I read it, I had the same reaction that you're probably having right now.  I blew it off as just another crackpot email from someone looking to play a prank (they come in all the time), but now I'm wondering if A) there wasn't some truth to the rumor, or B) the same person didn't pull the wool over the eyes of someone at BuzzFeed.com.  BuzzFeed is listing Entertainment Weekly as a source on the article, but their link doesn't go anywhere.  And the plot thickens...

Rest assured that we'll be keeping you updated with any news on this situation as it becomes available, my precious snowflakes.  Hit the "Subscribe" button up top to get all future Comedy Examiner articles-- especially any that have anything to do with Dwight Schrute taking on the Batman-- delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge, the moment they're published.  By the way, this is our 1700th article at Comedy Examiner HQ: over 3 million served.  Thanks for stopping by, but really, you should consider that "Subscribe" button.  Why, just look at all the fun you've been missing out on:.

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(photos: top--buzzfeed.com, next--nbc.com, next--collider.com, bottom--tv.ign.com)