Is Chris Nolan looking for Sarah Essen?

[starwolf_oakley]

Christopher Nolan is looking to avoid another bout of Magazine Rack Syndrome* by casting *two* Hollywood stars for female roles for DARK KNIGHT RISES. And some fans think one of those female roles is Sarah Essen.

* A meme I'm trying to start based on this dialog from The Simpsons.
Lisa: I'm a magazine rack!
Homer: Look, I'm the first to admit it; I don't write good parts for women.

Would Sarah Essen work in the Nolan-verse? Who should be cast? My theories and pages from LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT ANNUAL #2 with Sarah Essen after the cut.



Five pages from the issue where Jim and Sarah get married. On a sinking boat that's on fire.

The story starts with Jim and Sarah in a bridal shop, with Sarah trying on a wedding dress. Flass (from BATMAN YEAR ONE) shows up, working for a criminal named Mr. Gleam. Gordon has info on a crooked judge working for Gleam, and Flass wants Gordon's evidence. As Flass is a very bad person, he has kidnapped Gordon's son James (also from BATMAN YEAR ONE) to make sure Gordon complies.

Gordon says how he "won't betray his trust" and leaks his evidence to a radio station.
Sarah, who has been wearing the wedding dress the whole issue, decides to ask someone for help she would rather not ask for help.






After checking with Alfred on what bridges are closed, Batman rescues Jim Jr. (the last time he ever showed up in a Bat-comic, AKAIK).
Jim and Sarah get married on the aforementioned sinking boat that's on fire, with the crooked judge presiding and Flass (left to die as Gleam sees him as expendable) as a witness. Batman rescues them, although he's in disguise (again).



For a little while after that, Sarah became Commissioner Gordon for a while (I don't know the exact issues). Then No Man's Land happened, and the Joker shot her in the head. Gordon shot him in the knee in retaliation.

Jim Gordon is the comic relief in the Nolan Bat-movies (next to Alfred, I suppose). It would be rather odd to give Gordon a romantic interest, unless Barbara leaves him sometime between TDK and RISING. Maybe Barbara doesn't want to say "Oh no, Harvey Dent didn't kidnap me and try to kill my children, heavens no!" and leaves Gotham so she can't be questioned about it.

If Sarah Essen is a cop out to bring in Batman, she could work as someone the audience can respect even if we know she's misinformed about Batman. She could say a vigilante becoming a murderer was an inevitability.

Vera Farminga from "The Departed" and "Up in the Air" was tossed around by some Bat-fans. I'd like Jill Hennessy from "Law & Order" and "Crossing Jordan." She could give Sarah a mix of "by the book cop" and "smart-mouthed sass."

Comments

[lilacsigil]

If they're going to have Sarah Essen, they need to have a senior cop - not someone too young or too glamorous like Hennessey or Farmiga. They should also have someone about Oldman's age, because I really liked in the comics that she might not have been quite Gordon's equal in rank, but she was most definitely his equal. The common older man/younger woman movie dynamic undermines this. How about Holly Hunter?

[jaybee3]

I don't know about that - whatever her actual age, Sara was always drawn as younger than Jim and a knock-out (to the point that it was remarked upon in the comics that she didn't look like/was too good looking to be a cop).

[psychopathicus_rex]

I have no idea who should be cast, but it's a good role for a Hollywood movie, as it is actually canonical that she is VERY beautiful. I mean, not that a lot of people in comics are ugly, but it's established in 'Year One' that she's a stunner even by comics standards in addition to being very smart, tough and confident. They tend to cast things a little younger and prettier in the movies than in the source material, but it's established that she is genuinely that pretty. So whoever is cast should be drop-dead gorgeous but capable of believably playing a smart, tough cop.

[darkknightjrk]

I can see Sarah working in the Nolan-verse, certainly.

[omgwtflolbbqbye]

Back before Nolan got signed on for Begins, and Arronfsky and Miller's "Year One" adaptation was still on the table, Julianne Moore was the popular choice for the role. I could see her doing it still.

[mistervader]

Batman. What a voyeur. He's like ceiling cat.

[bradhanon]

I think Gordon's dialogue on the last page means that he knows Batman's watching. He's deliberately calling Batman a loveless, miserable prick, because he can't just yell "Quit following me around on dates, you creepy bastard!"

[althechi]

Sarah Essen as an Inspector Javert character? It'd be an interesting angle for conflict with Gordon the Batman sympathizer at the least.

[starwolf_oakley]

Especially considering Gordon has to pretend *not* to be a Batman sympathizer. At the end of DARK KNIGHT, people only think Batman killed Dent (and other people) because that's what Gordon told them.

[corrinal]

I like this idea.

It could go a couple of way. We've seen Batman go dark in the Nolan movies. Maybe if Sarah Essen is in the movies, she's there to serve her purpose in Year One: both as a smart cop who distrusts Batman and someone who tempts Gordon as well.

What happened at the end of the last movie could result in some serious marital issues for the Gordons. Having Sarah around would make that more complicated.

I mean, they have freakin' Gary Oldman playing Jim Gordon. You'd think they would give him something more to do.