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With the dominance of the superhero film in Hollywood these days, the latest BetUS entertainment proposition bet is a real sign of the times. Not to mention totally bitchin’, if a bit medium-term in payout.

Are you ready to talk some “The Lead Villain in the Next Dark Knight movie” betting? As for this writer, two and half decades’ worth of comic book reading and a good seven years in the film review biz have all led to this moment…

The table for favored baddie from the extensive Batman rogues’ gallery looks like so:

The Riddler: 9/2
Harley Quinn: 7/1
Catwoman: 8/1
The Penguin: 8/1
Bane: 9/1
The Joker: 10/1
The Black Mask: 12/1
Poison Ivy: 12/1
Two Face: 13/1
Hush: 13/1
Killer Croc: 14/1
Dr. Hugo Strange: 15/1
Clayface: 15/1
Mr. Zsasz: 16/1
Red Hood: 18/1
Mr. Freeze: 20/1

OK, we’re going to throw out a number of these tights-laden dudes and ladies right from the go, so Pow! Bam! Zowie! to:

• Catwoman – Come on, did anyone see the Halle Berry flick?

• The Penguin – In the überdark world of the 2000s Dark Knight films, the old Burgess Meredith/comic book waddling Oswald Cobblepot ain’t gonna cut it. On the other hand, Tim Burton and Danny DeVito took it as far into dark madness as possible, and this effort will never be replicated, either.

• Bane – Some of us remember how Bane broke Batman’s back back in the 1990s in Detective Comics (Mr. Wayne recovered very nicely, thank you very much) but the reality is this character is seriously colorless – hardly lead antagonist material here.

The Freezenor!

• The Joker, Two Face – One’s deceased in real life, the other was canned but good in Dark Knight Returns. With so many choices, no way Warner Bros. risks its one truly viable superhero franchise on something so audacious.

• Mr. Freeze – Between Otto Preminger and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s interpretations of what is really a silly character anyway, the national psyche cannot take another live-action version.

As for most of the entries on the bottom of the list, well, there’s a reason they’re longshots. (I mean, come on, Red Hood?) The serial killer character Mr. Zsasz would make for a seriously dark movie, but is pretty much an unmarketable figure.

Killer Croc and Clayface will certainly make the on-screen Dark Knight pantheon if the films run for long enough – the morphing Clayface would be a perfect character for the CGI-happy and, since the character has actually been redone four times in the history of the Batman comics, his/her origin is completely flexible – but with a list of usual suspects this long, why go to the little-knowns this quickly? It says here that, if you’re playing this BetUS prop bet, your options are four:

• Poison Ivy – Come on, this character’s going off at 12/1? Talk about your natural, topical choices. Imagine a crazed ecowarrior doing battle with the Batman in a Gotham City overrun with plants growing at hyper fast speeds to wipe out citizens horror/epic style. Don’t tell me that wouldn’t work. As for Uma Thurman’s stab at the character in Batman Forever, well, Uma doesn’t even remember that.

Smokin'...

• Harley Quinn – Everyone ate up Heath Ledger’s Joker, so why not do it again with a sexy female? The Joker’s sometime girlfriend, Harley Quinn has an advantage over most in that, while the character is somewhat familiar to a more mainstream(-ish) audience, thanks to her prominence in 1990s/2000s Batman and Justice League cartoon series, she doesn’t suffer the indignity of ever been badly done in the movies.

• The Riddler – This character is unique in comics lore, as it represents the first (and only major, methinks) supervillian to be created for another medium – in this case, the bizarre campy TV series before entering print. One rumor says the whole thing was a sop to a miffed Frank Gorshin, who was passed on for Cesar Romero.

Putting money down on this one is problematic for two reasons, however. Firstly, there is that whole somber tone thing and a serious, dark spin on The Riddler has never been anywhere successful. Secondly, seriously: The character sucks. If Jim Carrey, who was born to be this character (OK, he was really born to be The Mask, but still) couldn’t do anything great with the Riddler, no one can.

Hollywood's newest pretty-boy actor

• The Field – If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re about to be rewarded with information about an interesting oversight on BetUS’ part. The true Batmanophile has certainly noticed by now one name not mentioned: Dr. Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. The Scarecrow. The Scarecrow has appeared in both of Batman’s 2000s films and was played by Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Cold Mountain); IMDB.com helpfully informs that Murphy has some five releases slated for 2009. Seems like 2011 might be the perfect time for the heartthrob to make The Leap…

The Os Man’s recommendation: If you cover Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and The Field in equal amounts, you’ll bag a return of minimum 8/3. I like those odds.