More exciting “Dark Knight” news! Joseph Gordon-Levitt, now a Christopher Nolan staple due to “Inception”, is going to play a role in “The Dark Knight Rises”, according to various sources, including E! Online.

As for what role the actor might play, it’s up in the air. For the longest, it was rumored that he might play the Riddler, but now with news that Bane and Catwoman are going to be the villains, that’s ruled out.

One other rumor I’ve seen floating around by Batman fans is probably more just wishful thinking than an actual fact-based guess. Someone suggested that they could possibly use him to continue the Joker, a role left vacant by the sudden death of Heath Ledger. Of course, it’s been said that Nolan doesn’t intend to use the Joker anymore, but in the world of Hollywood, “Never say ‘never'” is a constant idiom. If anyone could do something with the role of the Joker, it could be Gordon-Levitt. He even kind-of favors Ledger. However, this is all just hopeful thinking.

The role Gordon-Levitt would also be great in is Robin. Personally, I think that’s the most logical path for him to play in the film series. It’s only going to be a matter of time before Robin is introduced anyway. I know quite a few people might gag at the thought of him playing Robin (hopefully it’s Dick Grayson as Robin), but, as we have seen from “Inception”, Gordon-Levitt can take a second-banana type of role and make it into something memorable, much more memorable than it was probably meant to ever be. And look, if Heath Ledger, someone people had counted out despite his terrific acting skills (he even made a weird film like “A Knight’s Tale” good) and Oscar-caliber work, did such an amazing job as the Joker, why can’t we suspend disbelief that Gordon-Levitt could knock the role of Robin out of the park?

“The Dark Knight Rises” is expected to be in theaters July 20, 2012.